Surprising health benefits of chamomile for your dog

Key points

• Chamomile is one of the most commonly used medicinal herbs on the planet.
• This herb has potent anti-inflammatory and calming properties, which is why it’s often used to treat stress and anxiety, reduce inflammation, and even fight minor infections.
• Chamomile can treat digestion issues, eye irritation, skin inflammation, anxiety, and stress disorders in dogs.

Chamomile is one of the most popular herbs used in medicine. Humans have been using this plant as a mild tranquilizer and sleep inducer for many centuries. And while the benefits of chamomile in humans are widely known, the herb could have a different effect on other species? In this article, we will talk about how pet owners can use chamomile for their dogs.

What is Chamomile?

Chamomile is obtained from dry Maricaria flowers, which belong to the daisy family. This herb is widely used to manufacture chamomile tea, herb-infused oils, creams, soaps, lotions, and other cosmetic and medicinal products. Products enriched with chamomile are widely used to treat anxiety, menstrual disorders, muscle spasms, insomnia, and other ailments.

Chamomile gets its “calming superpowers” from compounds called terpenoids and flavonoids. Once the body absorbs these molecules, they bind to specific receptors in the brain, reducing anxiety and inducing sleep.

Is Chamomile Safe For Dogs?

Chamomile can have many positive effects on both humans and dogs, as it serves as an excellent calming agent for both species. However, the way chamomile is used to treat dogs is often different from what’s suitable for humans. For example, pets should not be given chamomile tea, as it is often mixed with other plant extracts that may be harmful to animals. So you should be very cautious when giving herbs to your canine friend.

Benefits Of Chamomile For Dogs

There aren’t many scientific studies about the healing properties of herbal remedies. However, there is still significant anecdotal evidence that shows how chamomile can positively affect your dog’s health. Here is the list of health conditions that chamomile could help treat:

Anxiety, stress, and insomnia

It is no secret that chamomile is often used as a mild natural stress reliever for humans. The same is true for dogs, as the herb is known to have an excellent anti-anxiety effect on them. In fact, many people use chamomile tea or treats to calm down hyperactive rescue dogs and soothe their tense muscles.

Eye irritation

Chamomile also has excellent anti-inflammatory properties and can help soothe eye irritation. The herb can help reduce the swelling and skin inflammation around the dog’s eye and combat infections.

If you want to use chamomile to calm the irritation in and around your dog’s eyes, you should steep chamomile tea, cool down the bag, and use it as a compress on the pet’s eye. Repeat this procedure two-three times per day until your pet gets better. If the issue persists, don’t hesitate to take your dog to a vet.

Gastrointestinal infections

There are many ways in which chamomile can ease your pet’s stomach problems:

• It helps relax the muscles in the stomach, which decreases pain and gas when your pet experiences vomiting or indigestion.
• The herb can alleviate stomach pains caused by anxiety.
• Chamomile serves as a good appetite stimulant, helping dogs suffering from loss of appetite to eat more. This is especially effective in pets that are recovering from stomach infections.

While chamomile is very effective for mild issues, it can’t cure all stomach problems. In addition, certain conditions can be masked or even exacerbated by chamomile use, causing more severe problems to develop. This is why it’s essential to always consult your vet before giving your pet chamomile supplements to treat health issues.

Ear problems

Chamomile has remarkable antiseptic properties, so it can be very effective at cleaning your dog’s ears or dealing with some mild ear infections. All you need to do is wipe the dog’s ear with a tea bag and leave the skin to dry.

Mild skin inflammations

In addition to using chamomile tea bags to treat eye irritation, pet owners can also utilize them to help alleviate other skin conditions and infections. For instance, chamomile is very effective at calming and healing insect and flea bites or itchy skin.

Worms

Since many dogs like to taste things that are not meant for their consumption, worms can be a frequent, unpleasant guest in your pet’s organism. Luckily, you can use chamomile as a great natural dewormer for your sick dog.

Gum pain when teething

If your pup has inflamed gums due to puppy teething (just like human babies, dogs can feel pain when their teeth start growing), put some chamomile-infused drops into its mouth. The pain will gradually subside after a few uses.

Giving Chamomile To Your Dog

How to give chamomile to your dog?

Depending on your pet’s needs and preferences, you can give it chamomile in the form of powder, liquid, capsule, or yummy dog treats. You can also apply it as an oil or cream onto the dog’s inflamed skin.

Chamomile dosage for dogs

The exact dose of chamomile you need to give to your dog will depend on many factors:

• The symptoms you are trying to treat
• The dog’s age and weight
• The dog’s overall health condition and existing allergies

Remember that high doses of chamomile could be hazardous for your dog’s health. So, make sure to contact your vet before giving the pet any medicinal herbs.

Chamomile side effects in dogs

Although chamomile is overall a safe herb, it can sometimes cause adverse side effects. For example, if your dog has an allergic reaction to chamomile, the pet may experience itching, hives, or a rash after applying the herb. Furthermore, the pet can develop vomiting, diarrhea, or some other conditions.

If you’re looking for another natural way to treat your pet’s anxiety and stress, consider trying our all-natural VitaminA-infused oil.

FAQ