5 effective natural home remedies for your pet

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Hello Dot

As a vet with a holistic, natural philosophy, I am always mindful of treating pets with chemical products unnecessarily, especially when a natural alternative will suffice.

Here’s a list of ingredients that are effective natural home remedies and just might save you a trip to the vet. All of the items listed below can be found easily at your local supermarket or health food store, if not in your pantry or medicine cabinet already!

Note: These hints are designed to treat minor ailments and complaints only. For serious problems please always seek veterinary advice.


Dr Bruce’s Home Remedies

Chamomile Right-click here to download pictures. To help protect your privacy, Outlook prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
Chamomile is great soothing agent for sore, irritated skin. Pour cooled chamomile tea in a clean spray bottle for easy application. Cold chamomile tea is also a safe eye wash for eye complaints such as conjunctivitis. However you must be sure that there is nothing more seriously wrong with the eye, like an ulcer or foreign body. If the eye is still sore after a few hours, please seek veterinary attention.


Neem Oil
For topical fleas, neem oil can be quite effective. While it can be used topically, I recommend using a pet shampoo containing neem oil and simply wash your dog every week or two.
Tip: A natural diet of balanced fresh meat and vegetable matter is the best way to optimise your pet’s health, and to minimise worms and fleas.


Rose Geranium Essential Oil
If you live in a tick prone area it is very important to have a prevention protocol in place, which includes daily grooming and checking for ticks. Rose Geranium essential oil can serve as a successful tick repellent, just add a few dabs to your dog’s collar and on the base of their tail before heading outside. I would not recommend this for cats as they can be more sensitive to topical treatments and will lick a lot more off their coats.

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Aloe Vera
Pure aloe vera jelly will speed up the healing for all sorts of cuts and skin injuries. Combined with manuka honey it makes a fantastic healing gel for large wounds. Aloe vera juice is also a potent laxative and can aid with constipation.


Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is a powerful natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent. It can be used on skin lesions and a drop or two in ear canals. But remember to avoid using it where an animal can lick it off (especially with cats). Dilute it to about 25% if in doubt.