What homeopathic remedies does every dog owner need?

The remedies you absolutely shouldn’t be without?

Remedies you’ll need in emergencies.

If you have the money, by all means, buy a 36-remedy or larger family homeopathy kit.

The best potency kit for beginners is 30C. It’s strong enough to handle most acute situations. But it’s forgiving enough if you make mistakes prescribing, in order to avoid unnecessary aggravations.

This kit will cover most canine emergencies, accidents and illnesses. It will also last a long time. Homeopathic remedies won’t go bad if they’re stored well. You can use this kit for the entire family.

However, if you don’t want to get a kit, at least make sure to get Arnica, Aconite, Arsenicum and Ledum.

Arsenicum Album is made from highly diluted Arsenic, a deadly poison. In a 30C potency none of the original substance is left, just the energetic imprint. This is the first remedy I’d reach for in the event of acute poisoning. Especially if I didn’t know what was causing it.

If I knew what the substance was I’d give an exact match remedy if I had it on hand. For instance, if my dog swallowed toothpaste I’d want to immediately give him potentized toothpaste. (I realize most dog owners don’t have access to this.)  Otherwise I’d go with Arsenicum.

Of course in a life-threatening situation all remedies are given on the way to the vet.

Remember, nothing I say here is a substitute for emergency veterinary care, much of which involves watching and waiting. Instead, why not be proactive and help your dog detox from a poison or recover from an injury while sitting in the waiting room?

Homeopathic Remedies Every Dog Owner Needs

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Poisons aren’t the only hazards. Especially if you have a small dog. Accidents occur no matter how careful you are.

I remember driving my daughter and her dog home from the vet. We had a healthy dog with a clean checkup.

Except when we pulled into our garage I heard a loud noise followed by a whimper. What happened?

The dog’s leash was hanging out of the car. It was dark and no one noticed, until we pulled into the garage.

The leash was caught on a piece of machinery (probably the lawn mower) and as we drove forward it caused the dog’s harness to snap. The force pushed him against the door of the car.

Arnica Montana For Dog Injuries

We immediately gave him homeopathic Arnica and watched him closely. Any sign of trouble we would have gone straight to the Emergency Vet. Our regular veterinary practice was closed.

Arnica is the first remedy to think of for physical trauma. Sometimes you need to follow with other remedies.

But Arnica is used to neutralize shock and, hopefully, prevent internal damage

Of course, as I mentioned earlier, homeopathy is no substitute for emergency veterinary care. But most vets, unless they use homeopathy, have no energetic way to remove shock and trauma.

Homeopathy is energy medicine, based on the principle of “Like Cures Like.” Herbal Arnica has a long history of being used for injuries and bruises. Homeopathic Arnica is used the same way.

We watched the dog closely. He was fine. Dosing him with Arnica gave us peace of mind.

Arnica is also the remedy I used when my children bumped their head.

So make sure to have Arnica on hand in a potency of at least 30C. This remedy may need to be repeated two or more times depending upon the injury.

Arsenicum Album When Your Dog Stops Eating

In addition to Arnica, every family needs homeopathic Arsenicum Album.

This is the number one remedy for food poisoning, as well as for stomach flu. There are other remedies for nausea and vomiting but Arsenicum is the first one I reach for and it’s never failed me. Ipecac and Nux Vomica are often given for nausea if the symptoms fit.

My dogs love to eat. So I take it seriously if one of them refuses food.

Years ago, this happened with a very elderly dog. We thought it might be time to say goodbye. But one dose of Arsenicum revived his appetite. I’m convinced it also extended his life a year and a half. He lived to be 17 and maintained a good appetite right until the end.

More recently, when my younger dog stopped eating – she had a total aversion to food and drink – I have her Arsenicum. Very soon she was eating and drinking again.

If I see no improvement after one dose and certainly after two doses I look for a different remedy. Perhaps I missed something taking the case. Or perhaps this remedy doesn’t resonate with that particular individual. (Or pup.)

But if I notice even partial improvement like a burst of energy I stick with the remedy unless I see it’s not working.

Aconite For Dog Eye Injuries

Many people are familiar with homeopathic Arnica Montana for general injuries. It’s the first remedy you should consider.

Except for eye injuries.

That’s because Aconite has what’s called “an affinity for the eyes.” It’s often referred to as “The Arnica of the eyes.”

In a normal injury give one or more doses of Arnica. But for an eye injury it’s Aconite.

How well does Aconite work?

Well, my daughter’s dog – the same one whose leash was caught in the door – suddenly developed a half closed eye.

I asked her what had happened and she said he was “rough housing.”

All signs pointed to an injury so I gave him ONE dose of Aconite and it cleared right up.

By the time my daughter took the dog to the vet the next day the injury wasn’t visible. In fact, the vet couldn’t tell which eye had been hurt.

A few days later the eye appeared half closed again. One more dose of Aconite solved the problem.

So if you have a dog consider getting some Aconite.

Aconite is also an excellent choice if your dog has had a fright or a panic attack. (Rescue Remedy, which I’ll discuss later, can be used the same way.)

Calendula For Dog Eye Injuries

If the dog’s cornea had been injured and the vet had seen this on the exam we would have switched to homeopathic Calendula.

This is an underrated remedy. But it’s one to consider for cornea abrasions and skin cuts or abrasions.

If there’s bleeding from an open wound use Calendula instead of Arnica. You can also put potentized Calendula right on the wound, in addition to giving it internally.

Fortunately we didn’t need Calendula for the eye injury I just described.

But I did have to use it once on an another dog who is now deceased. He went out one night to do his business and came back in with a chunk taken out of his ear, which was bleeding. It was about 9 pm on a Sunday and the only emergency vet was a good 45-minutes away. My husband was on a business trip and my children were sleeping.

One dose of Calendula stopped the bleeding, after making it worse for a minute or two. With homeopathy sometimes you see symptoms intensify a bit before the body resets itself and begins the healing process. (If it was more severe bleeding with bright red blood I would have used Phosphorus instead.)

Anyway, the dog’s ear healed without infection and without a trace of the injury.

So make sure to have Calendula in the house because there’s a good chance you’ll need it.

Homeopathic Remedies for Dog Ear Infections

There are a number of remedies to treat dog ear infections. Some of the most common ones are Pulsatilla, Chamomile, Belladonna and Hepar Sulph.

Hepar Sulph also doubles as the first remedy you think of for boils and abscesses, especially if they are painful.

(Of course, let your vet know what’s going on.)

Homeopathic Ledum for Dog Tick Bites

Ticks seem to get worse every year. Tick-borne diseases also seem to be on the rise.

Prevention is the best strategy. I’ve stopped taking my dogs for walks in the woods and I keep them away from tall grass.

However, even the most careful dog owner may find a tick that has embedded into the dog’s skin.

If the tick has not bitten my dog I would simply pull it off and forget about it. But a tick bite is different. Because of the possibility of Lyme disease and other pathogens.

Many homeopaths recommend giving your dog a couple of doses of Ledum after finding a tick, with the idea it will help the body to defend against dangerous microbes. In any event Ledum is the number one remedy for puncture wounds. If your child has a puncture wound or your dog steps on something sharp and it punctures the skin, the standard homeopathic advice is to use Ledum.

Ledum is found in nearly every basic family remedy or emergency homeopathy kit.

If your dog does have Lyme disease you’ll want to work with a professional homeopath, who should have access to the hard-to-obtain Borrellia nosode used to treat this pathogen. This nosode may be needed over the course of treatment. (The word “nosode” means the remedy is a vibration made from diseased tissue. Borrellia is made from Lyme bacteria.)

Homeopathic Remedies for Dog Urinary Tract Infections

Probably the best remedy for human urinary tract infections is Cantharis. But this won’t work in all cases. Which means you’ll have to find a specific remedy that resonates with that person (or animal).

If I knew my dog had a UTI I would try one dose of Cantharis or another indicated remedy.

Unless you have a lot of experience with homeopathy, though, it will be very difficult to choose bladder infection remedies for your pet. That’s because you can’t question him about when the pain started. Or if there’s burning at the beginning, middle or end of the stream. Or if it’s painful all the time. (With humans we need to ask these questions in order to find the right remedy.)

Don’t think it’s a failure to bring your dog to the vet for a UTI.

Actually your dog should be seen as soon as possible for acute bladder infections because this could lead to kidney damage if left untreated.

How To Treat Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs With Homeopathy

My daughter’s dog had a couple of UTI’s back to back. Because he had other indicated symptoms I gave him Staphysagria, another good remedy for bladder infections.

Then I followed up with Only Natural Pet Urinary Tract, Kidney & Bladder Homeopathic Remedy for Cats and Dogs.

This is a combination remedy for pets. Normally I don’t use combination remedies. Or recommend them to people. But this was an exception.

One dose of Staphysagria and one dose of this combination remedy and this dog no longer suffers from chronic bladder infections.

How Often Should Your Dog Get a Homeopathic Remedy?

A word about dosing.

In homeopathy less is usually more. Additional unneeded doses will aggravate. 

Yet I often see recommendations for multiple doses with no thought as to an animal’s (or a human’s) sensitivity to remedies. Like suggestions to give four doses over the course of one day. Oftentimes only one or two doses will solve the problem. Permanently.

A second dose if it’s not needed can cancel the original dose, which was working. Or it may result in a temporary intensification of symptoms.

On the other hand, an animal in severe distress may need more doses given within a short time frame. But it’s all individualized.

When a remedy is clearly working let it work. Then repeat it only if needed.

Homeopathy can work amazingly well. But I’m convinced we’d have even better results with more careful dosing.

How many times have you heard of someone doing well on a remedy, until it “stopped working?” Perhaps the remedy was just given too often.

So ignore the instructions on the bottle. Ignore one-size-fits-all high-potency protocols you see on the Internet.

Give your dog only as many doses as needed.

By the way, never put homeopathic remedies in your dog’s water bowl. Because every time he takes a sip he’ll get another dose. Even if you rinse the bowl out the imprint will be there.

Instead, use a paper plate or a bowl.

Or do what I do. Put a little bit of peanut butter on the plate and put the remedy in that

I use dry pellets in an emergency. Otherwise I put dissolve the remedy in water and succuss (bang it against something hard) a few times.

It’s not true that remedies won’t work if they’re mixed with peanut butter or another food your dog likes. You can also wet a Q-tip with a remedy and have it touch your dog’s tongue or the inside of his cheek.

Why Every Dog Owner Needs Rescue Remedy

Rescue Remedy is a combination remedy made from Bach flowers. Some homeopaths don’t consider Bach flowers true homeopathy. But all that matters to me is that these gentle flower essences work.

They do work. Amazingly well.

It’s not just my imagination that they work. In fact, one double blind research trial showed that Rescue Remedy indeed reduced anxiety in high-stress situations in humans.

For a dog, a high-stress situation would be a vet visit, a long car trip or Fourth of July fireworks.

For us, Rescue Remedy was invaluable on a cross-country road trip. My female dog had a panic attack on the way back and we were still about eight states away from home. We quickly gave her a dose of Rescue Remedy.

The panting/hyperventilating stopped and she slept for the rest of the day. She traveled without incident the rest of the way home.

The Benefits of Owning a Homeopathic Remedy Kit

The most cost-effective way to build your collection is to buy a family homeopathic remedy kit. That’s because if you bought each remedy individually it would cost several times more. A kit is much more economical and you never know when a particular remedy will be needed. Acute infections, colds and flu often respond very well to homeopathy.

If you don’t want to get a kit at the very least purchase some Arnica, Arsenicum and Ledum, which can also be used after medical procedures that involve a puncture.

None of what I’ve written should substitute for veterinary care.

But right now considering the state of the world, it’s a good idea to have homeopathic remedies on hand for any emergencies that might arise.

This is not an exhaustive list of homeopathic remedies that dog owners might want to consider. These are just the remedies you absolutely don’t want to be without.

Other Homeopathic Remedies to Consider for Your Dog

Coffea Tosta – This is a homeopathic remedy made from toasted coffee beans, the kind we grind up and drink. I wish I had had thought to use it a few years ago, when my daughter’s chihuahua managed to steal about a half cup of really strong coffee.

We rushed him to the emergency vet after giving him some charcoal. His heart rate was elevated and it was a game of watch and wait, with no real treatment options offered.

Most remedy kits contain Coffea Cruda, made from unroasted coffee beans. Coffea Tosta is a much smaller remedy and I don’t think many people have it.

I don’t own Coffea Tosta myself but if I was thinking clearly at the time I would have made my own “coffea” from the remains of the coffee left in the cup, adding one drop to 100 drops of water and banging it against something hard 100 times. (Small spring water bottles are perfect for making your own remedies.)

Then I would have taken one drop of that solution and added it to 100 drops of water. After six times I’d have a 6C potency of an exact match remedy. The dog would have had a dose on the way to the vet.

Pulsatilla – This is a very common remedy for children. I’d consider it for an animal that had thick yellow discharge coming from the eyes or nose. Especially if the pet was more clingy than usual. Pulsatilla will also antidote accidental overconsumption of fatty foods, so it’s a good emergency remedy.

One famous Argentinean homeopath was said to have saved his dog’s life after he was found unconscious after eating too many ham hocks, found in the garbage pail.

Another use for Pulsatilla would be to help an existing pet deal with a new pet added to the house.

Ignatia – This is a major grief remedy and can be given if a dog has suffered a loss, either of a human or another animal he has bonded with.

Sulphur – This can be very useful for itchy red spots. There are also other remedies for skin issues but this is one you want to have on hand. It recently worked for my dog’s ear infection when other remedies failed.

Silica – This remedy is good for drawing foreign objects out of the body. If your dog has a splinter that’s hard to remove one or more doses of Silica 30C will probably do the trick. Silica is also a constitutional remedy used for malnutrition. We saw good growth in a frail puppy after giving it Silica 6X.

This remedy also seemed to help us confidence because he was very tentative, especially when it came to new things.

Arnica, Calendula, Hypericum, Bellis Perennis, Staphysagria and Ruta (taken individually) are good for post surgical complications and pain. I wish I could tell you which one to give. But the right remedy will depend upon the area operated on and what your dog needs at that particular time.

One of my dogs clearly needed Arnica after she was neutered. This was apparent because one eye appeared bigger than the other following the operation. It was alarming, to say the least.

The vet who operated on her didn’t know what to tell me. Except to watch and wait. And call him the next day if the problem didn’t resolve itself.

Instead, I looked in my homeopathic Materia Medica and Arnica was clearly indicated. One dose of Arnica and her eyes were back to normal. No need to bother the vet.

Another male dog needed Staphysagria after his neutering surgery. That’s because he suffered chronic urinary tract infections and Staphysagria is a common bladder infection remedy. It’s also often given post surgery.

Stocking these basic remedies in your medicine cabinet means you’ll have them when you need them.

In case of emergency, you don’t want to be without them.

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