Natural Remedies for Common Problems

There are quite a few simple, natural remedies for some common doggie problems.

1. Nausea/ diarrhea- Dogs who switch environments, switch food, go through stress, or eat something funny can get an upset tummy and diarrhea. A really simple solution for this is to give your dog some canned, pureed pumpkin. Make sure it is not the pumpkin pie mix that includes spices and sugar. You can give them a tablespoon with their food to keep them regular, or give them straight pumpkin to calm already upset stomachs. We occasionally mix the pumpkin with some white rice as a bland base.

2. Gas- Gas can be a stinky obnoxious problem. We have found two remedies- Yogurt is a good natural choice. The yogurt that you choose should have live active bacteria and little to no sugar or artificial sweetener. The second is a product called Dog Smog which contains digestive enzymes.

3. Achy joints- Problems with a dog joints can't be fixed through natural supplements, but natural supplements can provide relief from various diseases such as arthritis and hip dysplasia. There is an amazing supplement called Missing Link that we here at Mixed Mutts swear by. Other than Missing Link, we recommend giving your dog supplements such as chondroitin, glucosamine and shark cartilage.

4. Dull, lifeless coat- If your dogs coat is lacking in luster then we again highly recommend the Missing Link supplement. Other than that we recommend salmon oil, and not over bathing your baby.

5. Fleas- One of the best options natural options for fleas is first bathing in a shampoo that contains citrus, citronella, pine cedar, rosemary, or any other combination of herbal remedies. Leave the shampoo on for about 15 minutes. Wash all of your pets bedding and your bedding. As far as keeping them off, we have only found very good results with flea medicines such as Frontline and Advantix. These provide added benefits of repelling ticks as well.

6. Hot Spots- Hot spots are raw wounds that develop on your dogs skin as a result of allergies, excessive licking or chewing, irritation from bug bites etc. They are painful and irritating to your animal, and are usually slow in healing because your dog will continue to lick the spot in an attempt at relief. The main way to heal the hot spots is to prevent your animal from licking. There is a product you can purchase called Bitter Apple that has a foul taste to it to deter licking. Before this, make sure to clean the hot spot well, and you can apply some petroleum jelly for protection and relief.


Please remember that your veterinarian is always your best source of advice. The above treatments are things that we have found that worked for our particular cases, but every dog is different. If you are at all concerned, go to your veterinarian first!!