Natural Pain Relief for Dogs
Canine Chronicle,  Holistic Wellness

Natural Pain Relief Products for Dogs

 

Many of us are increasingly turning to natural approaches for pet health. In our practice we see many animals as a result of pain from arthritis or cancer and as such clients are often searching for natural pain relief for their dogs.

Pain may come from a variety of places, but can be relieved by increasing circulation and reducing inflammation rather than prescribing chemical compounds. 

Relief may be topical, oral, or a combination of both. Some remedies are over the counter and others must be prescribed by a veterinarian. You will see below that turmeric, cannabis, and frankincense appear in a few places. 

 

Natural Pain Relief for Dogs

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I only include links to products I use or recommend. All opinions are my own. 

Essential Oils for Pain Relief

Essential oils are distilled from medicinal plants and available condensed. Because of their strength a little goes a long way and they should always be diluted with a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil, olive oil, or hemp oil when being used with animals. Use topically on the site of pain and inflammation. 

Chosen for their analgesic and anti inflammatory properties:

  • Cannabis
  • Peppermint
  • Turmeric
  • Copaiba
  • Ginger
  • Frankincense
  • Clove
  • Lemongrass
  • Rosemary

* Essential oils should not be used orally unless directed by your veterinarian.

Chinese Herbs for Pain Relief

 

Increasingly Chinese herbs are popular in homeopathic remedies and available from integrative veterinarians. According to Pet MD  the most popular Chinese herbs for pain relief are:

  • Turmeric
  • Boswellia serrata
  • Cinnamon
  • Hawthorn

Other useful herbs for pain relief:

  • Feverfew
  • Skullcap
  • St. John’s Wort
  • Cayenne
  • Ginger
  • Yucca

*Golden paste is wonderful for pain relief and to reduce inflammation, but it does go bad quickly and can stain the skin.

Green-lipped Mussel

This is one of my favorite anti inflammatories and is amazing for supporting joint health and wellness. Found in one place, the harbors of New Zealand, green-lipped mussels are a super food is harvested and flash cooked to powder within 30 minutes for maximum efficacy. It is also very easy to feed as a powdered supplement in your dog’s food. Both my large-breed dogs take this supplement daily to keep their joints in top shape. You can read more about green-lipped mussels for dogs here

CBD Oil

Cannabidiol hemp oil (CBD oil) also known as Phytocannabinoid-rich oil (PCR oil) is derived from medical grade hemp with trace amounts of THC. PCR oil has scientifically-proven anti inflammatory and pain relief properties which make this ideal for animals in chronic pain. It does not need to build on itself to work and can be used every day or every once in awhile. This is not marijuana and you must make sure you source it from a quality company such as Treatibles, based in California. Available in gel cap, dropper, or treat form there is something for every day. 

Want to know how I used Treatibles to help my dog’s anxiety? Read on.

 

 

As you see there are a number of ways to reduce inflammation and pain naturally in your dog. I hope this helps your pet to feel better.

 

Do you have a suggestion for a natural pain relief product? Comment below.

 

*Disclaimer: alway seek your veterinarian’s advice before introducing any new to your dog in case it conflicts with medications or diagnosis. While I have used some of these on my own dogs and clients, each animal is different and some of these items must be prescribed by a vet.

0 Comments

  • Molly O'Hara

    This is a great list – I have researched the benefits of CBD oil for my younger dog’s anxiety. The thing I don’t see on here which would be awesome is a recommendation to look into acupuncture or acupressure, or even just learning dog massage. All three of these help with pain and inflammation, and I know my older girl is in so much less pain after an acupuncture session.

  • yaydogblog

    It was perfect timing to read about the CBD treats again. On our recent loooooong RV trip, our dog Andy was protesting once in awhile about riding in his crate in the Suburban with us. I used Treatibles and it seemed to help a bit. I finally decided to cover his crate more as he had started sitting up and riding backwards more and I think his tummy was a bit upset. So the cover and one Treatible per day worked very well. (yaydog Clare)

    • Heather Wallace

      I’m sorry to hear he got a bit carsick. The CBD and a crate cover should really help that! My dogs are thankfully fine with the car, but Beau gets restless on long trips being all by his lonesome in the cargo area. CBD really helps.

  • Chirpy Cats

    I’ve only scratched the surface on using holistic therapies for my cats, but I know there are great non-drug options out there. I know using essential oils for cats is a little trickier though and should be used with caution. I’m still on the lookout for a natural appetite stimulant for my aging cat.

    • Heather Wallace

      Oh, poor kitty. CBD oil should help increase the appetite, so definitely give it a try if you can. And yes, I only in rare instances will use essential oils around cats. I don’t even use a diffuser at the barn because of the barn cats. Their livers just do not process them well for the most part although there are exceptions.

  • Beth

    These sound like options that are worth exploring. Right now all of my dogs seem to be pain free, but I’ll keep these suggestions in mind. My dog had wonderful results with laser therapy, but it was pretty expensive.

  • Paroma Chakravarty

    I have heard good things about using essential oils to calm dogs. Definitely worth a try and thank you for these natural remedy ideas. Turmeric is an ancient Indian root used for many remedies in humans too-specially to build up immunity and treat common cold.

    • Heather Wallace

      I personally love using essential oils with my dogs and canine clients. I have found turmeric to be amazing for pain relief and as an anti inflammatory, I used it a lot after breaking my ribs.

  • The Contemporary Pet

    I can attest to the efficacy of peppermint oil and lemongrass for pain relief – I’ve used them myself for pain control and on my dog. It’s so reassuring to use something that isn’t a man-made blend of chemicals.

  • Denise Yoder-Gruzensky

    You have created my one stop shopping list for natural remedies. I’ve used an love many (Green Muscle, Turmeric and Treatibles) but I’ve been looking for a good resource for essential oils and I’m looking forward to trying your products too.

  • Sweet Purrfections

    This is very interesting. I’ve never used any natural remedies for myself or my girls. I’ve read a lot about the benefits of CBD oil. I had a vet once who “adjusted” my previous cat whenever she’d come in. Praline always loved it.

    • Heather Wallace

      I would avoid essential oils and herbs with your cats unless you have them approved by your veterinarian, cats metabolize differently than humans and dogs. However, it’s always a good idea to use these yourself before using on your pets. I know I do!

  • AmeliaAJohnson

    I have used many of these ingredients with my pets since I went “holistic” in 2002. I did buy some Treatibles treats in Austin, Texas and brought them back to my pup in PA. He loved them. I could actually smell your remedies as you described them…thanks for the information on what is working now for our pets.

  • Dash Kitten

    Green Mussel!! We use that. We love it and it’s made here in NZ *proud ears* Harvey doesn’t ALWAYS want to eat his and he’s a cat so just wrapping the gelatine capsule in a treat doesn’t work but I manage most of a capsule every day.

    I wonder if our Jack’s solar eczema would benefit from your healing balm? He use a pet friendly ‘zinc cream’ and he HATES it on his nose. We keep going because otherwise his health is at risk. You need to start doing cats too!!

    • Heather Wallace

      I can see how sometimes the capsules may be a bit hard to eat. Gonzo is very picky that way, but I started using the powder sprinkled in his food and he gobbles it up. Most of the ingredients in the Healing Salve are safe for cats, with the exception of lemon essential oil. I’m happy to make a customized version for Jack and bring it to KC for you. Otherwise shipping would be astronomical. Just let me know!

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