While Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar's healthy properties are
well known for use in humans, it's also good for your pets, especially
dogs!
The following is excerpted from an article by Dr. Alicia
McWatters, Ph.D., C.N.C.:
"Many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and
substances are available in Bragg ACV to improve the health of your dog. Bragg
ACV can provide them with enzymes and important minerals, such as potassium,
calcium, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, phosphorus, iron, silicon and other trace
minerals. The vitamins contained in Bragg ACV are bioflavonoids (vitamin P),
beta-carotene (precursor to vitamin A), vitamin C, E, B1, B2, and B6. Tannins
from the crushed cell walls of fresh apples as well as malic acid, tartaric
acid, propionic acid, acetic acid and pectin (fiber) are also contained in
Bragg ACV. Be sure to purchase organic unfiltered, unpasteurized, naturally
fermented ACV for its medicinal features. Bragg ACV ranges in color from a
light golden to orange. You’ll know you’ve found the right stuff if you see
sediment, referred to as the "mother of vinegar" on the bottom of the
bottle. Do NOT buy white distilled vinegar, as it has none of the beneficial
elements listed above.
I began using Bragg ACV as a supplement for my dogs in 1994.
Some holistic health practitioners recommend that Bragg ACV be placed in a
dog’s drinking water. I recommend placing it in fresh food because I believe
that a dog’s drinking water should be free of additives, with the exception of
an electrolyte solution or a medicinal product that is used on a short-term
basis. The dosage I use is 1 tsp. for small dogs and 1 tbs. for medium-large
dogs. It can also be given orally diluted in water under the guidance of a vet
or holistic health practitioner.
Bragg ACV can be useful to your dog’s health in conjunction
with feeding it a wide variety of foods, but should never be looked upon as a
panacea. Fresh food ingredients, such as raw meat and bones, fruits,
vegetables, grains and dairy products make up the wholeness that will
effectively help your dog to achieve optimum health.
Often times one looks for the magic ingredient that will
miraculously make their dog well. Whether it is an antibiotic, grapefruit seed
extract, Aloe vera or milk thistle... there will always be a single popular or
trendy supplement of the moment and this supplement will be promoted as the
great healing agent. But, if we focus on the part rather than the whole we are
not taking a holistic approach to our dog’s health."
MORE INFO ON DOGS AND APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Excerpt from the "About Frugal Living" website:
Vinegar for Pets and Animals, Part Two
From Pat Veretto, Your Guide to Frugal Living.
Fleas, fish and tear stains
We add apple cider vinegar to our goats water all year
around. It seems to repel flies in the summer and causes the water not to
freeze as fast in the winter. We only add about an eigth of a cup to each 5
gallon bucket. Some people told us that this would give the milk an
"off" flavor, but we have yet to find that. Maybe it would if we were
giving them white vinegar. Anyhow, the bonus is that our goats LOVE it!
For reducing swelling on a horse (or any animal), wrap the
leg in a rag soaked in apple cider vinegar. Wrap in plastic and then bandage to
hold it in place - leave on for 4 or more hours.
I got a new puppy just covered in fleas. The store bought
flea killers were for older puppies. We used apple vinegar to dip him in and
rinsed him off with water. It did the trick.
I had a completely white bulldog with black spotted skin. He
had dark tear stains running from his tear duct area down. I tried a few of the
tear bleaching products sold for dogs but none worked (besides being
expensive). I also tried some suggested home remedies (e.g. hydrogen peroxide,
etc.) and those were not effective either. A vet told me the tear stains were
caused by the acidity in the dogs system and if I neutralized his system, the
stains would go away.
His suggestion was to put vinegar in the dogs drinking
water! He suggested putting just a "tiny" bit of vinegar in the
drinking water for a few days (I interpreted that as about 1/4 of a vinegar
bottles cap full) and then increase the amount of vinegar added until I was
adding about a teaspoon to the drinking water each day (I would estimate his
drinking water bowl to contain about 5 cups of water.) Each time I changed or
added water to his bowl, I also added the vinegar. Within a few weeks, the tear
stains were gone for good!
Years ago, I put vinegar in my two dogs drinking water. I
had never seen a flea. Start with only a little, so they will get used to the
taste. I am now doing it to my Siamese cats. No fleas. Put a tablespoon of
vinegar in your dog's drinking water every day and you will no longer have
those brown spots in your lawn from the dog's urine.
For flies, you can mix 1/3 Vinegar (any type but Bragg Apple
Cider smells better), 1/3 water, and 1/3 Pine Sol (and scent but I like
Orange). Mix in a spray bottle and it makes the greatest fly spray for horses
(and other animals -- dogs, goats, etc.) as well as barn spray to keep flies
down. I live in Texas where the flies are monsters and this REALLY truly
works!!! The three vets I have talked about it with said it was 100% safe and
the Pine Sol contains less powerful and harmful chemicals than actual fly
spray! The 1,000's of horse owners that have used it (I got the recipe off a
very popular horse website) have used it with no ill effects what so ever for
years now. This will save you a ton of money and less yucky chemicals!
