Discovering wild plants together with your dog is a great opportunity, because when you go for a walk you are still in nature. We invited canine nutrition expert and prey planner Christiane and her two mini Aussies Erna and Hedi for a guest article. In this article he shows you why herbal walks are so great and how you can use wild plants for dogs.
Forest paths with dark berries sprouting from the greenery on the sides. Flowery meadows that invite you to smell. Flowers and seeds you can find in your dog’s fur in late summer. Every day we are in nature with our dogs: this is the best opportunity to learn about local wild herbs. Whether it’s out of simple interest or with the goal of using some plants for your dog, it doesn’t matter. Herbal walks mean discovering nature together with your dog. Are you joining?
Medicinal herbs and dogs
Hi, my name is Christiane and I have been working as a dog nutritionist since 2019. Even before I discovered the topic of dog nutrition, I trained further in the field of medicinal herbs and their use for dogs. Always present at the herbal walks: the mini Australians Erna and Hedi.
The use of plants, whether herbs, tinctures, teas, buds, oil, hydrolate or the use of medicinal mushrooms is part of my daily life, but for me there is nothing better than discovering plants in their habitat every day with Erna and Hedi and being inspired. Today I would like to show 2 of my favorite plants and their simple and hassle-free use for dogs. Both plants can be found for many months of the year.
Blackberries like berries and leaves
You can find blackberries anywhere from July through late summer. Berries are rich in antioxidants and therefore protect cells. They contain many more health-promoting plant substances than cultivated blackberries, especially vitamins C and E. They also have a slight antibiotic effect and support intestinal health. Many dogs snack on ripe berries straight from the bush. Of course, you can also pick them yourself, blend them and add approx. 1 tablespoon per 10 kg of dog weight in the bowl every day – often and for a longer period of time. I fill the berry puree into ice cube trays and freeze them: this way they are easy to portion and have a long shelf life.
The tannins they contain make blackberry leaves suitable for mild diarrhea, both fresh and dried (drying in the sun, in a dehydrator or at low temperature in the oven). In acute cases, add ½ teaspoon of ground blackberry leaves to the bowl for every 10 kg of dog weight, in the morning and in the evening. Alternatively: infuse 5 fresh leaves with 1 cup of boiling water, leave to infuse for 10 minutes and administer 2 tablespoons of tea per 10 kg of dog weight 2-3 times a day. You can’t overdose on blackberries or their leaves, so don’t worry. When you go for a herbal walk, stock up on something. Are you afraid of it? Fuchsbandwurm? Then simply harvest from the top of the bush.
Nettle as seeds and leaves
Al Nettle I often wonder: How can so many nutrients and plant substances hide in such small balls (seeds) and rather boring green leaves? Sure, the prickly hairs are a little annoying, but it’s worth it. You probably encounter the plant every day. Thanks to its omnipresence it is perfect for the herbal walk. THE Nettle seeds they are true miracles when it comes to kidney disease: they can improve kidney values and protect kidney tissue. Since kidney diseases unfortunately always have a chronic course, they should be constantly supplemented with food. They are also an ideal “everyday herb” for older dogs to preventatively protect the kidneys and strengthen them overall. In both cases the seeds should end up in the bowl permanently and daily: 2-3 g per 10 kg of dog weight. To make the seed ingredients even more available to your dog, I recommend crushing them, grinding them (for example with a coffee grinder) or “shredding” them with an immersion blender.
Nettle leaves have an anti-inflammatory effect and help the dog clean the urinary tract and eliminate metabolic products more quickly, which are present in larger quantities, for example after the administration of antibiotics, during moulting or in general during inflammation. Furthermore, the very high density of minerals can improve skin health. Here the leaves should be used as a cure for at least 6 weeks, preferably as a herbal tea: pour approx. 0.25 g of dried leaves per 10 kg of dog weight with 1 cup of boiling water and add 40 ml to the food twice a day – the leaves can be fed. Brew the tea again every other day
It’s really worth stocking up on seeds and leaves. You can also use both for your healthy dog: the seeds permanently and the leaves 1-2 times a year as a treat (the time of shedding is good for this). Drying is very simple: cut off the upper third of the plant, place it in a basket and leave it in a warm place (living room or outdoors in summer). When the plant dries, the seeds fall off on their own and the leaves are quickly detached. I would always store dry items in paper bags.
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