Is coconut oil a natural antibiotic for dogs

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

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These 6 products contain natural antibiotics for dogs

Are natural antibiotics for dogs safe?

Yes, natural antibiotics for dogs are safe for your pet if you use them correctly. Some pets with certain conditions should avoid certain natural remedies, so carefully research each option thoroughly and speak to your vet before administering anything to your dog.

Should natural antibiotics be used in place of regular antibiotics?

No. Medical antibiotics can have undesirable side effects, but sometimes using them is necessary to cure an infection.

A great natural antibiotic is more effective when used as an initial measure, or a preventative measure to stop any infection or inflammation from getting worse. You should always consult a vet before switching medical antibiotics for natural ones.

When shouldnt you use natural antibiotics for dogs?

There are a few scenarios when you wouldnt want to opt for natural antibiotics. These are:

If your dog has specific medical or health conditions.
If your dog already takes medication.
If your dog is seriously ill and needs medical antibiotics.
If your dog has responded badly or had an allergic reaction to natural antibiotics in the past.

What products are natural remedies for dogs?

The good news is that there are many different great natural antibiotic options for dogs. They include foods, oils, herbs, and plants with antibacterial properties. These foods and essential oils may help prevent bacterial infections and create useful home remedies for your dog.

Remember, consult your vet before administering any natural antibiotics to your dog.

What is the strongest natural antibiotic for dogs?

Debate is ongoing about the natural antibiotic that works the best for dogs. To date, two natural antibiotics stand out from the pack: manuka honey and turmeric.

Manuka honey is considered one of the strongest natural antibiotics for dogs. It is used to treat wounds and lesions. Manuka honey also helps reduce inflammation.

Some experts believe turmeric is among the best natural antibiotics for pets and people. Turmeric contains a lot of powerful ingredients that are beneficial to overall health. Plus, its been shown to help heal bacterial and fungal infections.

What are the benefits of using the best natural antibiotics for dogs?

Here are the 4 biggest benefits of using natural antibiotics to help prevent infections or complement antibiotics used by your vet:

Low risk of side effects. Its unlikely that your dog will experience long-term side effects.
Healing properties. Natural remedies have antiviral and antifungal properties.
Easy-to-find ingredients. Natural antibiotics contain ingredients you can buy over the counter.
Low risk of indigestion. The ingredients in natural remedies are easy to process.

Ask a vet about the benefits of using natural remedies for dogs versus conventional antibiotics to help you decide which options are the right ones for your pet.

How can I get antibiotics for my dog without going to the vet?

You can buy over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotics at a pet store or online. These antibiotics are available without a prescription. Its important to remember that different bacterias can cause the same symptoms, and OTC antibiotics may not treat the infection your pet is dealing with, or get rid of it entirely. Because of this, the results of OTC antibiotics for dogs vary.

If your dog is dealing with a severe infection, err on the side of caution by going to a vet. At this point, a vet can diagnose and treat your dog and prescribe antibiotics as needed.

Natural Antibiotics for Dogs The Top 6 Alternatives

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Natural antibiotics for dogs are the natural equivalent to the medical antibiotics usually prescribed by veterinarians.

Although Medical antibiotics are highly successful for many illnesses, as dog owners, we should be aware of the downsides too.

Firstly, backed by a host of researches, its been shown that dogs may develop antibiotic resistance fairly quickly. The more antibiotics we give them the higher their chances of resistance.

Medical antibiotics can be dangerous for dogs and can upset the balance of their intestinal flora.

There are a number of natural products that can be used to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria and other illnesses.

And this brings up the point of our article, Natural Antibiotics for dogs!

Dog owners have been using natural remedies to ensure their pets stay healthy for centuries, and its proven that these cures work.

This article lays out some of the best ways we can use alternative medicines. Well also learn how they lower our dogs risk of developing resistance and intestinal harm!

What Is a Natural Antibiotic for a Dog?

As weve already stated, a natural antibiotic for dogs can be used instead of a medical remedy. They are just as effective at treating some common infections with fewer side effects!

So, what about those natural antibiotics? Weve got a rundown of some great options for treating your dogs health issues:

Oil of Oregano

Oregano oil is viewed as one of the best natural antibiotics for dogs. This oil has antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic qualities that are extremely beneficial for our furry friends.

Remedial ingredients:As per studies, it contains two positive ingredients Carvacrol and Thymol.

These powerful combinations, more specifically phenols, can kill bad microbes and bacteria and can fight harmful microorganisms in our dogs system.

Uses:

Mild infections
A topical antibiotic to deal with bacteria in a particular area
To clean wounds

Administering:Make sure to use the oil of oregano and not the herb! Using the oil is crucial to ensure your dog gets the benefit of carvacrol and thymol.

Simply dilute 2 or 3 drops of oregano oil in another carrier oil such as almond oil or olive oil.

Related side effects or hazards: Oregano oil is not suitable for dogs that suffer from epilepsy or seizures.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a brilliant natural antibiotic with inflammation-fighting abilities that can benefit dogs in much the same way as it benefits us.

Dogs only need a small amount added to their usual food to get the benefits of this fabulous natural antibiotic.

Remedial ingredient:Curcumin is the main element in turmeric. It has antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant qualities.

Put simply, curcumin found in easily available turmeric can boost your dogs immune system greatly.

Uses:

Fighting infection
Strengthening the immunity of dogs
Supercharges recovery from wounds, scrapes, and scratches in our furry friends.

Administering: Mix Turmeric powder and Aloe Vera gel, then apply topically to your pets skin to soothe wounds.

If given orally, use 5 20 mg per pound of body weight per day. Mix in with a dogs usual food.

Colloidal Silver

Colloidal silver is composed of tiny particles of silver in a liquid gel or cream.

Throughout history, colloidal silver-imbued bandages have been used on people to treat burns.

For dogs, its usually sold as oral supplements in a chewable form, or as a spray application. Its also a topical product as creams and shampoos.

Remedial ingredient: Collodial silver contains minuscule flakes of pure silver! The silver flakes are dissolved in demineralized water or other fluid. In this form, its regarded as an effective antibacterial agent.

Uses:

Treating multi-drug resistant skin and ear infections.
Treating itchy skin.

Administering:Many veterinarians recommend against giving colloidal silver orally to dogs.

You can, however, safely apply it topically to the skin, and avoid their mouth, teeth, and gums.

Related side effects or hazards:Long-term use may cause physical harm to your dogs biological cells.

Garlic

Garlic is one of the more well-known items on our list and certainly one of the most readily available natural ingredients. Its been used for centuries to disinfect cuts and scars.

Although, your dog may need some convincing to have stinky garlic as a natural antibiotic.

Remedial ingredient: All the amazing properties that garlic possesses are because it contains a remarkable chemical compound called allicin. This compound is highly effective in defending against bacteria. It does this by reacting with the cell walls, causing the microorganism to disintegrate.

Uses:

Treating heart conditions
Prevents fleas and ticks
Deworming
Healing and disinfecting wounds

Administering: Garlic can be mixed with other herbs and absorbent ingredients to form a substance called a garlic poultice. This is applied directly to the injured area on the dogs body.

It can also be given orally by mixing it in dog food. (see related side effects)

You do have to be extremely careful when using garlic to treat your furry friends ailments. Theres a fantastic article at Dogs Naturally that covers how you can use garlic safely when treating your dog.

We highly recommend you give it a read if you are thinking of using garlic to help your pup.

Related side effects or hazards:Eating large amounts of garlic can result in vomiting, and in extreme cases, organ damage!

Always get medical advice from your vet before attempting to feed garlic to your dog.

Manuka Honey

As one of the worlds oldest medicinal foods, honey has been used by people of many cultures from all around the world.

This superfood is a renowned antimicrobial agent, because of its antifungal qualities. Manuka honey also soothes stomach ulcers, reduces inflammation and sore throats, and heals allergies. Its also jam-packed with polyphenols that are excellent natural antioxidants.

Why is it remedial:

It has natural anti-inflammatory characteristics
Contains natural antiseptic properties

Uses:

Treating Asthma
Helping with dry, inflamed, and/or itchy skin
Treating kennel cough

Administering:Many people give Manuka honey to dogs by mixing a little in their food or as an occasional sweet treat.

To treat kennel cough, mix a spoonful in their food for great results. Dogs just love the sweet yummy taste! However, if your dog has diabetes, be aware of the likely sugar spike. It may be advisable not to use Manuka Honey in this cases like this.

To apply topically, you can apply the honey directly to the wounds as a protective barrier.

Coconut Oil

Often regarded as a natural wonder, Coconut oil not only smells great but also has incredible antibiotic properties.

Coconut oil is used to heal all sorts of open wounds. Its naturally antibacterial, making it a great remedy for dry or damaged skin on your dog.

Remedial ingredients:Medium-chain triglycerides are in coconut oil. They aid digestion and also improve brain function. Coconut oil is also naturally rich in antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Uses:

Treating dry, infected, and/or broken skin
Combating digestive issues
Helping with canine hot spots

Administering:Add a teaspoon of coconut oil to your dogs food for better digestive health. Topically, coconut oil can be rubbed into your dogs skin to fight rashes like hot spots and dry patches.

Common Uses Natural Antibiotics for Dogs

Heres a list of some common ailments in dogs along with the natural antibiotic that works best:

Natural Antibiotic for Dogs Teeth

Dental conditions in dogs are a common problem.

If a dogs oral health or hygiene isnt maintained, it can have a resounding effect on their overall health. Meaning the kidneys, heart, liver, and digestive system could get compromised.

Coconut oil is a powerful antibacterial agent that is fantastic for a dogs oral health. Use the oil on a finger brush and scrub your dogs teeth and gums instead of toothpaste.

Natural Antibiotics for Dogs Ears

Dog ears are always susceptible to ailments like gunky, smelly, itchy, or even painful auricles. These conditions can be frustratingly hard to get rid of and can leave the dog miserable.

Oil of oregano, a natural antibiotic for do, its perfect to treat ear infections in our furry friends without having any side effects.

Simply mix a drop of oregano oil to half an ounce (15 ml) of pure aloe vera juice and clean the visible parts of the ear with a cotton ball soaked in the mixture.

Natural Antibiotics for Dogs Skin Infection

Of all the animal species, dogs seem susceptible to skin infections, particularly the bacterial kind.

This is due to basic structural features, such as poor skin barrier and the alkaline pH of the skin.

Many natural oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, and grapeseed oil have active antibacterial properties. Furthermore, oleic and linoleic acids found in them improve the skin barrier, which prevents future infections.

Natural Antibiotics for Dogs Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections are a nightmare for dogs. Theyre characterized by frequent peeing, a small amount of pee that strongly smells, and stomach pain.

Marshmallow Root is an anti-inflammatory and soothing agent. Its a remarkable herb thats native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. Marshmallow Root has spectacular anti-inflammatory properties that are used to treat urinary tract infections in dogs.

It boosts the immune system and fights off bacteria that cause these kinds of infections. It also soothes the body and lessens sensitivity and irritation.

Conclusion

Medical antibiotics arent harmful to dogs, and we dont aim to discourage anyone from using them when needed.

We are, however, proposing extra options in the form of natural antibiotics for dogs. Solutions that you might find useful for minor injuries and infections, or to use in combination with medical antibiotics.

To be clear, we always recommend that you consult your vet before trying to treat your dog by yourself. This article is intended as a useful resource about natural foods and their benefits.

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