Natural Pet Products For Extra TLC

People in general take the time to care for their bodies- bathing on a regular basis to keep themselves feeling and looking fresh, brushing teeth for that extra flashy white smile, combing one’s hair to keep it neatly tucked in place, and putting powder on one’s face to prevent oil from making one look like a greased pan.

Just as these rituals have become ingrained in people’s daily routines, they have also become meticulous about the products they use, whether these are foods, medicines or beauty products. Now, many are choosing natural products over synthetic counterparts because these exhibit minimal or no side-effects at all. And people aren’t the only ones who could benefit from these. Even pets can reap the benefits of natural products.

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6 Pet Health Solutions
Instead of buying expensive natural pet care products, one can easily whip these up one their own. Here are some remedies that could be used for common pet problems:

1. Garlic
Pets are like kids. They will lick and eat foods that aren’t supposed to be taken in. And why not when they are not aware about the repercussions of doing so? This is considered fairly normal behavior but of course, there is a bad side to it. Worms could be feasting in their organs by now, happily robbing pets from nutrients.

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Instead of deworming products, letting pets eat garlic may help these pests go away. Aside from deworming benefits, garlic is also known as a great immune booster. For dogs, a daily dose of ½ to 2 cloves should suffice. For smaller pets like cats, just give ¼ to ½ cloves of garlic. This should not be used with other blood thinning agents though.

2. Aloe Vera
If dogs or cats could not keep themselves from scratching, this could be a symptom of itchiness. This condition could be brought about by several causes such as flea and allergy. Unlike humans who could restrain themselves from digging their nails too much into the skin, pets could have their claws all over their body which could result to broken skin. Aloe Vera could provide instant relief from itchiness. Simply apply the pulp on irritated skin and its cooling effect should be able to distract pet from scratching. This remedy is also hailed for its wound healing properties, an added bonus if pet has scrapes on its body.

3. Coconut oil
Under the sun, pets can have some needed dose of fun. But climate change has made the sun hotter and more vicious than ever before. Remember skin cancer where humans suffer due to excessive tanning? This problem could affect pets. Even with the extra protective layer of their coats, harmful UV rays could get past this and get through their skin. There are now sunscreen lotions specially formulated for pets. The only problem with these is that they never come cheap. Coconut oil offers a cheaper alternative. This offers a protection of SPF 10. While some would claim that the higher SPFs offer better protection, the problem with going a bit too high is that this also blocks vitamin D. Coconut oil will give pets ample protection while allowing them to have their natural source of vitamin D.

4. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is usually used by people who have sleeping problems. This is also used for other ailments that include inflammation, skin problems like eczema, and for gastrointestinal problems. While the fresh plant could be toxic for cats when ingested, this can be given in small doses in tea form to treat upset stomach. A half teaspoon for small animals like cats should be enough and for dogs, approximately ¼ teaspoon per 30 lbs. of weight. This remedy is also good for belly ache caused by anxiety. Just as humans benefit from this for skin problems, chilled chamomile tea can be used as a spray solution for bacterial and yeast infection in pets.

5. Essential Oils
Fleas and ticks bugging pets? The first instinct of owners is to head to the pet products aisle and grab some commercial tick and flea powder or shampoo. However, these contain chemicals that will not only kill the pests but are also harmful for pets. And for pets, they can never make a day pass by without cleaning their bodies with the use of their mouths. Poison ingestion is a possible threat with these types of products. Instead of these, one could use essential oils such as lavender and lemon oils instead. These are often diluted with water and then sprayed on pet’s body. Not only will they be protected from ticks and fleas but will make them smell good too. Take note that not all essential oils are good for pets. There are some that could also be dangerous for pets.

6. Cranberries
Blood in pet’s urine? If this is coupled with fever, backache, and painful urination, pet may be suffering from urinary tract infection (UTI). There are several causes of this condition that includes daily consumption of dry commercial pet food and stress. If pet is urinating more often than necessary, its bladder may already be inflamed.

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One way to combat the problem is by giving pet some cranberries or blueberries. These will make urine more acidic, making it an unattractive environment to pH sensitive bacteria. Of course, this should not be used as a replacement for antibiotics but only as a supplemental remedy.

Conclusion
Before synthetic medicines were created, native remedies were used to treat common diseases such as fever, cramps and body aches. For centuries, people have sought ways by which illnesses of all forms could be eradicated from their lives and this brought about the birth of the synthetic commercial medicines existing today. Yes, some of these have made lives easier but experts are also now admitting that not all synthetic products are good for the body. That is why there is now a shift and people are turning back to natural products. If these were found as better alternatives for humans to use, then surely pets could also benefit from natural and herbal products in the same manner.

About the Author
This article is a guest post by Jordan Walker,a strong advocate of better pet products alternatives. He loves talking about pet information as shown in Coops And Cages and in pet blogs like this one where he is not afraid to talk about his personal views. If you would like to catch him, you can via Google or Twitter: @CoopsAndCages

[Editor's Note: Although many natural pet health sites advise on small doses of garlic, most veterinarians discourage feeding garlic to dogs and cats due to the potential for toxic effects. Always consult with your veterinarian before starting your pet on any new diet or health care program.]

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