Whenever someone in my household is sick, if it is something I can treat myself I do so with herbs. Though I have a number of herbs available to choose from, like any herbalist I have my favorites.


Start With Familiar Plants
This article will introduce you to some of the more common herbs that you might like to try on your animals. I have chosen these plants to tell you about because they are readily available (some may already be growing in your backyard) and easy to use. All of them can be used either fresh, dried, or as a tea.

Dandelion: This ubiquitous weed should never be looked upon as an undesirable. Not only is it good to eat, but it is good for what ails you, too. It is highly nutritious, containing vitamins A, C, K, D and B-complex. It also contains many minerals, especially potassium.

You can feed dry or fresh leaves directly by adding some to your pet's food, using about 1 teaspoon dry or 3 teaspoons fresh per pound of the animal's weight.

Make a tea by steeping dry or fresh leaves or leaves and root in boiling water or broth. Let sit until cool then strain.

Use dandelion whenever optimal nutrition or waste elimination is required. It helps stimulate appetite, improves digestion, and stimulates the liver. It acts as a powerful diuretic (leaves) and a gentle but effective laxative (root). As a diuretic it has the advantage of not depleting potassium, which is a problem with common prescrition diuretics.

Dandelion is also an anti-inflammatory and mild analgesic. You can use dandelion flowers as a tea or dried as a mild pain reliever for cats.

Chamomile: A dimunitive flower, most often used to calm and sedate.

Try it for separation anxiety or before a trip to the vet.

It is also used for all manner of digestive upset, especially when the cause is due to nervous conditions. Combine it lemon balm as a tea for nervous stomachs.

The cooled tea can also be used as a skin wash or compress. Use on skin inflammations such as those caused by fleabites or other allergies. It is also helpful against bacterial or fungal infections on the skin.

Another use for the tea is as a soothing eyewash for infections or irritations. Filter the cooled tea and dilute with saline solution before using in the eyes.

Chamomile is also an excellent herbal wormer. Although it may work more slowly than some other herbs or medications used for this purpose, it will also reduce the stomach inflammation associated with parasites.

Alfalfa: Though you may not be growing this forage plant, it is readily available in feed stores, or you may have a neighbor who purchases it for horses. Another highly nutritious herb, it is the best herbal remedy for arthritis. It can be fed in the same manner as dandelion.

Alfalfa is alkalinizing to the urine, which makes it useful in bladder irritation and calcium-oxalate type crystals.

Calendula: Also known as pot marigold, this makes a lovely garden flower as well as wonderful healing herb. It is most often used topically. A tea made from the flower petals used on wounds speeds healing and prevents infection.

The cooled tea can also be used as a wash or compress for minor cuts, bites, abrasions and burns. It will reduce pain and swelling in addition to healing the wound.

Calendula infusion can be used as an eyewash in the same manner as chamomile.

Thyme: There are many varieties of this culinary and decorative herb. Any of the culinary varieties can be used medicinally.

Thyme is great in case of coughs. Sweeten a tea with some honey to improve the taste.
Use the tea in cases of colitis, gas and other stomach upsets as well.

Feed the dried herb to help expel worms, especially hookworms. Use 1 teaspoon per pound of food for dogs, just a pinch for cats.

If You Can't Grow Them, Buy Them
All of these herbs can also be purchased in capsule or tincture forms. For topical use, calendula and chamomile are available in creams and gels, often in combination with other herbs.

If you choose to use a purchased form of the herb, keep in mind that the dosage recommendation on the label is for a 150-pound person. Divide the dose accordingly for your animal's weight.

For more in-depth information on these and other herbs, read Herbs for Pets by Gregory Tilford

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