Tough Toys for Tough Chewers & Natural Remedies

My female Golden Retriever loved to destroy her toys.  She would have chewed the walls, woodwork and furniture except she had perfect manners.  After Katie passed I discovered that there is a line of toys that are virtually indestructible.  They are made for the bully breeds like pit bulls but any dog who loves chewing can enjoy them.  I found this Kong ball at Dog Park Publishing.  They are a wonderful group and I hope you'll visit their site and see all of their products. 

A publication I love is Dogs Naturally Magazine. I use homeopathic remedies for myself so why not on my dog?  Here's a guide from these good folks so you can stock up on basic remedies. Remember that drugs may be a toll on your dog's immune system and very often they have side effects.  Try the natural way and keep your immune system and your beloved pooch's in tip top shape!

12 HANDY REMEDIES

You may want to go out and purchase these commonly used remedies to have on hand in case the need arises. They are small and make a great travel kit too.

• Apis mellifica - great for bee and other insect bites. Give every 20 minutes for a few doses after a bee sting.
• Arnica - good for general pain, stiffness due to overexertion, soreness and musculoskeletal injuries.
• Arsenicum album - great for GI upsets from eating spoiled food where there is both vomiting and diarrhea. Give twice an hour for a few hours.
• Borax (the remedy, not the powder) – excellent for fear of thunderstorms and fireworks. Give this at the 6c potency twice a day for a month during the season.
• Calendula (can be used both as an oral remedy and as an external ointment) – use for skin infections or any kind of external infection. It’s a remarkable healing agent and a tube of the ointment should always be on hand to apply topically to scrapes, infections and wounds. You can also buy a tincture and dilute it 1/10 and flush any cuts or wounds with it.
• Hepar sulphur - is wonderful to treat painful abscesses anywhere on the body and painful infected anal glands.
• Hypericum - is an excellent remedy to give for any pain due to nerve damage or injuries to nerve-rich areas. I once closed my finger in a window and learned firsthand the wonders of Hypericum. Great for when you cut your dog’s toenails too short.
• Myristica - phenomenal remedy for anal sac infections and chronic anal sac problems.
• Rhus tox - for arthritis that’s better after moving around, general musculoskeletal injuries, red swollen eyes, skin infections and skin itching.
• Ruta - fantastic for any injury to tendons or ligaments and this remedy has a real affinity for the knee so you would use it immediately after any knee or cruciate injury.
• Silicea - pushes foreign bodies like splinters or foxtails out of the skin.
• Ledum – the first choice for any type of puncture wound, including those from insect bites. Insect bites that require Apis will be hot and red whereas bites that requireLedum will be cool and appears bruised.

With a small investment and a little planning, you can build your own Homeopathic kit. These remedies aren’t that difficult to use and can give your dog fast and effective relief from many common injuries and illnesses.