I’m sure that I’m not the only one with pets and quite cheeky ones at that. I presently have 3 dogs, but my love for animals extends way past the category of just canines. I’ve had rabbits, guinea pigs, hedgehog, hamsters (normal, dwarf & teddies) and more.
What I’m really trying to say is, I’ve got “some” (I don’t claim to be the undisputed expert) experience with animals and the holistic ways of dealing with some of their common problems.
Let’s start with an itch and I do mean that word in its very literal sense.
An itch! The very irritating skin sensation that causes a desire to scratch (sometimes uncontrollably). Somehow it seems to be a problem that is fairly common among furry animals. Sometimes it’s caused by parasites, sometimes it’s just a habit but regardless of its cause, watching and allowing your pet to scratch to his heart content is a bad move. He could end up puncturing his skin and that could lead to all sorts of problems when infected.
Now to treat pets itch, I’ve always only needed one vital ingredient from Mother’s Natures Garden which I have well stock up on in my kitchen. This little miracle of nature is something that you likely have in yours too.
Needing no real introduction, this itch buster is none other than THYME. Now there are more than one ways to apply this antidote but the easiest for me is when I take about a tablespoon of dried thyme boil it in a litre of water, strain it after its cool and use it as a final rinse for my dogs after their bath. Thyme is a natural antiseptic, antimicrobial, antiparasitic and antibiotic so not only will it stop the itch and heal wounds, it also works to protect your pets from those pesky micro parasites.
Furthermore as it’s all natural, even if your pet licks it off himself it wouldn’t hurt him (of course don’t let him drink the entire concoction! Too much of even the good stuff leaves bad impressions). In fact it would give him a nice fresh breath!
But if that’s all too much for you and you’re not sure how your pet will like it, then you can always whip up a small batch (use a teaspoon of herb to about a quart of water) and keep it chilled in an airtight containers (a mason jar would be fine). Then when your pet has an itch or a wound, just dab some of the liquid on the problem spot and it should help it clear up. Remember that the idea is to have the spot soak in the thyme so it’s perfectly fine to leave your pet’s fur damp with it.
In addition to the thyme, you can always add an equal amount of sage and some Epsom salt (approximately ¼ of the measurement you used for the herbs). Together these 3 ingredients have been known to have won the battle against itchy skin.
Awesome post, animals are awesome.