Before we have Part 2 of the conversation with the dog, can we just get just take a moment and get our Irish on? Erin go Bragh ~ Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Now that that’s taken care of, onward to the conversation…

Last autumn I had this chat with Sam about the benefits of homeopathic remedies (see Part 1 here for our original discussion) and the plan was to finish that with the kind of good things to include in a home remedy kit, then before I could finish this part 2, my mom became very sick (she’s doing better for anyone wondering-yay!). And because I used to work in the legal biz, before using any of these remedies, be sure to check with your vet. Ok, with background info and disclaimers outa the way…let’s finish that conversation!

Me: Oh Saaaammm….come here, buddy. We need to finish up our conversation from last Autumn. [long, quiet pause] Now where is that silly knuckle headed dog? [crickets]  Sam!!

Sam: Whaattt?! You have that tone that suggests I’m not gonna like this conversation. What’s up??

Me: We need to finish the chat about homeopathic remedies…you know, our ‘fairy dust kit.’

Sam: Oh…gotcha. Hey, wait a minute…this isn’t some evil ploy to throw my happy butt into the water torture chamber bathtub, is it? Uh, I noticed you went in the bathroom a few  times and you know I want nothing to do with that room, right?!

Me: No, Sam, I’m not trying to trick you into taking a bath (I’ll save that for next week when we go back to the hospital), I was just grabbing some of the pawsome remedies that could be included in a home homeopathic kit, you know…that thing you call the ‘fairy dust kit.’ I had promised to share those remedies ages ago with all the good pups in Blogville.

Sam: Blogville?! Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place. I <3 everyone in Blogville and if we can help out any of our fur-iends, then sign me up!

Me: Ok, calm down, dude. No need for pogo-sticking through the living room, ok?

Sam: Yeah, but mom…it’s Blogville and you know how much I love all of Blogville.

Me: Ok, then let’s start. Trying to implement homeopathy in chronic situations can be more than challenging and so we suggest contacting your vet in those cases for advice. But the simple acute cases can be pretty easy to work out. Acute disorders are just illnesses or injuries where the onset is sudden usually with obvious symptoms. They are easy to identify and thus finding the correct remedy can be a fairly simple process. Here are a few handy remedies to include in your own fairy dust bag.

• Apis mellifica – great for bee or other insect bites. Give every 20 minutes for a few doses after a bee sting.
• Arsenicum album – great for GI upsets from eating spoiled food when both vomiting and diarrhea are present. As a general rule, give twice an hour for a few hours.
• Arnica – good for general pain, stiffness due to overexertion, soreness and musculoskeletal injuries. I use the gel version for whenever I bump into a desk corner to quickly heal the pain and minimize bruising. It works like magic and keeps this klutz me from looking like I’m some sort of physical abuse victim. Note-do not use on broken skin-it will burn like crazy. I learned the hard way on that tip.
• Bach’s Rescue Remedy – a proprietary blend of 5 flowers with each countering a particular type of stress or anxiety. Best news – there are no side effects to using and it work well for grown uprights, their kids, and pets.
• Calendula officinalis – Calendula (or pot marigold). This herb is a workhorse in our bag of remedies. Calendula contains salicylic acid (the same ingredient found in aspirin), which helps relieve pain. Used topically, it helps the healing process on wounds or itchy skin. Used, internally, it stimulates the immune system, supports and enhances liver function, inhibits some tumors, and has a calming effect on the nervous system. It can be used as a poultice for sprains and bruises or as an eye wash for conjunctivitis.
• Hepar sulphur works to treat painful abscesses anywhere on the body and infected anal glands.
• Hypericum – works on pain due to nerve damage or injuries to nerve-rich areas (i.e. if you slam your finger in a door, you’ll learn the wonders of using Hypericum). Also works great if you cut your dog’s toenails too short.
• Lavender and tea tree oil – both are natural antiseptics but can be drying so use with caution or dilute. We absolutely love lavender essential oil for a number of things. It’s a good calming herb for stressful situations (i.e. thunder storms, fire works season) and a natural way to treat fleas-just dilute 3-5 drops to 1-3 tablespoons of water and spray on a bandana (reapply weekly). Alternatively you can use 1 cup white distilled vinegar OR 1 cup apple cider vinegar OR a 50/50 blend of both in a quart of fresh water with 2-3 drops of lavender (or cedar oil). Put in a decent sized spray bottle carefully spritzing on your dog (avoiding the eyes, ears, nose) or on and around their bedding. Not only will the cider vinegar deter fleas, it should improve the skin and coat condition.
• Nux Vomica – a good remedy for entire digestive tract including flatulence and indigestion. Will help stop diarrhea.
• Rhus tox – for arthritis that improves after moving around, general musculoskeletal injuries, red swollen eyes, skin infections and skin itching.
• Silicea – can help push foreign bodies like splinters or foxtails out of skin.

Although I haven’t used all of these on Sam, I keep them around on the off chance we’ll need them. They can make a big difference with some of the minor problems that besiege our fur-babies that are bound to occur that under normal circumstances wouldn’t usually require a trip to the vet.

Sam: Yeah, we want to keep those visits to minimum, even if the vet’s office is nice to me. If it’s all the same to you guys, I’d just as soon stay home with mom. At least when Mom tortures takes care of me, I know I’ll get both lots of sympathy, petting and yummy treats.

Have you tried any homeopathic remedies on your pup? Any you swear by?

Live, love, bark! <3