Benefits to Using Apple Cider Vinegar for Your Dog's Health

By Karen Chrisman

I am sure you have heard of using apple cider vinegar for natural remedies in people, but have you heard of using it for your dog's health? Apple cider vinegar can help with digestion, gas, constipation, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections. It is used to deter insects such as mosquitoes, fleas and tics. It can relieve skin conditions, and even take away the odor of skunk.

Many herbalists recommend the use of vinegar. It is recommended that you buy vinegar made from cold pressed, organically grown whole apples to get the benefit of the naturally occurring enzymes.

In it's natural form apple cider vinegar is a natural antibiotic, antiseptic, and deodorant. It helps to remove tooth tartar; prevents tooth decay and hair loss (even mange), prevents and heals gum disease.

Have I listed enough benefits to using apple cider vinegar, yet?

There are many other benefits to using apple cider vinegar. It is known to reduce common infections, aid whelping, improve stamina, prevent muscle fatigue after exercise, increase resistance to disease, and protect against food poisoning. Cider vinegar is rich in the vitamins, minerals, and trace elements found in apples, especially potassium; it normalizes acid levels in the stomach, improves digestion and the assimilation of nutrients, reduces intestinal gas and fecal odors, helps cure constipation, alleviates some of the symptoms of arthritis and helps prevent bladder stones and urinary tract infections.

You can feed apple cider vinegar daily to your dog to keep him healthy. Add to the food or water. You may need to gradually increase the amount. Start with a few drops and slowly increase each day until reaching the recommended daily dose below.

The approximate amounts recommended :
1 teaspoon - dogs up to 14 pounds
2 teaspoon - medium dogs -15 to 34 pounds
1Tablespoon - large dogs-35 to 84 pounds

By mixing in the food or water of your dog, apple cider vinegar will restore the acid/alkaline balance of his digestive tract, getting rid of the brown spots in the lawn. A correct PH balance also helps keep away the fleas, black flies, ticks, and other external parasites. Your dog will have less chance of getting ringworm, staph infections, streptococcus, and mange. If your dog already has these problems sponge your dog's skin with a mixture of equal parts of apple cider vinegar with equal amounts of warm water. If you prefer, you can use this mixture in a spray bottle to thoroughly wet your dog.

A NOTE OF CAUTION: Do not use apple cider vinegar if your dog is sensitive or allergic to yeast or if he has a chronic yeast infection. Also, do not give to dogs with irritated intestines.

Karen has been training dogs for over 35 years. She's also helped others learn to train their own dogs. Karen manages several dog web sites to benefit dog owners. Go to 4theLuvofDogs.com for more like this.