Cleaning Methods Using Natural Ingredients for Your Sick Dog

When a dog is sick or has a disease, there is often a discharge from their nose, ears or eyes that makes them not only feel and look miserable but is difficult to remove and can bother the underlying tissue. Here are some easy, natural cleaning methods that will relieve your pets discomfort quickly.

Eyes – An easy to make, inexpensive, non-irritating, natural remedy for removing secretions and crusts from around your dog’s eyes and eyelids are sea salt and distilled or filtered water. Stir together one cup of distilled/filtered water and one-quarter teaspoon of sea salt, stirring well. Use gauze or a clean, soft cloth dipped in this mixture to clean the dog’s eyes but be very gentle and take your time. Finish cleaning your pet’s eyes and then put one drop of almond oil in each one if your pets’ eyes are slightly irritated. For more inflamed or irritated eyes, use castor oil and for ulcerated or extremely dry and irritated eyes use one drop of cod liver oil in each eye.

Nose – Use gauze or a soft cloth soaked in warm water to remove any secretion gently from around your dog’s nose. Take your time, be gentle and remain patient because if the secretion is hard, you will probably have to soak it to soften. This may require a few short sessions, which is easier on the dog than one long session. One you have cleaned your pets nose and dried it, smear almond oil on this area or break open a vitami
E capsule and mix the almond oil and vitami
E together, repeating this two to four times daily.

Ears – If your dogs ears have a lot of waxy or oily secretion, almond oil works well to remove this. Warm the oil by putting the container in hot water in a bowl or in the sink. Check the oil to make sure it is not too warm. You may need someone to hold the dog while you place approximately half a teaspoon of the warmed almond oil gently into each of the dog’s ears, making sure it goes all the way in. Hold the dogs ear flap down and with your other hand on the outside bottom of the dogs ear opening, gently massage. Feeling firm at first, as you massage this, you should feel the wax and debris start to loosen and sound squishy. Use a soft cloth or tissue to remove the excess wax and dirt. Only use cotton swabs around the ear opening, avoiding the ear canal.

Anus – Excessive diarrhea often causes inflammation, irritation and even infection around the surrounding tissues on a dog’s anus. Use a soft, damp cloth to clean the area and then a soft cloth to dry it gently. After patting it dry, use another soft cloth or gauze to apply calendula ointment a few times daily. nn n