Taking Care of Your Dog's Immune System

Your dog's immune system fights against infection from things like disease, bacteria, viruses and fungi. It will attack anything it considers foreign in the body by producing a number of different effects.

As the infecting cells are stamped out, many of the immune system's fighting cells also are killed. Inflammation is also a part of the procedure for fighting infection. Inflammation causes heat and sometimes the body's temperature is raised in order to kill off the invaders. During the course of this, dead cells have to be hauled away and disposed of.

Every time something unwanted enters the dog's body, or is present in measures too high to be tolerated, the dog's immune system will go in to action.

Signs of an Inefficient Immune System

If your dog is suffering from recurrent infections that seem to return when treatments such as antibiotics are finished, or being plagued by skin problems, allergies or constant manifestations of fleas, it could be a sign that his immune system is not functioning as it should.

A healthy immune system can recognize and deal with infection before any symptoms are felt. It works away in the background protecting your dog and keeping him fit and healthy. If the dog is a little under the weather, or has been exposed to things that debilitate it's immune system, infections can become a real problem as your dog's immune system struggles to cope.

Stress, bad diets, toxins, vaccinations and antibiotics can all be responsible for putting your dog's immune system under pressure.

Herbal Remedies for your Dog's Immune System

Many of the herbs used on humans to build the immune system can be used on dogs but the dosages and application can be different.

There are many different herbs that have an effect on the immune system one way or another. Echinacea, Andrographis, Olive leaves and Astragalus will boost the immune system when it is debilitated.

Garlic which can simply be added to the food a couple of times a week has a positive effect on the immune system but also provides some anti-viral and anti-bacterial activity of its own.

Siberian Ginseng, Licorice and Withania all work on the adrenal glands to reduce stress and so take pressure off the immune system.

Liver herbs such as Dandelion, Milk Thistle and Schisandra help the liver to detoxify itself from artificial chemicals.

A healthy liver is necessary for a healthy immune system.

A herbalist will choose herbs for an immune formula for a dog based on the causes of the immune deficiency.

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