Dandelion Cure For Dogs

Yes, this is the common dandelion (taraxacum-subalpinum), the weed and every gardener´s nightmare.

But also a powerful herb and remedy, used in natural and even the traditional medicine for centuries.

Before I post some of it´s most important features, here´s what we actually do during summer.

We feed it to our dogs, or, better said, we use it as a supplement that we mix into their food.

Some of you know that I am an animal nutritional consultant and dog nutrition specifically is my great passion. And I am a whole-health, holistic-natural aproach (to nutrition and health) freak.

So, here´s what we do, about once a week - once in ten days:

On a sunny day (this is important with many herbs) we pick a bowl of dandelion fully blooming flowers.

Then we sort them out and cut out the "butts", or the bottoms of the flowers.

The result should look somewhat like this. The reason for this is, that the butts that we throw away are bitter and we don´t want the soup taste bitter as some of the dogs might not eat it.

Once this is done, we toss the flowers into the feed buckets, evenly.

A tip for you: toss in the dandelions after you have already put meat and other ingredients into the soup, so they don´t get stuck to the bottom of the bucket.

I should have posted a picture of the beasts eating the dandelion soup, but didn´t think of it. But you can rest assured that they licked their dishes clean as usual! :)

Now, here´s why we do this:

Dandelions (taraxacum-subalpinum) :

• contain a significant amount of inulin, vitamin C, manganese and potassium
• help to produce more enzymes, which are essential for proper metabolism and boost the immune system
• promote digestion and metabolism generally
• help to clean and promote function of liver
• have light diurrhetic effect

After a full season of working hard in harness (in our case August - May) and eating a heavy nutrition consisting of high protein, high fat dry kibble, and loads of meat and fat, the dogs are ready not only for lighter nutrition during the summer time, but, just like us, a detoxification cure that promotes the organs and digestive tract.

Dandelions grow everywhere - just pick them and you get a perfect, 100% natural remedy for your dogs!

Next time I will feature a few more herbs suitable for supplementation of the dogs´ diet, AND I have a great and simple recipe for an all natural repelent against mosquitos, wood ticks and other nasty insects.

Stay tuned and -- Happy Trails!