Having a green lifestyle is popular today, especially among health enthusiasts. This involves reduction of one’s carbon footprint through many ways. This also includes eating food that is prepared in environmentally-friendly ways, and avoiding the use of chemical-based medications. Herbal medication and natural supplements are therefore gaining popularity.
It’s not only us humans that can enjoy the use of herbs to help cure various ailments and their symptoms. Even pets, like dogs, can benefit from herbs. If you are living a green and natural lifestyle, you would want your dog to also be the same.
Herbs can be used as natural remedies for a variety of ailments. For a pet dog owner, one of the biggest concerns is calming down their dog. Anxiety attacks can come from a variety of things, from illnesses, difficulty in adjusting to certain situations, and the like.
Here are a few ways you can calm your dog down with herbs.
- Use chamomile tea. You can also add chamomile to their food. Chamomile is a calming flower, and it works well with curing anxiety attacks in both humans and dogs. It can also act as a mild sedative for your dog.
- Use cooked oats. Oats can help aid in digestion and proper excretion of waste materials in the body. For dogs, oats can also at as a calming agent. Fully-cook oatmeal and add some in your dog’s food. You can give him the same oats as you eat for breakfast, so you don’t have to spend extra on buying these.
- Use lavender oil. Get the essential oil and dab some on a cotton ball. Place the cotton ball in a place where your dog stays frequently, make sure the scent can fill the air, but that your dog cannot reach the cotton ball. Essential oils can be harmful when swallowed or when directly applied on skin. If you have an oil diffuser, you can use this, too. Just be careful when using candle-lit oil diffusers, as these might cause burns.
- Use valerian for extremely excitable dogs. Valerian is effective in reducing anxiety, excitability and tension. This usually comes in capsules, tinctures and tea bags. You can brew the tea and serve this to your dog as a drink. You can also mix the tincture or the powder from the capsule in his food.
- Use St. John’s wort. This is an effective remedy for depression and anxiety in humans. It’s also effective in dogs. This comes in capsules and tinctures, and you can mix it in his food. You can also mix tinctures with drinking water, although your dog might notice the difference.
Remember to use lower dosages of herbs for your dog than you would with a human. Animals might be more sensitive to herbs and their bodies have different makes. Consult your pet’s veterinarian before giving him any remedies. Some veterinarians practice a more holistic type of medicine, and they will consider using herbs, instead of just drug-based treatments.