Mason Jones (Reporter)
By Sue Rodgers
LIKE humans, animals can benefit greatly from natural remedies and they know instinctively when and what plants to eat to ensure good health.
We all know that cats and dogs eat grass as a way to cleanse their intestines without any help from us.
Your garden can provide a wealth of natural medicines – dandelion, parsley, nettles and garlic among them.
Add a little grated raw carrot or some thyme to help dispel worms.
A daily dose of garlic, whether fresh or in tablet form (only use veterinary tablets) can greatly boost your pet’s immune system, cleanse the whole system and help repel any kind of parasite.
Ever wondered what goes into those flea repellent collars?
To treat fleas, I use diatomaceous earth (DE), partly because I don’t ever use chemicals.
We put DE on our cats’ bedding as it pierces the skin of the flea and kills them within 72 hours.
DE is safe for animals and humans and relatively cheap.
We also use it in the garden to kill flea beetles, aphids and the like.
Of course you must consult your vet if your animal is injured or seriously ill, but even then herbs can help soothe the pain and speed up healing.
If you want to know more, then Mary Broughton’s book Herbal Medicine for Dogs is an excellent start.
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