Just like kids, dogs get booboos from time to time and just like kids dogs don’t always have to be rushed to a professional. You can actually take care of many problems in your own home. These home remedies are recommended by vets to not only save you money, but to allow you to take care of problems when your vet may not be in their office. While not everything can be fixed with home remedies, there are quite a few problems that dogs will encounter that you can easily fix with home remedies. Not only will this make the dog feel better, but you’ll feel better as well knowing that your dog is safe and doesn’t need to be rushed to an emergency vet.
Home Remedies for Dogs #1: Broken Toe Nails
Broken nails can happen in different ways. The dog may get their nail caught in a rug or even in their favorite blanket, if they have a rough spot on their toe nail. You may also cut your pet’s nails to short. In both instances the dog will have bloody toe nails. It is normal to worry when this happens, but if you know your home remedies, you will be more at ease. Once a nail has began to bleed, get a small container of cornstarch and dip the dog’s toe nail into the cornstarch. This will stop the bleeding. To help avoid broken toe nails in the future, keep your dog’s nails trimmed and file down any rough spots. When you allow your dog’s nails to grow too long, the quick of the nail will also become longer, making it easier for the nail to bleed when cut.
Home Remedies for Dogs #2: Upset Stomach
Just like humans, dogs get upset stomachs. This can be hard on the dog and the owner as well. Luckily, there are several home remedies to cure upset stomachs. One of the home remedies that my vet shared with me was to feed your dog yogurt. I was given this piece of advice after explaining that my dog’s stomach made gurgling noises from time to time. While he didn’t explain how it worked I can only guess that it is the bacteria in the yogurt. The bacteria in yogurt actually help our stomachs as well, by fighting against lactose. Plus dogs think this is a wonderful treat. If the stomach problems continue, more than a day, or are extremely bad, contact your vet immediately. Dogs can quickly become dehydrated if the stomach problems continue. To help avoid these problems, avoid feeding your dog too much human food. Human food should be a treat, not a meal. Also watch for any signs that may be the effect of an allergy. For example, my dog Precious is allergic to red dye. Any time she would eat treats that were red she would become very ill.
Home Remedies for Dogs #3: Irritated Skin
Dogs can also get irritated skin, but there are several home remedies that will help sooth their skin. One of those home remedies is bag balm. Bag balm was originally invented to sooth chapped cow utters, but is now used to help a variety of different animals, including dogs. This product worked extremely well when my dog was shaved for surgery. Her skin was extremely irritated, but the bag balm soothed the skin and ended the itching. Another one of these wonderful home remedies is probably in your medicine cabinet right now. If your dog gets scratched, you will need to clean the scratch out. In your vet’s office you will see peroxide. They spray this on pets when they have irritated skin and you can use it at home as well.
