Natural Pain Relief for Dogs

Pet dogs can experience pain due to several reasons. You can first identify it from dog behavior. They are not in a playful mood when in pain. They are struggling to stand up or get up from bed. It could be triggered by some injury that has been sustained in recent times or some underlying health problems like hip dysplesia or dog arthritis can be responsible for this. Whatever be the reason of pain, when you see your favorite pet struggling hard to move, then you feel helpless. They do not express their pain with words but you can see the pain in their eyes. When you take your pet to the vet, they prescribe pain relieving medicines. However, most pet owners are apprehensive about using these medications because of their side effects. For the same reason, they prefer natural pain relief for their dogs.

Natural Pain Relief for Dogs at Home

Your pet dog can suffer from different types of pain. It could be joint pain, muscle pain, abdominal pain and so on. There are a number of naturally occurring substances that provide them significant relief from pain. A few such natural pain killers for dogs are given below:

Ice Application
Any minor traumatic injury that causes pain and inflammation can be reduced by ice application on injury site. The problem with ice treatment is that dogs do not like the cold feeling and refuse to keep the ice for long. You can try wrapping up the ice on the area.

St. John's Wort
Another way of treating injury related pain in dogs is with the help of St. John's Wort. When tincture of this herb is applied on a bruise or crushed nerve endings, it acts as an excellent pain reliever and ensures faster healing.

Turmeric
Turmeric has strong anti-inflammatory qualities that makes it a great choice for arthritis. Studies have found that it is as good as strong pain killers like hydrocortisone. It has to be administered orally. For this, sprinkle a generous amount of turmeric powder on the dog food.

Licorice
Many people consider it to be the best pain relief option for dogs because it has so many benefits. It can be used both internally as well as externally. It has a component named glycyrrhizin which is highly effective in treating pain and swelling caused by arthritis. When taken internally, it can provide relief from abdominal pain and discomfort caused by acid reflux. You can feed the tincture of licorice without much trouble as most dogs like its taste. Application of licorice oil on the arthritic joints of the dogs with gentle circular motions can bring down the pain.

Ginger Root
It is the antispasmodic properties of fresh ginger root that helps in reducing stiffness and pain in various parts of the body. It works really well on stomach pain, lower back pain, muscle pain, muscle strains, etc. It has to be applied topically in the form of poultice on the affected part for best results.

Yucca
This is an excellent herbal pain relief medicine for dogs. One of the key ingredients of yucca oil is saponin which has amazing anti-inflammatory properties that can bring down pain and inflammation of arthritis. Another advantage of using this herb is that it stimulates production of certain hormones that can improve the natural healing mechanism of the dogs.

Cayenne
This herb is available in the form of cream and ointment and is popularly used as natural joint pain relief for dogs. Its component capsaicin serve as a natural pain killer for dogs with stiff arthritic joints. When applied topically, it blocks the painful sensation and improves circulation in the area. Thus the pain and swelling is reduced.

Finally, I would like to say that before you start using any of the natural pain relief options, you must consult your vet for proper diagnosis of the pain. Do not try any over the counter pain relief for dogs or any other treatments at home on your own without ascertaining the exact dog health problem. Acupuncture is a natural treatment for pain relief in dogs which has gained lots of popularity in recent times. However, it should be conducted under the supervision of vet only.