Holistic Pet Care: Herbal Remedies, Homemade Recipes, Energy Medicine + So Much More
We just welcomed in two new family members into our home yesterday-- a beautiful black 6 week old kitty from the back of hilled homes in North East LA and a 8 week old Italian Mastiff from a LA family's litter
Its been about 8 months now that our 4 year old 80 lb black mastiff-lab, Soma, went missing. Its taken awhile for me personally to feel ready to welcome a new pup since then but after our dream move to Big Bear Lake a few weeks ago happened and we are finally settled in to a larger space, I feel more than ready. That being said, when I was care taking for my past pets (Soma and our family dog Olive), I learned a lot about giving them the most natural food and products, including herbal medicine!
I had so much fun coming up with super safe and healthy alternatives for them and watching the results of their health just blossom! So I decided to spend a week sharing all that I could through Instagram last January. And now that I have animals back in my life, I want to repost them here for easier access and to refresh myself a bit too! I hope you all find joy out of care taking your pets with natural earthy products just as much as I do! Its so accessible these days with tons of trial and errors posted on the internet. Feel free to ask me anything anytime-- I will be diving full in once again!
This is a consolidation and edit of 8 Instagram posts I did on Holistic Pet Care and Tried-&-True Herbal Remedies This article is PACKED with info, years of experience & research!!!
Included Below:
+ Natural Animal Rearing
+ Homemade Raw Food Diet
+ Herbal Flea & Tick Remedies
+ Animal Communication for Beginners
+ Homemade Herbal Dog Treats
1. NATURAL ANIMAL REARING
What is Natural Rearing? This is simply taking care of our pets by mimicking their ancestor's natural state in the wild as close and fit as possible.
What does this entail?
+ A huge focus on diet, specifically Raw Meat & Bones along with other Animal Products, Grains, Vegetables, Legumes, Fruits &Herbs
+ Choosing Herbs for medicinal care as one's first choice + Adequate exercise, especially off-leash play time + Frequent access to a natural environment
(Dirt, wild grass, trees, shrubs)
+ Behavioral order
(A clear pack leader, training in basic manners) + Socialization with other dogs (started as a puppy) + Healthy communication & respect between species
I have done much research on this topic but hands down most of my experience has come from implementing what I learned with my own dogs & failing a lot & adjusting it to fit our suburban/city life. Essentially doing any of these steps will increase the health and happiness of our animal friends but the biggest impacts are Food and Exercise. I have seen my dog's health completely transform from having a solid diet and consistent exercise routine.
2. NATURAL DOG FOOD IMPORTANT: if switching over to a raw meat diet after a canned diet, age breed and transition is highly relevant! If your dog is over 4 years old, i would suggest talking with a trained professional first before any major diet shift.
I find proper food feeding to be one of the most important responsibilities as a pet owner! Most pet troubles that need medical attention are caused by an inadequate diet. First of all, dogs are carnivores, so their main source of nutrients should be coming from raw meat and bones. They have very acidic digestive juices in their mouth and stomach specifically for eating raw flesh and teeth structured to chew and crush raw bones as if they just caught a live prey. Secondly, they have very small stomaches so they are meant to be eating small highly nutrient-dense meals, exactly what raw meat gives them. What cooked meat does is it slowly trains the animal's body to do way less work, which in turn, not having much of a function, starts decreasing in efficiency and life force. It creates body order, bad breathe, skin & hair problems, kidney disorders, teeth issues, organ failure and a host for worms. Thirdly, raw meat meat and bones gives them the nutrients straight from the source, without the high levels of processing and 'watering down'.
Do not mix cooked and raw meat together! Its either one diet or the other. Dogs are also well adaptable and have evolved and been bred into hundreds of breeds. So, they also thrive off of many types of other foods.
Here is a list of what a dog can eat:
MEAT + BONES serving 1:1 ratio / room temp mimicking fresh caught prey / serve bones always after meat / never small bones like chicken ribs Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, Deer, Chicken, Duck, Turkey, Pheasant Cow, Bison, Tuna, Mackerel, Herring, Salmon
fresh liver at least 2x week
diversity of organ meat highly recommended FRUITS + VEGGIES: Figs, Carrot, Coconut, Celery, Peas, Chard, Seaweed
Cooked: Turnips, Parsnips, Sweet potato, Pumpkin
OTHER: Raw eggs + finely crushed shell (4x week at most) Raw milk, cottage cheese (small amount) Oats, Barley, Spelt, Rye, Corn meal, Rice Sprouted beans, Sesame (tahini), Flaxseed, Carob, Peanut, Walnut
Yes i know this sounds overwhelming but it really becomes second nature once you and you pup get in the flow! This is also just a list of what they can eat and not all needs to be apart of regular diet.
3. FEEDING: Its tricky to try to formulate our own dog food that includes a balanced ratio of all of the nutrients our animal friends need. I had much trouble with this when I decided to switch my family's dog on a new diet a year ago. I was also spending a lot of money buying a bunch of groceries and bones from the farmers market. It just wasn't cost effective and I'm a lady on a budget.I was advised from a veterinarian who also feeds her dogs raw meat to buy a BASE MIX ( I bought The Grain Free Base Mix made by The Honest Kitchen from chewy.com ) to add with the raw meat.
This has been a serious life saver. I also found HARMONY FARMS, an awesome butcher in La Crascenta that specializes in selling diverse, responsibly sourced, organic and wild caught raw food for cats and dogs at an affordable price! I advice you scope out your surrounding butchers to see if they offer food for animals. Its highly likely as they usually have plenty of excess animal meat that are not usually eaten by humans. Its even more helpful when they process this themselves and add in their own hardy mixes geared towards pets.
Heres my dogs meal plan: 2x meals a day, small midday + large evening, fed after exercise
MIDDAY: Opt 1.-- a homemade cereal mixed with warm water, veggie broth, herbal infusion (concentrated nutrient dense tea) or milk & an occasional raw egg & fresh parsley. Homemade Cereal Blend: ground up organic/non-gmo oats, rye, spelt, peanut powder, dried nettles i buy in bulk + grind up in blender. If your pup is off of grains, I would blend up dehydrated veggies, fruits & herbs with some form of protein like peanut powder.
Opt 2.-- half the serving of evening meal
EVENING: Base mix {prepackaged dehydrated veggies + vitamins & minerals} added w/ warm water or herbal infusion , then add a scoop of Raw, room-temp ground-up meat from butcher (serving size fit to dogs weight & activity level)
+ After meal, 1-2 raw lamb, goat, turkey or beef bones -- ran under warm water first!
I buy 5lb buckets of either grass-fed beef, chicken or turkey which include liver, heart & other organs + organic veggies from the butcher HARMONY FARMS. These buckets are so awesome because organ meat is hard to come by, they are really affordable $10-20 each and one bucket lasts up to 8-12days (and that's with a 80lb dog). They come frozen so when i am ready to use it, i stick it in the fridge a day or two before. HARMONY FARMS also has a freezer filled with different animal bones for dogs that range from $3-10!
I would suggest finding a local trustworthy butcher near you! But if your in LA, you have to check out Harmony Farms. They are family owned, very sweet, have a bunch of info and supplies on raw dog food & have their pet menu on their website. HARMONY FARMS 2824 Foothill Blvd, La Crescenta, CA 91214
LIQUIDS:
+ Water you would drink filtered, purified, spring water
I like energetically purifying the water as well by putting crystals like Rose Quartz and Shungite into their water bowl!
+ Herbal Infusions See Bottom of Page for Instructions
+ Veggie Broth Homemade or Organically Sourced
4. THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER DOG CARE
My curiosity for holistic dog care began with our long-time family pet, Olive. She came into my family's life as a short legged Jack Russel with a diva's perspective when I was around 11 yrs old. As a puppy, my oldest sister who had brought her home had her on premium kibble. When my sister moved out, my parent's switched her over to an average doggy diet with the addition of many family meal leftovers. Throughout her life, she had 3 litters with the male dogs we had throughout the time. The last litter didn't go so well due to her small aging body and my parent's decided to get her spayed. After that, her health tremendously decreased, gaining a hard bloated belly, an excessive desire for sleep, a fluctuating weight, frequent flare-ups, spasms and a weakness in the joints.
Around 3 or 4 years ago, I demanded we switch her diet to Blue for seniors (premium kibble). Around the same time, we got our first large dog, Soma. This new playful pal along with a switch in diet put a bit more life in her for a couple of years. But with the passing pf time, she started developing a glaze over her eyes, an incessant smell and a desire to be left alone. We found out she had large tumors in her belly and very suddenly had to put her down this past year.
As soon as Olive passed, I claimed Soma as my son and transitioned him onto a Raw Food diet, healing all minor irritations with herbal remedies and taking him on frequent trips to the mountains and nature walks. Boy was this extremely healing for me too, might I add! THAT WAS IT, I said! Soma was not going to have that same life. There had to be a better way from what the main stream including vets fed us. At the time Soma 80lb Mastiff-Lab was eating Blue dry dog food. He had dry flakey hair, patches on his elbows and knees, smelly breath, constant skin irritations and frequent flea attacks.
It had been about 6 months since that transition. Soma, now 4yrs old, never smells unless he digs into our compost, his teeth are glowing, his weight is perfect for his age according to the vet, his skin is super soft, he never itches, his energy is high and isn't prone to bug infestations fleas. I credit this mostly to his diet. It is that important and worth every penny. Its either spending the money on food or spending it on vet bills.
5. HERBAL MEDICINE FOR DOGS
ANTI-FLEA AND TICK REMEDIES:
[works best if use multiple methods]
Bath
Wash dog really well with safe, simple & natural shampoo that include essential oils
I like using healthy baby shampoos & adding my own essential oil or watered down Dr. Bronners
Herbal Spray
1. Make a strong herbal infusion of either Rosemary, Lavender, Mugwort, Cedar, Pine, Sage, Blue Vervain, Neem Leaf or any other herb high in volatile oils (strong smell)
2. Put tea in spray bottle and spray on dogs entire body + sleeping area + any other area prone to fleas.
Lemon Wash
1. Squeeze the juice of a few slices of lemons into a pot with peels.
2. Boil them whole.
3. Turn off heat & leave sitting over night.
4. Put in spray bottle and frequently spray on dog's entire body, especially neck, underarms and tail.
Herbal Flea Collar Take a few fresh sprigs of fresh Rosemary, Lavender or Cedar leaves and lace them around collar by wrapping them tightly with thick string or hemp rope.
Herbal Body Powder 1. Mix dried aromatic herbs (rosemary, sage, cedar, lavender, clove, mugwort, thyme, oregano) in blender or spice grinder 2. Sift (finely strain) into a bowl or bottle 3. Rub all over dogs body after bathing and drying
Can be poured around sleeping areas alone or mixed with clay like diatomaceous earth.
Smudge Burn dried leaves of Sage, Lavender, Ca Bay Leaf, Eucalyptus, Cedar or other aromatic leaves around pup and his usual surroundings. Sweet grass, trees resins or aromatic woods such as Palo Santo are also effective.
Garlic Oil 1. Chop up garlic and infuse it in olive oil for a few days. 2. Add this to meals or dip in treats.
Fleas hate garlic. As the garlic gets into their system and excretes through pours, it repels bugs.
Essential Oil Spray 1. Put a few drops of essential oil in a spray bottle with water. 2. Spray all over body, on collar, leash, bed, couches, ect.
Be extra careful around eyes and be cautious not to overuse. As they lick themselves clean, you do not want them to digest too much of this.
Diatomaceous Earth Pour around floor, in dog bed and surrounding areas I might add, this does get messy. But in desperate measures it helps. I wouldn't go crazy with this as its not the healthiest to breathe in clay on a regular basis. Not because its toxic but because its drying to lungs.
Clean Clean clean clean ;) via vacuum and such
SKIN IRRITATIONS: Baths with Herbal Infusions
1. Made an herbal infusion of either Red Clover Blossoms, Comfrey Leaf or Fresh Rosemary [See how to make herbal infusion at bottom of page]
2. During bath, either pour infusion directly on skin, add it to bath water or soak in cloth and gently wipe directly on irritated areas. Comfrey Salve
Put directly on Irritation
The leaf of the Comfrey plant is extremely healing to most external wounds. A salve is an herb infused into a carrier oil either by slowly infusing over 6-8weeks or heated in slow warmer for a day or two, then melted with beeswax to create the salve.
ARTHRITIS /JOINT PAIN: Potential Causes: over acidic diet, inadequate exercise, lack of sun + Rosemary Tea
+ Fresh parsley and comfrey leaves added to meals
+ Cooked or an infusion of nettles
+ Olive oil w/ eucalyptus essential oil massaged on joints + Fish oil added to meals or taken with snacks
+ Sun Baths
+ Turmeric Root infusion or spice added to meals
BAD BREATH:
Potential Causes: decomposition of food / poor diet / common in toy breeds and elderly + Rosemary infusion added to meals, drunken with raw honey, or dipped in toothbrush for mouth cleaning
+ Shredded dried fruit added to meals
+ Small amounts of activated charcoal
+ Internal cleanse by fasting + switch to high quality diet
Check out Juliette Levy's Book in References for fasting and transitional tips
NERVOUSNESS & ANXIETY
Potential Causes: environment, genetic, psychological, taking on of owner's anxiousness
Herbal Infusion
+ Any the infusions of Seaweed, Nettles, Oatstraw, Skullcap, Rosemary, Holy Basil mixed with meal or added with a bit of honey or veggie broth
Animal Communication
+ Let them know everything is okay & keep them indoors in their favorite place.
1. Imagine a clear channel connecting you to them .
2. Through this channel, send the message that everyone is safe, that they do not need to hold on to any of their family's stress
3. Visualize anything they might be holding moving down into the earth. Send them calm clear peaceful energy to fill this space.
Self Care
+ Focus on releasing resistance in your own life. The majority of dogs anxiousness is due to human activity and our collective built up unresolved stress.
+ Take steps toward practicing non-attachment [view the stress separate from your identity, then work with it as you would speak to a child] . Focus on topics of self trust, letting go of being right and committing to making clear decisions.
DIARRHOEA:
Potential Causes: over-eating, poor diet, processed food
+ Encourage the flow & sooth them
their body is naturally getting rid of toxins + Small amounts of Senna tea or dried fruit
+ Garlic and onion in capsule or with honey
+ Fasting & honey lemon water
gives break from stress in digestive track
+ Apple juice
CONSTIPATION:
Potential Cause: poor diet
+Add dried fruits to meal or give as treats
raisons, figs, prunes, dates
+Increase fiber in diet
bran, whole grains
6. ANIMAL COMMUNICATION
Tips for Beginners
I became interested in this subject during my apprenticeship through the Gaia School of Healing practicing Plant Spirit Medicine. I began to doubt myself during our plant meditations in class, to a point where it was blocking me. I ran into a documentary about animal communication and thought this would be a great practice to heighten my communication with plants while connecting with my animals at home. Its just so incredibly fascinating to explore. It allows for a bit more tangibility because there's a great potential our animal friends shift their energy after we start communicating with them 'directly', which builds confidence in our ability. Even though our pets are communicating with us ALL of the time via 'our' thoughts, It allows for us to better understand the individuality and needs of our animal partners-- not to mention expand our minds and connect us with our infinite abilities as energetic spiritual beings!
TIPS :
1. Get quiet and grounded, focus on breath 2. Let go of Logical Mind
{need for reason & rightness / let them pass like clouds} 3. There is no need to have the animal physically present
{all communication is non-local} 4. Talk as equals
{be as authentic as possible} 5. Release resistance to the outcome
{let go of any assumptions}
6. Activate intuition & create connection through visualization {imagine being connected by a chord to either the animal or 'All Knowledge'}
7. Always set an intention & come from the heart space
{have a question or direction in mind} 8.Don't censor anything
{jot everything down, no matter how random} 9. Always give thanks and send love for the connection, no matter how vague or detailed the interaction
10. Trust your message got received. This is fed off of belief. The more confident, the more clarity is developed.
{energy put out MUST go somewhere} 11. Practice with friend's pets that you don't know well. All you need is a name and photo to connect with them.
I suggest looking up YouTube videos of Animal Communicator Anna Breytenbach for more info, tips and examples.
7. HOMEMADE HERBAL DOG TREATS {recipe}
INGREDIENTS: +2 cups non-gmo Flour
grain options: rice flour, grounded oats, grounded rye, spelt, wheat, or barley gluten free option: freeze dried fruits and veggies ground up into powder
+1/2 cup Herbal Powder options: nettles, comfrey, seaweed, dandelion, parsley, chickweed, small amount of rosemary, garlic spice +1 organic Egg +1/2 cup of warm Tea or Broth
infusion of any herbs listed above or veggie broth + Additions: peanut powder, chlorella, carob, dehydrated or shredded carrots, liver powder, dehydrated meat (jerky), sea salt, raw honey, sesame butter
INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Preheat oven or set dehydrator to 200 degrees 2. Mix dry ingredients
3. fold in egg + wet ingredients5. Place in over for 30 min or when completely dry3. fold in egg + wet ingredients Mix together until consistency of dough 4. Roll into balls, place on cookie sheet, then flatten lightly with palm of hand 5. Place in over for 30 min or when completely dry Store in breathable container or fridge for a little over a week
*HOW TO MAKE AN HERBAL INFUSION:
What's an Herbal Infusion? A Concentrated tea from nourishing herbs infused overnight. One of the most beneficial ways of taking in herbal medicine if you are looking for nourishment, cell repair, groundedness and rejuvenation. A pinch of a aromatic herb can be added for extra flavor, medicine and spirit. What's a Nourishing Herb? Plants with the most vitamin & mineral content usually classified as common wild weeds and have very little to no essential oils. Beyond safe enough for all on a daily basis and recommended for intake of plant nutrients similar to veggies. How to Make! 1. Put about a handful of one nourishing herb [dried plant matter] into a quart jar 2. Pour boiling water into it
3. Lid tightly 4. Let it infuse for 4-8hrs or overnight 5.Strain and drink first thing in morning [can drink throughout the day or add to smoothies & meals] What are some Nourishing Herbs? ▫Stinging Nettles ▫Dandelion Root ▫Burdock Root ▫Red Clover Blossoms ▫Red Raspberry Leaf ▫Chickweed ▫Dulce Seaweed ▫Comfrey Leaf ▫Oatstraw ▫Violet
▫Alfalfa
With Grace,
Celena
References:
'The Complete Herbal Handbook for The Dog and Cat' by
Juliette Levy
'Learning Their Language' by Marta Williams
'Healing Wise' by Susan Weed