Are There Any Real “Home Remedies”?
Question by Patient Paws: Are There Any Real “Home Remedies”?
Everyone on here sees these harebrained home remedies that people suggest as a cure-all as opposed to the veterinarian.
Things like motor oil for mange, gatorade for a guess-diagnosis of Parvovirus, chicken soup for snake bites, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
Are there any out there that actually WORK?
[Of course there is no substitution for veterinary treatment!]
Best answer:
Answer by Shelter dogs say spay & neuter!
I, personally, don’t think so. Especially Gatorade for Parvo and chicken soup for snake bites.. That’s completely ridiculous. Don’t people realize that these home remedies probably won’t work and there pet will die? Some people will believe anything.
Add your own answer in the comments!
There probably is for some of these. Just like there are home remedies for some things that humans get.
Right now im trying the vinegar in the water bowl remedy for my puppies tear stains. Don’t know if its working yet.
YES!!! Vitamin E capsules to treat hot spots! It is the ONLY thing that has completely helped cure the hot spots! The vitamin E heals them quickly, stops the itch, and helps the coat grow in faster too!
at the risk of getting more idiots to look for the “wrong” alternatives, for minor ailments I do prefer gentler, proven natural remedies, rather than some of the drugs that are aroound, PROVIDING I have a solid diagnosis.
I also use homoeopathic remedies for my dogs and myself where appropriate. I prefer to use these as complimentary remedies in addition to veterinary care when needed. #
Of course! What would you like to know? The remedies you suggested of course dont work.
None that I’m willing to prescribe since I’m NOT a vet.
Yes, there are things I do/have done which are outside the mainstream care when dealing with an issue ~ however, what I, an educated dog person will do, and what I would suggest some idiot on here should do are not even in the same realm of existance.
Vinegar cures yeast infections in dogs ears. (dogs with floppy ears in humid climates get them) My dog gets them and the vet told us that trick….
Yes, for some things, yes. But some suggestions on here are really are puzzling.
Haven’t ever tried any home remedies though, especially the stupid ones off here. I will take a vet over Y!A, any day!
Edit – Oh yes, I forgot about a homeopathic vet! They know tons of home remedies!
Yes, there are plenty. Just ask a homeopathic vet!
I’ve heard miraculous things about apple cider vinegar.
Honestly, I’d never feel safe recommending a natural, home remedy to anyone on here because I have no idea whether it’s a person who’s just too cheap or lazy to take their dog to a vet or someone who has genuinely tried conventional methods and is looking for a natural or homemade alternative. That, and I don’t have an MD
For a few things yes but, not many things. Most things require the attention of a vet.
I know some home remedies that have worked for my dogs but, I will not say what it is for and what it is. I am not a vet and what works for my dogs may not work for others.
The gatorade for Parvovirus is the only one that i know is true. My Friend had a puppy with parvo & could not afford the cost for the vet to keep him. So the vet gave him 2 setts of shots (a week apart) & told them to give him gatorade to keep him hydrated. The pup lived!
Well, I know for a fact that the home remedy for yeast infections in ears and on skin works, the one with boric acid and gentian violet, I’ve used it myself with great results.
I also know for a fact that using Desenex foot powder spray clears up hotspots, fast! I’ve used that one too.
The problem with a lot of home remedies is that they are not sensible.
If it doesn’t make sense, it probably won’t work!
There are a LOT of herbal and home remedies that do work, though and have been proven through the test of time.
Bag Balm for instance, great for cuts, bruises, rashes and insect bites,
Cranberry powder, great for UT health.
Raspberry leaf tea or powder, great for female reproductive issues, Saw Palmetto, great for benign prostate enlargement.
Vaseline and flea powder, mixed, keeping flies from biting ears and healing up flie bitten ears.
I could go on and on, but, I won’t.
There are certainly very good home remedies, but I wouldn’t recommend most of them on here – I’d give some suggestions for minor issues (vitamin e for hot spots, dawn dish soap for flea baths, etc.) but nothing beyond that simply because most of the people asking are just people who are too cheap to have their dog diagnosed and treated by a proper vet.
Upon putting natural, organic, apple cider vinegar in my dogs water, I have seen both chronic yeast infections of the ears, and foul smelling urine problems (suspected UTI) clear up.
May be coincidence, may not be…
Sure!
Pumpkin for constipation or diarrhea.
Yogurt for diarrhea and yeast problems.
Witch hazel for hot spots and moist ears.
Chicken soup and honey for a cough.
Honey/Betadine poultices for hard-to-heal sores and skin infections.
Ammonia for a bee sting.
Gatorade or Pedialyte can be used for emergency treatment for a dog with diarrhea,parvo,dehydration or heat stroke,but any dog with parvo or heatstroke needs to be seen by a vet asap.
Oh,yeah,vinegar for the ears and the Desenex,Micatin or Monistat for yeast on the skin or ears really do work!
Well, to keep your dog from killing your lawn, you can feed it a few cranberries every day. You can also drink cranberry juice for a bladder infection
Also, baby rice works wonders for a dog with diarrhea 
lol
but seriously. And cornstarch or flour can clot a bleeding bird wound (probably other animals too, and of course only minor wounds)
Yeah i have used gatorade mixed with kaopectate for a simple case of the runs at a dog show.
But i really don’t believe in homeopathy for serious things like parvo or snake bites, or even mange.
And i have used cornstarch in place of styptic powder.
i have used some powder stuff i can’t exactly remember the name of it for my bulldogs irritated tail. its a powder similar to gold bond yet it doesnt sting. cause yeah gold bond hurts.
I’m not recommending THIS to anyone…it’s something my dad does when his Chesapeake gets flystrike on her ears in the summer. Since she swims a lot he uses an irrigation-grade waterproof grease to slather on her ears to keep the flies off and so it won’t wash off in the water. (Dad is a farmer…can you tell?) Like I said…I don’t use this on my dog…Flys-Off works fine…or Bag Balm. But Ellie is glad for some relief and it hasn’t affected her healthwise. She’s 10 years old this year!
I’ve used pumpkin, yogurt, boiled chicken breasts, & pepto bismol for sensitive/upset stomachs. Not all at the same time of course but I have a GSD and they ARE known for having sensitive GI tracts.
I’ve used Neosporin on minor cuts/abrasions that are shallow and don’t require a vet visit. Of course I don’t use it if the injury is in close proximity to the mouth.
I’ve used ASPIRIN when Brasky went through a bout of pano. It worked very well on his aching legs.
Cornstarch to stop a bleeding nail/cut. It’s cheap and readily available…and works just as well as Kwik-Stop.
Amoxicillin for kittens/cats with Upper Respiratory Infections. I know plenty of mothers around town that have extra Amoxicillin. And since paying out the yazoo for a tiny bottle of bubble-gum flavored amoxi (I tried it) I decided it was easier to just ask my friends when I needed it.
I gave my dog his puppy shots…they sell them OTC at an animal supply store here for only $ 5.00. Its a BIG money saver when compared to the $ 35 vet fee for the same shot. (Don’t forget I interned under a vet and learned the CORRECT way to give these shots.)
yes, there are lots of them that actually work. The chemistry of some very simple ingredients works exactly like “professional” treatments because chemically speaking, they are the exact same ingredients. I hardly ever recommend them to users on here as I have not examined their pet and can’t tell if it is something simple or something else that can only be treated by a vet. Since common sense isn’t so common any more, I often tell posters to go to the vet. I would rather err on the side of caution than give someone advice that could turn to be harmful because the poster themselves can’t tell sh!te from shinola. I mean really- if the questioner is not smart enough to keep their animal inside in the first place then why would I think they could understand instructions on how to lance and clean and dress an infected wound. Besides, I am not even confident that half of them could tell if it was a simple flesh wound or if it was serious. Every time I read one of those questions like “My cat/dog got hit by a car, how do I treat their broken leg,ribs,jaw… at home”, I get sick to my stomach… any more, if it isn’t something dead simple, I just tell them to get to a vet.
it’s really scary the advice on here, to think someone might follow such suggestions instead of the vet, their pet will suffer and die for it. But also it’s like these people want any alternative,so they’re happy go lucky to thank the person who suggests gatorade or whatever.
I am replacing tick/flea medication from the vet with apple cider vinegar and specially made garlic pills for dogs. a year ago,I’d have thumbs downed anyone who suggested that over med from the vet. but I look for healthier alternatives for chemicals and illnesses. But that is WITH working with a vet..i’d never just follow advice on here without researching it and talking to the vet.