Curated by Maria Rita Insolera, Naturopath
Even dogs and cats catch colds . Natural remedies can help alleviate some of the most annoying symptoms. Let's find out which ones.
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What is a cold
A cold is a viral infection that affects the upper airways. The cold is extremely contagious, especially during the first few days.
Symptoms of dog and cat colds
In colds there are frequent sneezing, nasal mucus and transparent, sometimes purulent ocular. The inappetence and the state of prostration are prolonged for several days. Sometimes it happens that the dog and the cat do not eat because they do not smell the food.
Dog's cold: cures and natural remedies
In the cold of the dog, to remove the catarrhous residues from the eyelid rhyme, which are sometimes so abundant as to glue the eyelid rim and close the eye, make an infusion of chamomile, soak a make-up lever disk or a piece of soft cotton cloth and pass it gently on the eyelids, trying to make a kind of wrap.
Do not rub because you could hurt the dog. The warm pack melts the crust and the chamomile has a decongestant action.
The following medicinal plants may also be useful for treating a dog's cold:
- Echinacea: it is a plant known for its ability to stimulate the immune defenses and for its bacteriostatic and virustatic action. The dry extract is used for Echinacea (12.5 mg of dry extract per day for every 5 kg of weight for a whole month).
- Dog rose : glycerine macerate: rich in vitamin C the dog rose has anti-inflammatory, vitaminizing and stimulating the response of the immune system. 10 to 40 drops are sufficient depending on the size of the dog, once a day for a few days. The drops can also be put into food.
Propolis, an effective antibacterial agent, can also be useful for the respiratory tract. It can be taken with food but, if the taste is not acceptable, it can be added to a little honey (2 drops per teaspoon, several times a day) or use it in tablets: one every 10 kg of weight. Propolis has an emollient, calming and disinfectant action .
Discover also the immunostimulant properties of echinacea
Cat's cold: cures and natural remedies
For the cat, as for the dog, there are several natural remedies to alleviate the symptoms of colds . In the case of catarrolous residues from the eyelid rhyme it is useful to make an infusion of chamomile, soak a soft cotton disk and gently pass it on the eyelids, without rubbing but trying to make a kind of wrap that will dissolve the scale.
Echinacea is useful for treating a dog's cold, a medicinal plant known for its ability to stimulate the immune system and its bacteriostatic and virustatic action. The dry extract is used for Echinacea ( 12.5 mg of dry extract per day for every 5 kg of weight for a whole month).
Propolis, on the other hand, is an effective antibacterial agent for the respiratory tract. It can be taken with food but, if the taste is not acceptable, it can be added to a little honey (2 drops per teaspoon, several times a day). Propolis has an emollient, calming and disinfectant action.
Natural tips
In case of lack of appetite of the dog and the cat, to encourage them to eat, try to dirty their mouth with jelly .
In the cat, prolonged fasting sets in motion metabolic mechanisms contrary to health and that make them even more anorexic, triggering a real vicious circle. So you have to do everything possible so that the cat eats something nutritious, even just a mouthful or two.
If you like to drink, offer the cat broth of meat and / or warm or fresh vegetables, according to your preferences
