Like us dog owners, our dogs can experience pain for various reasons. Trauma, illness, infection, allergies, and chronic conditions can cause discomfort in a dog’s body. A dog can also experience headaches, earaches, stomach aches, and other pains you might feel. When our pets feel these aches and pains, there are two ways we pet parents can help: prescription pain relief and natural pain relief for dogs.
Typically, prescription pain relievers work better to treat severe pain and short-term trauma. Natural pain relief for dogs works better for lower pain levels or long-term pain management. The two often work best when used simultaneously — especially for serious chronic conditions like osteoarthritis.
Here’s a look at the best natural remedies for your dog that you can try at home.
As you start using natural pain relief for dogs, introducing each remedy is recommended. If you add multiple holistic therapies simultaneously, you won’t know which one is providing benefits or causing side effects.
Try one remedy for a month and watch for improvements in your dog’s energy level, activity level, and mood. Also, watch for side effects like upset stomach or skin allergies. If a remedy is causing side effects, you can remove it, wait a few days for the side effects to subside, then try the next therapy. If a remedy provides benefits after one month, you can continue with that therapy and add on a second one to see if it offers even more benefits.
Continue to test each remedy until you’ve determined the best mix of therapies for your dog. Then, check with your vet about the best combination of natural pain relief methods.
Hot and Cold Therapy
If your dog has an injury or suffers from joint pain in a specific joint, you can apply a heat pack or ice pack to help ease the pain. Apply a heat pack for up to 20 minutes to relieve pain caused by chronic conditions like hip dysplasia or arthritis pain. Apply an ice pack for up to 10 minutes to alleviate pain from short-term injuries, like if your dog gets hurt playing or is recovering from surgery.
This is one of our favorite remedies because it has virtually no side effects and effectively relieves inflammation.
Ginger
This spice is a holistic powerhouse. Ginger is often used to treat upset stomachs in both humans and animals, but scientific research shows it can also help alleviate pain, including the pain caused by osteoarthritis. Ginger is rich in antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation — the culprit behind acute and chronic pain.
Try grating a little fresh ginger over your dog’s food so it can reap the benefits. Start with a small amount to help your dog’s taste buds and GI tract acclimate to this spice.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a close relative of ginger. It’s rich in a biochemical called curcumin, which offers natural anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, in two separate studies, turmeric relieved pain more effectively than either ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
To prepare turmeric for dogs, mix it with healthy fat — like olive oil or fish oil — and a tiny pinch of black pepper. This will make it easier for your dog’s body to absorb all the benefits of turmeric. Then, feed your dog 1/4 to one teaspoon of the mixture with each meal (1/4 teaspoon for small dogs, 1/2 teaspoon for medium, and 1 teaspoon for large dogs).
Natural pain relief for dogs can be an important part of their wellness plan. If your dog is experiencing pain, talk to your vet about the best natural remedies for relief. There are more options for your pet than just NSAIDs, from herbal remedies, like ginger and turmeric, to holistic therapies, like hot and cold therapy and acupuncture. And many of these therapies can be used alongside pain medication to provide additional relief.
Of course, one of the best ways to manage pain is to prevent it. Ensure your dog maintains a healthy body weight with diet and exercise. Support their well-being with proven supplements like omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and green-lipped mussels from an all-natural Hip + Joint supplement.
