Herbal DogTips & Products for Your Herbal Dog

If your dog had a choice, she’d tell you to feed her all natural dog foods. Natural food for dogs can be cooked or prepared at home and there are also some great brands of dry food made from natural ingredients.

The best natural dog food is the one you prepare yourself from homemade foods. Using a holistic approach to your dog’s wellness can help reduce vet bills, keep your dog healthy and promote long life in your animal companion.

Author Patricia O’Grady, who is a dog trainer and self-made cook, has written a book, Woofing it Down: The quick & easy guide to making healthy dog food at home that you’re sure to enjoy. It includes information on natural ingredients for making all natural dog foods along with recipes. The recipe collection even includes desserts for dogs!

The recipes are nutritionally balanced and have been well researched for the health benefits they will bring to your beloved dog.

If you don’t have time to make your own natural dog food, the brand we recommend for dry and wet food is Wellness Super5Mix Complete Health Chicken Dog Food. It is made from organic, human grade ingredients and dogs love the natural flavors such as salmon and white fish. If your dog has allergies, try their sweet potato and white fish blend. Wellness foods do not contain unidentified “natural flavors” or sugars that can be harmful to your dog.

Enjoy your herbal dog and be adventurous! Bake some dog cookies and try some of the great recipes for dogs in Woofing it Down: The quick & easy guide to making healthy dog food at home.

Constipation dog is one of the common digestive upsets pets experience and is generally not a major cause for concern. If your pet has a sensitive stomach or seems to be constipated all the time, then they may need some help to get over their digestive issues.

A dog who is constipated will be very uncomfortable. Your dog may whine, have difficulty walking or refuse to eat. If you have an outdoor dog, these symptoms may be harder to spot right away.

Natural supplements are one way to help your dog’s stomach stay in tune and avoid constipation and other digestive problems. They come in powder which can be mixed in with your dog’s food, or in tablet form that is tasty to your dog.

Since dogs will eat practically anything, you just never know what they may have gotten into or what’s causing the problem. Dogs that appear in distress, are hunching over, or in pain should be immediately taken to the vet for treatment.

Always have plenty of clean water on hand for your dog as dehydration can lead to constipation.

All pets, both at home or in shelters, can benefit from Reiki treatments. Reiki is a gentle form of hands-on healing that helps maintain a balanced energy and promotes health and well-being.

Reiki for dogs involves the practitioner placing his or her hands lightly on or near the dog’s body. Dogs are very receptive to Reiki as it is attuned to their natural energy body. The practitioner and dog work together so that the dog can take whatever energy it needs from the treatment. The Reiki practitioner acts as a channel for the energy and this benefits both the practitioner and the animal that is being treated.

A great resource for more information on Reiki for dogs is a book by Nicole Wilde, Energy Healing for Dogs: Using Hands-On Healing to Improve Canine Health and Behavior.

Dogs are a natural sponge for the energy of their owners and for this reason can take stress and illnesses of their human companions. Many times when your dog isn’t feeling well, it may be due to something that’s going on with his owner and that he has absorbed. For this reason, Reiki is an important part of your dog’s health and well-being and should be made available to them on a regular basis.

Reiki practitioners can be located in your area through your homeopathic veterinarian or by local directories offering Reiki treatments.

Dog fleas are one of the biggest hassles of owning a pet. An itching dog is an indication that your it may have fleas. Fleas can infest your home by getting into the furniture and carpets. They do bite humans and if you an infestation in your home, they will even jump on your legs – yikes!

Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can treat dog fleas. Two of the most popular products are Frontline flea and Advantage for dogs. Both of these treatments, which you put on your dog, can kill fleas for up to a month on your pet.

What can also happen is that when you put the treatment on your dog, the fleas will start jumping off. If the fleas have been bothering you and your dog for a while, they may also be in the carpets waiting to hatch a new batch when the weather is warm. If your house is also infested with dog fleas, you will want to have the carpets and furniture treated as well.

I don’t like flea bombs, which are the canned flea treatments for homes you can find at the grocery store, because they only kill the fleas that are alive when the bomb is used. This means you will have a new infestation and fleas on dogs again in the near future. In addition, the stuff smells terrible and it’s may be harmful to breathe for you and your pets.

One of the most successful ways to treat your home to minimize future issues with dog fleas is with a product called Fleabusters. This is a fine powder that is brushed onto the carpet. It attaches to any flea larvae dehydrating and killing them.

For natural pet products, visit the Only Natural Pet Store at the link to the right of this post.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by today!

Roxy in Basket

Homeopathic remedies for dogs are being used by many pet parents to treat common dog symptoms . Homeopathy, invented by German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) is a therapeutic system based on the belief that disease can be treated with drugs in very small doses causing the same symptoms in healthy animals and people just like the actual disease.

Some common dog symptoms that may benefit from homeopathic remedies include:

• Dog incontinence
• Dog separation anxiety
• Skin and allergy symptoms
• Itching
• Diarrhea and gas

Homeopathy is a gentler form of treatment for your dog and is non-invasive. Your dog and you will benefit from this holistic and often less expensive approach to treatment.

Holistic over-the-counter remedies can also be used to treat your dog’s symptoms with great success.

If your dog is exhibiting signs of illness or is not improving, get him to your homeopathic veterinarian for a checkup.

Your herbal dog will thank you with a tail wag and a kiss.

A new puppy! It tugs at your heart to think of a cuddly new puppy that you can play with, teach tricks and count on to be your companion for many years to come.

When you bring a new puppy home, it’s important to think about puppy health and the type of food you will feed your new friend. Commercial dogs foods will certainly support the health of your pup, but at Herbal Dog, we prefer puppy food made with natural, wholesome ingredients.

Our own dogs have enjoyed a healthy life with Wellness brand dog foods. Wellness makes a special formula for puppies that is provides the right mix of nutrient rich whole foods.
Wellness Super5Mix Puppy Health Large Breed Formula Dry Dog Food

Puppies need more than just good food of course. They also need plenty of naptime, playtime and exercise. If this is your first puppy, or even your first puppy in a long time, you will want to read about caring for and training  your puppy in this great book by Sarah Wilson, My Smart Puppy: Fun, Effective, and Easy Puppy Training (Book & 60min DVD), which is also available for download on Kindle.

Some things to remember in caring for your new puppy,

1. Provide natural, wholesome food made just for puppies, such as Wellness brand.
2. Have a soft bed where you puppy can sleep close to where you are.
3. Train your puppy using positive reinforcement, and soft tones.
4. Lots of fresh water always available.
5. Exercise your pup by taking him on walks, throwing a frisbee or ball, tug of war with dog toys.

Caring your puppy’s health will be rewarding and fun for the whole family and bring you years of joy with your new family member.

Natural flea remedies to treat dog fleas are available in many different products. As a general rule, your dog and your family will benefit from natural treatments for problems such as fleas. The less you expose your pet and your family to harsh chemicals the better.

Natural remedies used to treat dog symptoms can be found in powder form, shampoo, tablets that you feed to your dog, sprays, and even rechargeable fleas collars. To find the right product for your pet, you will need to consider what’s easiest for you and your dog and also what is most effective.

A great book for helping your pet with allergies and flea issues is The Allergy Solution for Dogs: Natural and Conventional Therapies to Ease Discomfort and Enhance Your Dog’s Quality of Life (The Natural Vet). Fleas are a common cause of dog allergies and can cause rough patches of skin on your pet.

If your dog likes to have a bath, you can try the natural flea shampoos and conditioners. If you take your dog to the groomer, you can have them use a natural shampoo that you provide, or ask them to give your dog a flea dip. A flea dip is usually available at most grooming parlors for dogs.

Natural rechargeable flea collars are scented with natural herbs that repel fleas and ticks. The collar is recharged by spraying Insect Shooo onto it every other day for the first week. The Insect Shooo is pleasant smelling and does not contain chemicals.

Help your itching dog by treating fleas right away when you see any symptoms of fleas. Your dog’s vet and groomer are good resources for more information on natural flea treatments.

Whether you hire a professional dog trainer, or decide to train your dog yourself, you’ll love hearing about clicker training for dogs.

According to Karen Pryor, clicker training is an animal training method based on behavioral psychology that relies on  marking desirable behavior and rewarding it.

The clicker, which is a small mechanical device that fits in your hand and makes a “click” sound, tells your dog when he’s doing the right thing. Combined with positive reinforcement, it is a humane and safe way to teach your dog or other animal companion good behavior.

The concept of clicker training is 70 years old, but it wasn’t introduced to the United States until the late 1980’s by Karen Pryor and her dog trainer, Gary Wilkes (and some of their friends).

Karen is the official clicker trainer and best resource for learning about this gentle and compassionate way to train your dog.

To learn more about the training programs or to purchase a training kit, visit Karen Pryor’s site.

Dogs itch for all kinds of reasons and fleas is just one of them. If your dog is itching a lot, it’s time to find out the reason. Good detective work is required to help your dog from the discomfort of constant itching.

Check your dog’s fur, looking down to the skin for any signs of rash or cuts. Do you see any fleas running around when you do this? Comb your dog and see if there is any white, flaky stuff that could also be signs of fleas.

An itching dog may also be an indication of more serious issues like liver disease, some cancers and immune system issues.

A common allergy in dogs is laundry detergent. Your dog may have redness on the skin of her stomach and abdominal areas. Try washing your dog’s blankets in a perfume and dye free detergent such as Dropps Laundry Pacs, Scent + Dye Free, 20-load pouch (pack of 3) and see if the itching gets better.

An antihistamine such as Benadryl Kapseals 48 Count (diphenhydramine) may be helpful for short term relief but be sure to check with your dog’s vet for proper dosage recommendations before giving to your dog.

You can help make your dog more comfortable with a nice bath using a natural dog shampoo. Careful not to rub your dog too much when drying and don’t use a hot hair dryer as this will make your dog itch even more and negate the benefits of the bath.

Herbal remedies are available to improve the condition of your dog’s skin and coat as well. These natural treatments may also reduce your dog’s itching and scratching behavior.

Thanks for stopping by today. If you find a product or solution that helps your herbal dog with his itching, be sure to leave a comment.

Natural dog treats in the pet store can cost as much as $5 for one cookie or biscuit! Learn how to make your own dog treats right at home in your oven. You will know all the healthy ingredients you put in the treats and will save money, too!

The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook: Homemade Goodies for Man’s Best Friend, author Liz Palika gives us some great recipes for making homemade treats for dogs. Some of her recipes include: Crunchy treats, Cookie cutter treats, Yogurt Yummies, and Dry dog food kibble.

The book contains 50 canine-tested, veterinarian approved recipes that are sure to be your dog’s favorites. The treats can be stored in air-tight containers so can bake a batch for your dog to share with her friends.