MORE ABOUT HERBS FOR DOGS (AND CATS)

I am amazed by some of the fruits and vegetables customers will tell me their dogs love like lettuce and watermelon. I can get a piece or two of al dente-cooked asparagus in my dogs (Rosie loved it) and broccoli, cooked carrots, a French fry or popcorn. “Mayhaps” I don’t experiment enough. I recently wrote an entire article on rosemary, bought a rosemary plant and a brand-new rosemary spice jar and have yet to use them. Now I am including other herbs and a few more comments on rosemary. Most of the information below would be helpful to humans as well.

CURLY-LEAF PARSLEY is a perennial herb that is both colorful and flavorful. (Do not give your dog the flat-leaf variety.) Parsley is used in many dog foods and dental treats. Besides freshening breath, the parsley has anti-microbial properties to fight germs and bacteria. It also has anti-inflammatory properties which help with arthritis and anti-acidic properties that help fight urinary tract infections. And you can make a poultice out of it for bee stings. Parsley is high in vitamin K, vitamin C, and iron.

PEPPERMINT is another herb that is helpful to dogs and humans. It helps with nausea and upset stomachs flatulence, and motion sickness. (Ginger can also help with upset stomachs.) It is important to rule out a medical issue if your pet is having stomach problems. As a full sun annual and a pollinator attractor, it is best to plant in a pot even in the garden as that will contain it’s tendency to spread. You can add dry leaves to your pet’s meal.

OREGANO is a full sun perennial and can be grown outside or in a pot. There are many available varieties that are safe but according to the ASPCA site, Greek oregano is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Oregano provides immune system support, it is rich in fiber, and as a tea, oregano can “soothe sore muscles and relieve upset stomachs.” Oregano inhibits the growth of fungal infections like candida and athlete’s foot.

Rosemary is a beautiful evergreen pollinator-attracting herb that adds delicious flavor to food. It prefers full sun but can handle some shade, and it is drought tolerant. Rosemary’s antimicrobial properties make it ideal to treat “minor cuts or burns, as well as for infections in the mouth, and urinary and digestive tracts.” To be used in small amounts. As a rinse it can help repel insects like fleas and ticks. Steep one tablespoon of Rosemary in a pint of boiling water for ten minutes. Have a cooled pint ready to pour over your dog after its bath.

There are more herbs that are safe for dogs like basil, thyme, sage, cilantro, dill (sm. Amts.), lavender (sm. Amts.) Cats can be given echinacea, goldenseal, basil, sage, cilantro, catnip (sm. Amts.) dandelion, parley (sm. Amts. only), thyme, dill (sm. Amts. Only), marijuana, and valerian.

Thank you to all who helped us win for the Best Pet Store of the Jersey Shore for 2022! And we are so pleased to have so many new customers who finally chose to visit our store on their way somewhere north or south on Route 9. Our mission has always been for the welfare, health, and therefore, the happiness of all pets. That is why we call ourselves “THE HAPPY PET PLACE.”