You may have a pet who struggles with spring allergies.
It breaks your heart - constant itching, wheezing, sneezing, and watering eyes as Mother Nature blesses us with spring pollen. Benadryl may help but pup turns into Rip van Winkle. Your vet may prescribe medications that work (or not) but you may prefer to examine a natural immune system boost before going the medicine route.
Here, our guest blogger, Jacques Duplantier, shares an herbal remedy that worked on his own pup. It's not expensive, has no side effects so you may want to give it a try.
Aside from focusing on proteins that will not cause stress on the immune system, adding immune boosting supplements is one of the best preventative measures we can take against the allergy onslaught. There are plenty of commercial herbal products out there, but for this stage in the game, learn how to make it yourself and save a few bucks.
My pup, Manny, and pollen do not get along. With a little research we came up with an herbal supplement that combined with diet changes in spring have dramatically reduced his allergic responses to pollen.
Check your local health food store for bulk herbs. Usually you can find any of these ingredients there. If not, we recommend Mountain Rose Herbs. This herb and health company offers literally anything and everything you could ever need for herbal/natural remedies on their website. You can experiment with other herbs, but these are the ones that we think have worked for Manny.
How To Make Manny's Immune Boost Powder
1/4 cup Ginseng (Root Powder)
1/2 cup Echinacea (Ground Leaves and Root)
1/4 cup Turmeric
1/2 cup Astragalus (Root Powder)
1/4 cup Goldenseal (Root Powder)
Clockwise from top: Goldenseal (immuno-stimulant/respiratory aid), Astragalus (immuno-stimulant), Echinacea (immuno-stimulant), Ginseng (energy booster/immuno-stimulant), Turmeric (general tonic/strengthens liver).
Combine all of the herbs in a mason jar, using a sift for the powders to ensure there are no lumps in the finished product. Shake vigorously to combine all ingredients. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of Immune Boost Powder per 20 lbs. of dog with each meal especially March-May when pollen is at its worst and again towards the end of the Summer when grass and weed pollen rear their ugly heads. Store powder in closed jar away from light and moisture.
The recipe makes enough powder to last a 50 lb. dog about 6 months using twice daily. And all that immune boosting for about $15!!!
By laying off warming proteins like chicken and beef, adding plenty of omega 3s like fish oil into the diet, and including immune boost powder in your pets' systems, you have a good shot at tackling allergy season drug-free!
Author's bio:
Jacques Duplantier owns Corrina’s Corner in Decatur, GA -- a raw pet food processor and delivery service. He switched his own pup, Corrina, to a raw food diet years ago, and she responded so well that he was regularly asked what the secret was. You can learn more by subscribing to his blog.