Medicinal Plants for Dogs

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 13 February 2021
Update Date: 6 November 2024
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Since the times of Galen (considered the father of pharmacy) until today, pharmacological treatments have advanced at a very fast pace, being an excellent help against numerous pathological conditions both in human medicine and in veterinary medicine.

However, not all are advantages, as the drugs represent a great job for the liver, which must metabolize them and often interfere with the body's immune responses, in addition to the risk of developing several side effects.

Therefore, more and more owners consider that pharmacological treatment should not be considered as a first choice treatment, since our pets can also benefit from the action of numerous natural resources such as herbal medicine, which is the therapy with medicinal plants. In this article by PeritoAnimal we will help you to treat your pet in a more natural way and give you more information about the medicinal plants for dogs.


Medicinal plants are not harmless

There are numerous plants that are toxic for dogs, likewise, we can also find several plants that are very useful for their health. However, a therapeutic plant is not always a harmless plant.

Medicinal plants are characterized by having a plant drug, which is the part or parts used therapeutically, which obviously have one or several active principles that will modify the physiology of the organism.

The active ingredients contained in medicinal plants follow the same process as pharmaceuticals: on the one hand, the animal's organism releases the active ingredient, absorbs it, distributes it, metabolizes it and finally excretes it. On the other hand, this active principle has a certain mechanism of action and a pharmacological effect.


Medicinal plants for dogs, if used properly, are a great help. However, you should know that may be contraindicated in various situations and interact with different drugs.

Medicinal Plants for Dogs

The medicinal plants shown below have properties that make them useful to treat various conditions in our pets, in a natural and respectful way for their bodies:

  • aloe vera: Aloe vera juice applied externally reduces skin inflammation, has anesthetic properties and, in addition, favors the regeneration of skin cells. It can also be applied internally to improve the dog's general health, alleviate gastrointestinal illnesses and improve the immune system's response.
  • Valerian: Valerian root for dogs is an excellent option to calm nervousness, relieve insomnia and reduce pain and inflammation. This property is not very well known, and it also acts as an excellent muscle relaxant.
  • hawthorn: White hawthorn acts as an excellent cardiac tonic, being very useful to prevent congestive heart failure in older dogs, it is generally not used in young dogs unless they suffer from heartworm disease, where white hawthorn can help the dog to survive this disease.
  • milk thistle: Milk thistle contains a strong active principle called silymarin, which acts as a protector and regenerator of liver cells. It is useful to improve the health of puppies in any context and especially necessary in cases of polypharmacy, as it will help the liver to metabolize drugs without doing any harm.
  • Arnica Montana: It is an excellent plant to treat trauma, as it relieves pain, reduces inflammation and prevents the formation of bruises. It is advisable to use it topically or through the application of a homeopathic remedy.
  • Chamomile: Dogs can also benefit from this popular medicinal plant, it is very useful as a mild sedative and is especially indicated for stomach problems such as heavy digestion or vomiting.
  • harpagophyte: Harpagóphyte is one of the best natural anti-inflammatory for dogs, it is useful in any condition that causes inflammation, being especially indicated for muscle and joint problems.

Use these plants under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Medicinal plants for dogs can be applied in different ways, whether in infusion, capsules, fluid extract or topically. Each presentation contains a different concentration of active ingredients, so it is imperative that a veterinarian supervise the treatment, preferably a holistic veterinarian with a good command of herbal medicine.


The treatment dose is not the only reason why the veterinary attention is essential, since it will also have to evaluate if the plant presents any contraindication for the dog's state of health or if, on the contrary, it presents interaction with any of the drugs that the animal may be taking.

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.