Apple Cider Vinegar for Dogs

Apple Cider Vinegar for dog's eye infection

I noticed my 2 yo Labrador had some gunk in the corner of one eye 2 days ago. It looked like the normal eye-boogies he gets so I ignored it until later that day when it was clear he had an eye infection, as I could see drak green/grey gunk inside the eye itself. It was a Saturday morning so I called the vet to make an appt for later that day. I really didn't want to fork out $130-odd bucks (by the time you factor in the weekend consult plus anti-biotic prescription and then the follow-up visit), so I started searching for home remedies. I've used this site before for some opinions on extra virgin coconut oil (which I now use solely as my beauty routine and for any cuts/abrasions/infections) as well as Apple Cider Vinegar (which I use for digestive balancing).

I saw all the posts about dabbing ACV on the back of a pet's neck and thought, well if this many people swear by it I'll give it a try. I tried this as well as a weak solution (just enough to colour the water) to flush my dog's eye. After I washed the eye out I applied EVCO on a cotton ball to soothe the skin and hopefully help with the infection. I did this several times over the course of the day and it seemed to improve so I cancelled my vet appt, thinking at worst I could take him on the Monday. I thought the EVCO was doing the job so I continued with this as I figured it was also more comfortable for my dog. His eye got worse again in the afternoon and was quite yucky by evening. By this time it was too late for a vet visit and I felt like a terrible "mum"!

I tried the ACV on the back of the neck again, and this time I used at least a quarter of a cup undiluted, as he has SUPER thick hair and I really had to work it in to reach the skin. Most of it rubbed off or stayed in the outer coat I think. Anyway, enough must have got in this time because he started really quickly improving, so I did one more dose before bed. This morning I very tentatively checked on him thinking it would either be much better or totally disgusting. Luckily, it was much better and today after a couple of the same treatments it's looking really good. Still some eye-boogie but the reddening inside lower eyelid has really improved. I still used some EVCO for soothing the eye area, he seemed to like that.

So he stinks like high heaven and the house smells like "rotten feet" as my boyfriend tells me, but he's just as impressed as I am and I can't believe this actually WORKED. I don't know HOW this could work but the main thing is it does so without risk of harm. As any lab owner would know, they traditionally have pretty sensitive skin, but this doesn't appear to bother him. It saved us a wad of cash and it cleared his infection quicker than anti-biotics would have. I think he knows it's working too because he willingly leans his neck toward me when I put it on now. Cute little fella! :-)

in regard to treating a dog's itchy skin with vinegar you DO NOT EVER want to use human shampoo on a dog, it is far to harsh and will mess up their skins PH. if you are trying to treat this problem with the vinegar, you do not want to do the opposite with the wrong shampoo, use an all natural sensitive skin hypo allergenic shampoo, for puppies (even on adult dogs) and they should not be bathed more than once a month because their skin is too thin and sensitive completely unlike a persons. the vinegar can be added to a cool bath if they have to be washed more often and just use less shampoo and no more than twice a month. i am a certified Groomer with a cat and dog of my own.

I feel for you. You must be so scared and sad for your pet. A raw dog food diet will save your dog. It saved my Lab who had such bad allergies she lost her hair. Many people have similar stories of curing most ailments with raw food diet. It ended up being the pond in our yard. Standing water is a horrible culprit.

She is very healthy now. A dog smells and has allergies because of its diet. It's the fillers in the food. I also am convince the meds the vet gives your pet weaken it further. See holistic vets only. I'm convinced many vets get kickbacks for the food and meds they sell. It has been my experience anyway.

Raw food is only a bit more expensive but it costs way less when you include the vet bills

You can always make it yourself too. She still gets itchy paws when she plays in standing water in the warm weather but I spray with acv and it's gone. Her immune system is very healthy now and doesn't suffer. AVC is amazing as indicated above and pests won't be a problem because they can't thrive in an acidic environment.

My large 105 lb. rhodesian could not urinate or very little. Vet said it was his prostate. Suggested neutering however he is on prednisone every other day so surgery was delicate. Did tests and results were good for surgery. I researched this site and tried the ACV and honey (2tbls. each) 2X a day and wow, he was urinating within 5 hours. Continued this for months and then changed to 1 tbls 1X a day. He is still doing fine and no surgery.

Thanks...what a find. He probably had stones even though vet tested and found none.

Relative to Rachael's (from Collingswood, NJ 3/16/09) email about her remedy, is the celtic sea salt in water a part of the remedy for arthritis, in addition to the 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar? If so, what are the proportions of sea salt to water and I wonder if dogs have a problem drinking it?

Thanks!

I have a 3 year old cocker spaniel. I just found this site a few days ago and love it. He is always having ear infections. I read the part about putting the ACV drops in his ears. my question is: do you have to dilute the ACV with equal parts of water or do you just put the drops in with out diluting them. any help would be a big help. he cuttently has an ear infection now and would like to try this to see if it will help. I have also tried putting the ACV in his food and water, but when I put it in his water he doesn't drink it and the same for his food, he doesn't eat it. I read where another person had the same problem and they just squirted it in their dogs mouth, but they did not say wheater they diluted it or did it straight. that is my question. When you put it in the mouth do you have to dilute it or not. please help.

Sandy, I think the one part ACV could be one tablespoon (for example) and the two parts water would be two tablespoons; or 1/4 cup ACV and 1/2 cup of water. However much ACV you use, add twice the amount of water.....1/2 cup ACV to one cup water, etc. Or, think of it this way: if you have a total of one cup of liquid and divide it into thirds, you'd have 1/3 ACV and 2/3 water. Hope that makes sense - ACV is a wonderful thing!

WARNING!

Possible bad reaction to ACV

I gave my bichon who had pups about a week and half ago ACV in her water. I noticed she started having accidents in the house which she has never done. She also started vomiting. One of her pups the smallest his tongue swelled and before we could get him to a vet he passed away. I truly believe he and she had a bad reaction to the ACV. I only put a few drops in her water. I am so devasted by the loss of this puppy. I wish I could of done something for him. I live with regret because I wonder if he suffered or was in pain. Anyway I would not recommmend giving the mommy any ACV while she is nursing.

I gave the mommy ACV because I read it would help.

BIG MISTAKE.

What are the exact measurements? I know this will sound ridiculous to most of you, but I keep seeing the mixture to be 1 part ACV, 2 parts Water. My question is, what are the exact measurements of each solution?

This ACV remedy for arthritis is amazing. Yesterday my dog could barely get up and down. I was really starting to worry. (he's currently in natural healing and the arthritis began during this period). I didn't want him in so much pain but didn't want to thwart his healing process with drugs. I tried two of the suggestions on this page...Apple Cider Vinegar (2 tablespoons of ACV with food); and pure celtic sea salt in his water.

After his first dosage last night, he woke up a new dog today. Seriously, I'm amazed. Thank you sooo much.

Rachael Meehan

Thanks to all of you for the Apple Cider Vinegar treatment ideas. My 9 year old Lab has been in such pain and now he is so much better. Thank yall for taking the time to share.

Our Itallin Mastiff has allergies & constant ear infections. After trying antibiotics and drops for a month the yeast infections come back. Our Vet said to use 2 parts apple cider vinegar to equal parts water & 1 part 99% rubbing alcohol. (NOT 70% you get in the drug store) He said the 90-99% doesn't burn. Then to flush out his ears 2-3 times a week for the 1st week then cut back to 1 time per week. I went further to add healing herb extracts & have been rinsing him with the ACV mix for his allergies for a year now. I also make him all-natural soap. His coat has come back and we are down to 2 ear infections this last year instead of every month. I am going to have all-natural herbal dog soap, ear wash & more for sale next month. somethintohowlabout.com

Not all vets are so nice, or that ethical. I took my cat to the vet multiple times for tapeworms. They were just so hard to get rid of. She had four paste wormers, and one shot. After about 6 months of this she peed this horrid red stuff. I took her to the closed vet, not my normal one, and it turned out she had a tumor in her bladder, kidney failure, and liver failure. The red stuff was Liver juice. I ended up having to put her down because too many organs had gone too far. All because one vet was an idiot and never checked her organs for damage, and just had be keep coming in and getting her wormed. I know she had worms the first time, because I saw them in her litter box. The other times I went were for dehydration. I wish my vet had been like yours, then I would still have my best friend with me.

I don't understand why a lot of people are against taking their animals to the vet. People, Vets have the education and experience to treat our beloved pets. Why would you want to take advice of every Tom, Dick and Harry out there. Are you just too cheap to get a true and accurate diagnosis. There is no way I would ever take advise from somebody other than our Vet. Our vet is very honest and actually doesn't charge that much. I had a cat who ended up getting really sick and he had to stay at our vet for over a week and our vet did not charge us one penny. He just wanted to make sure if our beloved friend needed any extra treatment that he would be there to get that help A.S.A.P.

I have to share this with all of your readers. I have a yellow lab who developed "black skin" on her belly with itching and consequently sores that became inflamed and infected, and she started to lose her hair! I first started giving her vitamin E pills and rubbed her belly with Apple Cider Vinegar daily. The AVC soothed the itching. I continued doing both and then added 50 mg of zinc to her diet everyday. Within one month there was noticeable improvement, and her hair was growing back! No doctors, no medications, just simple effective home remedies that work. Today, 4 mos later, everything is gone, and she has a beautiful coat of hair! I credit using AVC 1-2X daily, and the zinc tablet!

Good luck to all... it's devastating when this happens to your beloved pet. I am a firm believer in ALL NATURAL products, with vets as a LAST resort.

To Isabella of Melbourne, I can't give you the name of a particular supplier as I don't buy it in bulk, but I do know that horse owners buy acv in bulk. So check out horse feed stores and if you can't find any, ring your vet and ask where you would be able to get horse feed in your area.

Hi Isabella, I buy ACV direct from the Apple Orchard in Bacchus Marsh. It's very inexpensive (less than $2 per litre) and you need to take your own containers for them to fill. Cheers, Sue.

Corn is often an allergen. Our dog was smelling badly when he ate pet store-bought foods. We switched to a food called Flint River Ranch (which has no additives or corn) and now he is smelling less and has a shinier coat.

Hi Roop from Singapore, I did an allergy test on my dog. I found out she is allergic to beef, duck, lamb, soy & yeast. Environmental allergies black ant, fleas, roaches, dust mite, mosquitoes and house fly. Monitor your dog food; we now go to a special store to purchase dog food without these product inside. It cost a lot more but her fur is growing back. The food allergy test helped a lot.

I have used the NZYMES on my black lab and they do work. My Lab was on too many anti-biotics and it distroyed her immune system. Now she has chronic yeast problems. The NZYMES did help clear her up. I still give her the treats but not as regularly as I should. Also, it helped to put her on a raw food diet. That was hard to keep up so I feed her Eagle Pack Holistic Formula and throw in some raw meat sometimes.

To Roop: My dog has the same problem with a yeast dermatitis. We don't want to give her chemicals that will further tax her system but so far nothing has worked - - acupuncture, raw diet, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar (stung!), homeopathy and even Chinese herbal medicine. We were told that our family stress might make her worse so we've been trying as much as possible to be more relaxed human beings! We are now trying a system (it's a kit) from the NZYMES company. Many pets have recovered on this program that consists of sodium chlorite added to food and water (and applied topically to skin), plus a tincture of black walnut and olive leaf (yeast killers) added to food, and some antioxidant treats the dog loves. In a few weeks (all is done gradually so the dog's system is not overloaded) we will start with their probiotics and digestive enzymes. A high quality food must be given dogs with a yeast problem, along with regular baths in a medicated (but gentle) shampoo. Lots of play and love are also recommended, in order to keep up the dog's spirits. Patience is needed because a yeast problem can take up to a year to clear, but we have high hopes and will have to keep her on this program (but at a lower dosage) for the rest of her life. But it's natural, safe, and good for her - it's even good for humans. I suggest you go to their website (NZYMES.COM) and order their kit - you have nothing to lose. That's what we thought! On that website they also have a fabric (soft) collar so the dog can't bite her lesions and you don't have to be constantly saying "no, don't do that!". Tell your dog everyday that you love her and that you know she's getting better! They are so connected to us and to our feelings with their 6th sense that it's important for us to let them know we're doing our best to make them better and that we won't abandon them! And don't EVER get angry! It's not the dog's fault. So please take care and I hope this has helped....LISA

13 year old standard poodle is falling over from arthritis. Also has bad ears. Has gone from 70 to 50 lbs. I don't want to lose him. Please help.

My dog has a bladder infection took him to the vet gave him medication. He ran out and seems to still have it. Would like to try the ACV. He is also one Potassium Bromide 575 mg. for his seizures. Would this have a side affect on him?? Please help

Hi, Can anyone please tell me where in Melbourne, Australia I can buy organic apple cider vinegar in bulk sizes, ie. at least 15 litres? I'm planning to use it regularly on my six-year-old black Lab, "Star" who has severe Atopic Dermatitis. Also, not many people here seem to have mentioned whether they use organic or standard apple cider vinegar...I'd be interested to know which works best.

In Love, Peace, and Harmony,
Isabella (and Star)

I found this website last night while searching for home remedies for my dog's UTI. I thought why not lets give it a shot. With the horrible economy I can't afford a $200 dollar vet bill. I started using the ACV last night. I gave my 65 pound 5 year old boxer 1.5 tablespoons mixed in with some plain yogurt. When she went out for her morning potty break she urinated only one time. It was normal in color with no blood. Just the night before she was going every 5 minutes or so and nothing was coming out and when urine did come out it was bloody. I have continued to give her the ACV today and plan to keep her on it for about a week. Boy was this one of the most effective home remedies I have ever found.

Im amazed! I found your website due to my border collie has... hotspots, yeast in ears and runny eyes.. I thought it was just me... Im glad to know im not the only one. I gave a bath, sprayed on the ACV and boom she is lying next to me finally no licking and biting. I'd say if your not a beliver try it!

I have used apple cider vinegar for several purposes for my dogs. I give it to them the way I drink it, in warm water with honey. This way the ph is balanced also. You can also try to give it to your dog in yogurt.

My dog gets ACV every day but sometimes she won't drink it in her water. She is picky. Soo... I just take a little piece of candy cane that she loves, let her sniff it and then let her watch me drop in the bowl of ACV and water. She trys to get around it but eventually to get the candy she laps up all the water. Just like a kid sometimes bribery works.

Day 1 of ACV & I like what I see. Please read the below.

My 8 yr old Springer Spaniel had a bladder infection about 6 months ago, it was soon after she'd come out of heat, it gave her the typical discomfort, whimpering, peeing indoors, multiple dry pees outdoors etc... I took her to the vet who did the standard test & diagnosis exam, antibiotics and out the door for $275, a few days later Kayla was on the mend.

Well here we are today, yesterday actually & Kaylas been out of heat for a week now when she suddenly developes the same symptoms, as it was Saturday all I could do was sympathise w/her & made sure to walk her often. Poor girl she was panting, whimpering, pacing & me knowing the vet was at least two days away. Late last night I came to this site & saw this Apple Cider Vinegar remedy forum and figured what the heck it couldn't hurt....... I got some fresh ACV at the general store this morning and gave her 1.5 Tbsp. mixed w/her kibble. One hour later she's sleeping comfortably for a change, no whining, no visible discomfort, in fact she's obviously feeling just fine 'n dandy all afternoon. I give her another 1.5 Tbsp with tonights supper feeding, still she's feeling well & really appearing to be back to her old self. I'm retired & I'm with my dogs 24/7 mostly so I'll be careful to watch Kayla & to try to be impartial in my continued assessment of ACV treatments for UTI or bladder infections. I'll update this every day or so with a few quick comments, sorry this was so long winded but it seemed only proper to give Kaylas known history.

Try virgin or extra virgin coconut oil topically and give internally also. Do NOT give the processed coconut oil-only virgin or extra virgin. My dog had serious scabs and skin infections all over his belly 2 years ago. I tried everything but nothing worked consistently until evco. I rubbed it on the spots and started giving him 1 teaspoon a day internally working up to 1 tablespoon a day. His skin got better within a couple of days and continued to improve until the infections went away-about 5 days. I believe evco also has other positive properties.

To Roop from Singapore: Hi Roop, MMS is safe for pets also at dosage of 2 drops per 25 lbs, but you might first try a saturated solution of baking soda applied 3 or times per day. I would probably start out with 4 ounces of water for this solution until you decide whether it is working against infection. To make saturated solution of anything just dissolve baking soda or whatever you think will be useful in water until no more will dissolve.

To Roop from Singapore, Have you tried giving him Probiotics? The antibiotics he was given destroyed the good bacteria and you will need to replace it by giving probiotics for quite a long time (I don't know the dosage). You can also feed him yogurt, maybe even apply yogurt or a probiotic cream topically. Good Luck.

HELP PLEASE!!!

My dog has got chronic yeast infection under his neck, underarms, inside the thighs.... have taken him to vet so many times...each time the medication is stopped it hits back again....

i m giving him ACV but its not helping.. also in his drinking water i m adding sea salt n baking soda.. after his bath i gave him a rinse with baking soda....i add flaxseed oil to his food as recommended by vet...but that also has limited use

pls pls pls help me ... i donot want to loose my dog... i m in singapore... have spend so much money ...any remedy or dog food... all the dog food have yeast in it.... which one should i give or any home food which can cure my baby.... pls TED if u reading this help me out... thanks in advance

roop

Hi there, I don't know if you have Save-a-Lot groceries in Texas or not, but here I can get a gallon of ACV for about $2. At Kroger's it's about the same for a quart of ACV.

ACV for pets... I have read that it's used for an after bath treatment and in their drinking water. What type/brand of ACV do you use to treat pets for fleas? Wasn't sure if I needed to purchase from health food store or regular grocer. What is the ratio to add to pet's drinking water? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

what did you put the apple cider vinegar in, their food or water??

My german shepard is very slow lately and acts like arthritis is just killing her. I have read quite a bit of remedies on your site and i love it and i cannot wait to see if it will work for us. The only problem is, I cannot get Princess, my german shepard, to drink the apple cider vinegar in her drinking water or any other way. I was wondering if you all would have any suggestions on how to get her drink the vinegar and also, how much do i need to give her. Would it be better to put the ACV in a syringe and just put it in the back of her mouth? And if so, how much do i put in the syringe?

Hi, Hope your doggie is better. I would put the apple cider vinegar in her drinking water. Start with a teaspoon of ACV to the pint of drinking water, and as she gets used to drinking that increase a little every day or two until you get to about a tablespoon per quart of water. According to Dr. Jarvis and his home remedies that work, it also helps arthritis.

I have an 11 year old Lab/retriever mix. She is suffering from constantly itching, hot spots and has raw spots on her skin from knawing all the time. You mentioned about a "raw" diet - I want to know what that is. She is also suffering big time with arthritis. With the ACV - how much do you give - do you feed it to them - mix it in the food. She is also getting very finicky about eating. Any help I would appreciate it as I am on a very strict budget and can't afford vet bills. ACV seems to be a "cure" all. Thanks.

The ACV won't hurt your little doggie, but it might heal faster if you make a saturated solution of Epsom salts in apple cider vinegar. To make saturated solution start wotj 4 ounces and add Epsom salts by the 1/2 teaspoonful until no more will dissolve in the ACV. This will not hurt your doggie and the only unwanted side effect you are likely to get is a little diarrhea if he licks too much of the Epsom salts. I used the same stuff on my daughter(about age 6) when she developed deep lesions that certainly resembled what I had seen on a dog (owner told me it was hot spots). The poor thing had them all over her body and I certainly didn't want my daughter to get that bad. She only had 4 or 5 at the back of her head about an inch above the hair line. I swabbed them out 4 times a day with this and it started improving the second day of use and was healed over in a few days.

my two year old wire fox terrier mix has a hot spot and i have been using acv diluted and witch hazel and wonder if he licks it will he get sick? the hot spot is on his right front paw. thank you all , just found this site and love, been telling everyone about it (and iam a la county paramedic)

Re: ACV for allergies: I gave organic ACV to my dog, and she threw up about 5 minutes later. I only gave her a capful, but she still threw up. It was very white bubbly throw up.

My parent's dog had horrible kidney stones and a urinary tract infection. He could not hold his urine sometimes and other times he could not release it. He was in a lot of pain. The vet reccomended surgery. My mom was reluctant because she believes in natural cures and the fact that there is a 40% chance of it repeating in a year. She put him on a special diet and it didn't work. After two days of putting him on the Apple Cider Vinegar, he appears to be cured! They put a little in his drinking water and a few drops in his food. It worked like a wonder drug! He is happy and energetic again and is no longer having accidents or in pain. He is back to his old self. Highly Recomended!