Jump to content

Do Dogs Self-medicate?


sas
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi Guys,

I'm writing an article for my clubs Digest and I've noticed a few people talk about their dogs who apepar to self-medicate.

If you have one of these dogs, It would be great if you could share your experiences, either here in this thread or via PM.

Thanks heaps in advance :hug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was an article in Dogs Life about dogs and herb gardens. I've moved twice since I read it, so I dont know if I can put my hands on it now. But it was very interesting. Certain herbs for mozzies, certain herbs for arthritis. I bought a bunch after I read it, and my GSD loved the lemongrass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was an article in Dogs Life about dogs and herb gardens. I've moved twice since I read it, so I dont know if I can put my hands on it now. But it was very interesting. Certain herbs for mozzies, certain herbs for arthritis. I bought a bunch after I read it, and my GSD loved the lemongrass.

Ah Ok, I might check with them to see if I can get the article for a gander.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know about dogs but I have an anecdote about a mare who had a retained placenta after foaling. She actively sought out the raspberry canes growing through the fence into the paddock from the garden. A short time later she passed the placenta. This was the first time in three foals that she had ever passed the placenta by herself. On two previous occasions she had needed veterinary intervention. Some months later I read in a homoeopathic book that wild raspberry is one of the remedies for this very same condition!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was an article in Dogs Life about dogs and herb gardens. I've moved twice since I read it, so I dont know if I can put my hands on it now. But it was very interesting. Certain herbs for mozzies, certain herbs for arthritis. I bought a bunch after I read it, and my GSD loved the lemongrass.

Ah Ok, I might check with them to see if I can get the article for a gander.

If it's any help, I think it was 2006 when I read it. Or 2005. They only put out 6 mags per year dont they? Hopefully that's not too many issues to search. :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
Hi Guys,

I'm writing an article for my clubs Digest and I've noticed a few people talk about their dogs who apepar to self-medicate.

If you have one of these dogs, It would be great if you could share your experiences, either here in this thread or via PM.

Thanks heaps in advance :)

Well I beleive mine do. I copied most of this from another thread, with a bit more explanation added,

My dogs eat grass and lots of other plants/weeds they sniff out themselves (clivers, wild mustard). They also love raw veggies, pumpkin, carrots, lettuce, any of the cabbage family, tomatoes, bananas, apples, pears, nectarines, watermelon and cantaloupe skins, I find it harder to say what they wont eat.

The very first thing I noticed my dogs eat out of the ordinary was Comfrey, I'd had some growing in the garden for years and the dogs ignored it. Then one day Kibah was running past it, and did a double take, then went back to it and started eating the leaves. Then the other dogs copied her. I rang a naturopath and told her and she said not to worry, she's self medicating. Since then it's almost always been Kibah who starts eating new things and the others copy her. She's my little shaman dog. :thumbsup:

seeing what my dogs choose to eat themselves is the reason why I dont agree with an all meat diet.

3176338680_a906f68c03_b.jpg

Puck with the remains of stolen nectarines "sorry mummy"

IMG_2771tcs.jpg

and Tag "am I in trouble?"

IMG_2774tcs.jpg

Puck stealing my rocket even through the wire I'd tried to protect it with. I've just started growing some wild mustard at home purely for the whippets now. I got some of the dirt and seedlings growing wild at the park and planted them. Puck couldn't wait for them to grow and was stealing them through the wire like he was doing here. I just took the cover off yesterday and he went nuts for it.

IMG_0839c.jpg

Kibah eating wild mustard, a weed at the park

IMG_0524.jpg

and clivers

IMG_0526_1.jpg

Edited by Kirislin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

my dogs take nibbles from all the edible plants around my garden. I bought some herbs and potted them up they all just loved standing about and sniffing them.

My dogs prove to me they are not completely carniverous. If they have too high a protein diet I find they will up their plant/fruit intake to compensate.

Diesel yesterday was at the nursing home being fed apples, orange, banana ... he ate all of it once I told him it was OK and loved it.

Edited by Nekhbet
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Dobermann bitch Tegan used to self medicate.....when she was pregnant and had a case of the runs we couldn't give her antibiotics. Found her one day digging down in a pile of grass clippings from the mowed lawn...got down to the horrible slimy bit, ate a couple of mouthfuls.....and was fine the next day - have never seen her do it again, but then she never needed to after that! Bacteria I reckon she was after........green Yakult :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, the other thing all of mine do is eat dirt, so much so, they've made a little quarry in the backyard. I find it hard to imagine they're lacking in minerals because of the already varied diet they get, but if they are lacking I hope their dirt eating solves it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...