It’s National Tea Day!

Can dogs benefit from drinking tea?  Yes!  However, it needs to be herbal tea.  Do not give your dog caffeinated tea.  Caffeine may be toxic to dogs and cause the heart rate to rise causing anxiety and stress.  When you are looking for items in your pantry that will benefit your dog, look for herbal tea! (if it isn’t in your pantry yet, go stock up!) 

Herbal teas are rich in antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients.  We will list a few here that you can grab and start to use every day.

Before we get to the teas, let us discuss how to prepare them.  Hopefully, you have picked an organic tea.  We do not want deadly pesticides to knock out the benefit of our tea.  Damn you, Monsanto!!! 

Steep one bag of herbal tea in one cup of just boiled water for 5 minutes.  Allow the tea to cool at room temperature. 

Measurements:

Small dogs under 20lbs serve ¼ to ½ cup daily

Medium dogs (20lbs to 50lbs) serve ½ to 1 cup daily

Large dogs (50lbs to 80lbs) serve 1 to 2 cups daily

Extra-large dogs (over 80lbs) 2 to 3 cups daily

I would recommend starting slowly and not giving the full amount at the beginning.  You do not want to cause a digestive upset. 

Ginger Tea – I use this one each day, prior to mealtime, with my dog Wushi.  Wushi has acid reflux, and this settles the acid in his stomach.  If I do not give him this, he regurgitates his food.  This is a must for every dog household!

Ginger tea is excellent for anti-nausea and anti-vomiting.  It may also help with motion sickness (car rides?), stomach upsets and inflammation (i.e.. arthritis).  It has been reported that it may be useful in aiding the circulatory system and have cognitive benefits.

Chamomile Tea – You already know that this tea is an excellent choice for soothing and calming yourself.  It can do the same for your dog.  The herb is anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial.  It can be used topically to help soothe and heal itchy skin.  Let the tea cool before sponging on the skin.  I like to add to a spray bottle and spray it on the skin as needed.  Chamomile can also help calm an agitated and stressed dog.

Peppermint Tea – Another one you may be familiar with is Peppermint.  Peppermint has many uses.  As tea, it can freshen bad breath.  It may also slow the growth of bacteria in the mouth.  You can use it to soothe an upset stomach.

Dandelion Tea – This is one you may not be familiar with!  Oh, the benefits of Dandelion are vast!  Here we are spraying these amazing plants as weeds in our yards with weed killer, when you should be rejoicing in their beauty!  If you catch your dog eating these leaves or flowers in the yard, let them munch away! (If you use pesticide or herbicide in your yard then munching is a no-no) Dandelion flowers, greens and the roots have immense benefits to the body.  It is rich in vitamins and minerals.  It helps support the gallbladder and is known to help detox the liver.  Dandelion fiber helps support healthy blood sugar levels.  It can also encourage appetite and digestion. 

Calendula Tea – You most likely will not find this one on your supermarket shelf.  When I need this, I head to my local health food store and grab the loose-leaf calendula.  This tea can be used internally or externally.  I use it primarily as a topical for Meili’s itchy and inflamed skin.  When fed internally, Calendula can help inflammation, and can help reduce ulceration of the digestive tract.  It stimulates the immune system, aids the liver and will calm the nervous system.  Herbalists recommend its use for IBD (irritable bowel disease), colitis, and fungal and bacterial infections. 

More Calendula Rinse benefits:

  • Sooths toothaches
  • Conjunctivitis (use cool tea as rinse for the eye, relieves irritation and inflammation)
  • Rinsing wounds can help prevent infection
  • Add to your dogs drinking water to help aid digestion

To make a rinse, boil a quart of water and steep ½ cup of Calendula dried flowers.  Cover and allow to steep until it cools to room temperature.  After, strain the tea through a sieve to remove the leaves.

We use Calendula cream ointment in the shop for irritated skin, small nicks and sores we see on both the groomers and the pups.  It is completely safe for both dogs and people.    Calendula benefits are massive!

I urge you to use one or all of these teas to benefit yourself and your dog. Drop a comment and let me know how it has helped you. 

Woofs for reading!

  • Melissa & Meili