Anne S-K (Innisfil, Canada) on 11/29/2008
Our senior cat Pepper who is about 15 years old developed problems over a year ago, which started with listlessness, loss of appetite/drinking and vomiting. We took her to a Vet and was informed that she was not drinking enough and needed to be rehydrated, so she was kept overnight at the clinic for tests and was rehydrated by IV. The Vet later informed us that because of her age her kidneys were failing and tests showed they were in poor shape, he also said she would need to be on medication and a low protein diet which could only be purchased at the clinic.
After the awful ordeal of having to pop a pill down her throat every day, she showed no improvement and her symtoms actually got worse and she was deteriorating faster and was looking like a bone rack. I tried every kind of food to try to tempt her to eat but she would only eat about a teaspoon of food. It was very upsetting to see her so ill and thin so I returned to the Vet who told me that the kindest thing I could do was to put her to sleep. :( My family and I decided not to go that route and brought her back home.
After extensive researching on the net I found that others pets had gotten worse from this medication so I stopped giving it to her.
I also learned online that dandelion leaves were great for flushing the kidneys and body of toxins, so I started giving her a fresh one from the garden and chopping and mixing some through her soft food.
With the help of organic baby food and a fresh dandelion leaf daily, she slowly regained her appetite and stopped vomiting and was drinking lots of water.
A year later she has now fully regained her weight and is eating her regular crunchies and soft food and has a healthy appetite. The only thing now is she drinks huge amounts of water which I was told was the bodies way of flushing toxins out of the system which is due to her age and failing kidneys.
Two weeks ago she got a bladder infection and was straining to uninate but was only passing small drops, so I reseached the net and found EARTH CLINIC, after one day of giving her organic apple cider vinegar in her soft food and drinking bowl she started to unrinate and has been fine since.
"Another one of mother earths natural remedies"
We are now keeping Pepper on the apple cider vinegar perminately and our new kitten also.
Quess what? she is now also starting to drink normal amounts of water. :D
Thank you again for this wonderful site.
I hope my feedback also helps others.
P.S In winter I add dried dandelion root to Peppers soft food which I purchase in my health food store.
We add 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to her soft food and 1/2 a teaspoon to two cups of her drinking water every day.
fresh dandelion half of one small leaf from my garden chopped up fine and added to soft food three times a week, in winter 1/2 a capsule of dried dandelion root.
If you can't get your cat to eat the fresh leaf, try putting about 5 drops of dandelion liquid tinture in a full bowl of drinking water.
IMPORTANT!!!!
Don't ever administer full strenth cider vinegar or dandelion root directly into your pets mouth.
This would choke them.
Replied By Lisa (Charlotte, NC) on 04/27/2009
Replied By Adelynn (Singapore) on 09/23/2010
Thank you
Adelynn
Replied By Adelynn (Singapore) on 09/23/2010
Thank you
Replied By Prishen (Durban, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa) on 11/24/2011
I'm from South Africa. My dog had a blood transfusion on Monday 21st November 2011. The vet says she is very pale & perhaps she is anemic & can't produce much red blood cells. This could be a cause from tick bite fever as well. She lost weight, gums became whitish yellow & she also lost her appetite, her belly staryed to swell as well.
Due to her being old, 11 years old the vet say her kidneys are failing & heart is under so much strain.
Can dandelion resolve any of the above? What can help produce or increase red blood cells, what can reduce the high ammonia levels for liver damage?
SOS, please help & please provide your contact numbers and country so I can call you, this can help us all.
Regards, Prishen
27325358081 (H)
27828533730 (M)
South Africa, Durban
Replied By Sunny (Asheville, Nc, Usa) on 07/14/2012
I have a terrific kitty, now 18. He is basically in good health for his age with only a few mouth/tooth problems expected with age. My fears of an official teeth cleaning with anesthesia was understood by my great vet who's manually scraped off chunks of tarter at office visits. "Meaty" was however throwing up every morning with his first meal and sometimes even without food, gagging up stomach fluids which had settled over night. (He ate normally afterwards. ) He has shown signs of kidney weakness. (throwing up, urinating outside the box, thirst, etc.)
Having used herbs myself for years, I began adding aprox. 1-2oz of an herbal tea infusion I drink daily with nettles, dandelion leaves, nettles, oatstraw, red clover and a couple of tea bags of raspberry-green tea to his water bowl. (aprox 1 cup). All are gentle herbs which cleanse and strengthen and the diluted taste isn't an issue at all. Nettles are amazing. (Read about them) Oats settle the stomach. Red Clover has been even known to help and cure cancers.
I can also attest to slippery elm which saved a very small sweet cat I had who had an anal prolapse at age 15. She had survived the dramatic surgery but a hernia prevented bowel movements. She was given very costly enemas at the vet for several months. At first the vet used a soapy water but another hollistic vet suggested slippery elm to be used with the water which would not only empty the bowels but heal the intestines. She was then known as the "miracle cat" at the hospital as she began pooping on her own with ease and lived another 2 years comfortably. (bone cancer got her) I have also given tiny amounts to her, and now Meaty with catfood occasionally. (1/8-1/4 teas.)
Replied By Anne (Tucson, Az) on 12/09/2014