Is honey a natural antihistamine for dogs

Can Dogs Eat Honey?

Simple and sweet, honey contains natural sugars that is reported to have a wide variety of medicinal properties for humans. It also, occasionally, finds its way into the mouths of our dogs. But is honey is safe for dogs and does it have health benefits for canines?

Is Honey Safe for Dogs?

Honey is safe for dogs to eat in small quantities. It contains natural sugars and small amounts of vitamins and minerals. It is also used as a sweetener in many foods and beverages.

That sweetness comes at a price, however. The high sugar content of honey can lead to obesity in dogs if owners feed them too much honey and do not provide adequate exercise and balanced nutrition. Sugars can also cause tooth decay, so it might be a good idea to brush your dogs teeth if you do feed them honey.

Raw honey should not be fed to puppies or dogs with compromised immune systems, as it may contain the presence of botulism spores. Honey should not be given to diabetic or obese dogs.

Are There Benefits to Feeding Dogs Honey?

For people and dogs, honey is purported to have antimicrobial and antifungal properties, reduce inflammation, sooth stomach ulcers and sore throats, and cure allergies. However, there have not been many conclusive scientific studies validating these claims. Many of these allegations are anecdotal.

One of the most common claims made about honey is that it can cure seasonal allergies. While the scientific evidence is lacking, there is some reason to believe that raw honey could help reduce allergic reactions to flower pollenassuming, of course, that your dog is allergic to one of the pollens in the honey and not another environmental allergen. Regardless of the lack of conclusive research, feeding your dog a small amount of honey likely wont harm them, even if it is not guaranteed or even likely to help with allergies.

Humans also use honey to soothe raw throats and stomachs. If your dog has a sore throat, and you have already seen your veterinarian to determine the cause and followed treatment instructions, then feeding a little honey could help soothe any lingering inflammation. At the very least, it will give your dog a tasty distraction.

How Much Honey Can You Feed Your Dog?

If you want to feed your dog honey, talk to your veterinarian about how much is okay to feed your dog. In general, less is usually more when it comes to dog treats, especially for smaller breeds. If your dog has a health condition, such as diabetes, talk to your veterinarian about whether or not honey is safe to feed your dog, and consider offering a treat lower in sugar, like cucumbers, instead. Explore common fruits and vegetables that dogs can and cant eat.

For further answers about what you can and cant feed your dog, and about home remedies for ailments, consult your veterinarian.

Natural Antihistamines for Dogs

Natural Antihistamines for Dogs

It's springtime again! If you are an allergy sufferer, you will probably have already started feeling the symptoms - itchy eyes, runny nose...

Some dogs also can fall victim to seasonal allergies, and while they may also have itchy eyes and runny nose, the most common symptom for dogs is skin irritation and/or inflammation (atopic dermatitis).

The skin irritations can manifest themselves as hives, hot spots, rashes..., and can be red and extremely itchy.

Your dog will likely to be scratching, licking, and chewing his skin incessantly. If left untreated, over time the skin will become inflamed, infected, and may result in open sores and hair loss.

Benadryl - Antihistamine for Dog Allergies

If your dog has allergies, your vet may suggest giving antihistamines such as Benadryl to your dog to lessen the symptoms.

Antihistamines work by physically preventing histamine from locking onto its receptor. By doing so, they prevent the production of allergy symptoms, such as (in the case of dogs) skin irritation.

If dosed correctly, Benadryl is usually safe for dogs. One side effect may be that the dog will become drowsy after taking the drug. Some other side effects may include diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy and appetite loss.

But since Benadryl is metabolized by the liver, if your dog has some form of liver disease, you should talk to the vet first before using the drug.

If you prefer to go natural, there are some natural antihistamines for dogs that may help a dog with allergies. Let's take a look.

Some Natural Antihistamines for Dogs

Here are some safe natural antihistamines that can be used to help dogs with allergies:

Quercetin

Quercetin is a flavonoid that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It works by reducing the release of histamines, thereby helping to reduce allergy symptoms.

However, according to studies, it may take quite a while (several months) for quercetin to take effect in the body, so it should be used as a long-term remedy, rather than just a one-time fix. For example, if you know your dog has seasonal allergies, give quercetin to your dog a month or two before springtime to "prep" the dog's body for the upcoming seasonal assault.

You can also feed your dog quercetin-rich foods throughout the year. Foods are that rich in this flavonoid include broccoli, yellow bell peppers, berries (e.g. strawberries), and apples. The apple skin is rich in quercetin, but it may be hard for dogs to digest the skin, so the best way is to puree an unpeeled apple (with core and seeds removed of course) and feed it to your dog.

Bromelain

This is an enzyme for protein digestion, and can help increase the absorption of Quercetin, so getting a supplement with Quercetin and Bromelain can have synergistic effect.

Bromelain by itself also has anti-inflammatory properties, and can reduce allergic symptoms. In addition, it can "tame" an overactive and oversensitive immune system.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine for dogs and people as well. It works by reducing the amount of histamines in the blood circulation. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant. (See this page for dosage).

Herbs

Quite a few herbs are also natural antihistamines for dogs and people! Here are some safe ones for dogs:

• Stinging Nettle: This plant can cause a burning sting, hives and tiny blisters if you come into contact with it because of its histamine content. But a freeze-dried nettle leaf extract (in capsule form) can act as an herbal antihistamine and can treat hives and allergies. Herbalists believe that the tiny amount of histamine content may work in a "like-cure-like" manner similar to the theory of homeopathy.

  If your dog has seasonal allergies, you may consider giving him freeze-dried nettle leaf extract before the allergy season begins.

• Butterbur: Butterbur contains chemical components called "petasin", which has anti-inflammatory properties, and can block histamine that the body releases during an allergic reaction.

  Use an extract from the butterbur roots and make sure that it is PA (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) free, since PA is toxic to the liver.

• Basil/Parsley/Thyme/Oregano: These culinary herbs all have antihistamine properties. If your dog is allergy-prone, feed these herbs regularly to your dog. Simply sprinkle some dried herbs on the dog's food. Most dogs love the taste of these herbs and will likely enjoy the food more!
• Fennel: You may already know that fennel seed is good for digestive issues (e.g. gas, colic), but did you know that fennel seed is also high in vitamin C AND contains flavonoids such as Quercetin? That's right! The same flavonoid that is an antihistamine!

  To use this herb therapeutically for dog allergies, get a glycerin tincture of this herb.

• Reishi: Reishi is a mushroom long used in the East (China, Japan, Korea) for various medicinal purposes. Besides being a power antioxidant, Reishi is found to contain anti-inflammatory compounds (called "Lanostan") that can inhibit the production of histamines.

Other Natural Antihistamines for Dogs

Other natural antihistamines that you can try to use to help a dog with allergies include:

In Summary...

As you can see, there are quite a few natural antihistamines for dogs to choose from!

Like all natural remedies, the natural antihistamines mentioned in this article do not work overnight. It takes longer and persistent use before you can see results.

I suggest that you select one or two of the above antihistamines and try them out for a few months to see if they make a difference in your dog. If one doesn't work for your dog, don't give up, try another.

All dogs are different and they react differently to even the same remedy, so it is a matter of trial and error before you can find something that works for YOUR dog.

Natural Dog Allergy Treatment

Besides natural antihistamines, there are other treatment options for dogs with allergies. Visit this page for information on some other natural remedies that can relieve allergy itch.

Natural Antihistamines For Dogs

Histamines are chemical compounds that do a number of jobs in the body. However, theyre infamous for being an immune response to an allergen as part of the bodies defence system.

Histamines can act like bodyguards, once they see a threat (e.g. allergens), they will start the process to remove the threat from the body. This process can include sneezing, itching, tearing up, or anything else that removes the threat or prevents the threat from getting any further. This will be when you want to reach for antihistamines to help dial down the bodies allergen response.

Why we dont recommend prescription antihistamines for dogs

Although piriton is deemed safe by the medical community, it can cause side effects that we want to avoid:

• Drowsiness

• Nausea

• Interference with the production of mucus membranes, causing dry: mouth, oesophagus and gut.

• Raising of liver enzymes if piriton is given over an extended period of time this can happen

• Interference of enzymes within the digestive tract piriton has been found to dampen the effects of the enzyme which breaks down histamines in the digestive tract.

Its important to note that although we do not recommend the use of prescription antihistamines for most dogs, we recognise and understand that for some dogs they cannot be avoided. Always seek advice and guidance from your holistic/integrative veterinarian.

Natural Antihistamines

To avoid the side affects of using chemical antihistamines, we would advise using some alternative natural antihistamines, which are much kinder on the body!

Natural antihistamines include:

• Local honey

  Local organic raw unfiltered honey is likely to contain a tiny amount of bee pollen (which is the natural antihistamine) from the same source affecting the dog. Feeding these tiny particles can help to desensitise your dog to the allergen. If you use honey / bee pollen from somewhere else it may not contain the same allergens that cause your dogs symptoms. However this is not suitable for puppies under 1 year of age and take extreme caution with diabetic dogs. It is possible to buy bee pollen on its own. However, we do not recommend this as the practice of collecting bee pollen is unethical, and local ethically sourced honey is much kinder to the bees.

• Quercetin

  Quercetin is a flavonoid which has great benefits including: antihistamine, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This can be naturally found in: Apples (including the skin), broccoli, dark leafy greens, peppers, raspberries, and blueberries. However, if your dog cannot tolerate plant matter, then look into feeding a clean quercetin supplement.

  You can also feed your dog quercetin-rich foods throughout the year. Foods are that rich in this flavonoid include broccoli, yellow bell peppers, berries (e.g. strawberries), and apples. The apple skin is rich in quercetin, but it may be hard for dogs to digest the skin, so the best way is to puree an unpeeled apple (with core and seeds removed of course) and feed it to your dog.

Important note on Quercertin; Some recent studies have shown that it may take quite a while (several months) for quercetin to take effect in the body, so it should be used as a long-term remedy, rather than just a one-time fix. For example, if you know your dog has seasonal allergies, give quercetin to your dog a month or two before springtime to "prep" the dog's body for the upcoming seasonal assault.

• Bromelain

  Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapples which also has antihistamine benefits. In fact, quercetin is more effective when used alongside bromelain, as bromelain helps the body absorb quercetin more effectively.

• Nettles

  Nettles contain quercetin and are often found in natural antihistamine supplements alongside quercetin and bromelain. However, for a free antihistamine you could try picking your own nettles and brewing your dog (and yourself if you like) a nettle tea to pour on top of their food, just dont forget to wear gloves!

• Butterbur

  Butterbur is a herb which has antihistamine properties. This can be supplemented in but be sure that the supplement does not contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, as these can trigger allergic reaction. In addition, butterbur should not be given to: puppies, pregnant or lactating dogs, or dogs with liver problems.

Important notes

Although antihistamines will help lower histamine levels and allergy reactions (e.g. itchiness), antihistamines do not solve the internal problem which is causing the upset. It is therefore important to find the root cause of your dogs reactions and treat appropriately.

We understand that sometimes a dog will need a pharmaceutical antihistamine (e.g. piriton). However, this should only ever be given under the advice and guidance of a vet, to ensure the correct dosage is given.

If your dog is experiencing a severe allergic reaction, for example: anaphylaxis, excessive swelling, or hives; call a vet immediately for emergency medical advice.

As with all supplements, they will not suit every dog, so if you believe your dog is reacting negatively to a supplement or food you have given them then discontinue immediately.

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