Ashwagandha is an effective herb used by humans to get rid of stress and promote longevity. Owing to awareness of its many medicinal benefits, it is also largely used for pets. Can I use this herb for my dog? How beneficial is ashwagandha for dogs?
Yes, you can administer it to your dog as it offers many health benefits. However, like every herb, Ashwagandha could also cause some side effects to dogs. So, it is wise if you carefully select the right dosage of this herb for your pet dog.
Don’t worry if you don’t have any clue about it. Well, I have shared plentiful information about using Ashwagandha to keep dogs healthy. All the details shared here are based on my personal experience with my lovely dog, “Bruno.”
In 2022, he fell ill severely and encountered many health issues. After I visited my vet for my dog’s checkup, he prescribed me a suitable Ashwagandha dosage for him.
Within a few months of regularly feeding him this herb, I noticed a great level of improvement in my dog’s health. So, without further delay, let’s begin!
Is Ashwagandha Safe for Dogs?
Yes, definitely! Ashwagandha isn’t just safe for dogs but it offers multiple health benefits for them. See, every dog goes through certain health issues over time. And it becomes necessary for dog owners to feed their pet dogs with some medicinal herbs to boost their health.
Likewise, for humans, Ashwagandha has proven to be useful for improving dogs’ health. Not only does it help them relax against stress & anxiety but it also offers them prevention against certain other dog diseases. What are they? Well, read below to know!
Ashwagandha Benefits for Dogs
Ashwagandha, also known as Withania Somnifera, is an adaptogenic herb that offers many health advantages for humans. Why? It has active principles with hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties that cure the body overall.
Over time, studies have proven that it helps even animals get rid of stress and anxiety due to fear and separation. Regularly feeding dogs with this Ayurvedic herb helps them maintain their emotional and physical health.
You would be surprised to know the multiple benefits of using Ashwagandha powder for dogs. Here is the list of such benefits:
- Boosts Immune System – One of the ways Ashwagandha benefits dogs is by improving the immune system. As a result, it helps cure many health issues like anaemia, bowel diseases, diarrhoea, infections, etc.
- Reduces Inflammation – The herb has anti-inflammation properties which remove inflammation from a dog’s body. Moreover, it also serves as a diuretic, antibacterial and antifungal medicine.
- Prevents Tumors & Improves Body Tissues Quality – Thanks to its anti-tumorigenic properties, Ashwagandha helps prevent the development of tumors. Besides, its medicinal usage allows it to boost the quality of bodily tissues in dogs.
- Prevents Stress and Anxiety – Research has proven that the adaptogenic effects of Ashwagandha help avoid stress and separation anxiety in dogs. It does so by reducing the cortisol hormones in dogs.
- Relieves Aches and Pains – Health experts’ studies have confirmed the relaxing effects of herbal medicine in dogs suffering from aches and pains. Regular use of this herb for dogs helps offer physical comfort greatly. So, next time, when you consider giving Paracetamol to dogs for pain removal, consider offering Ashwagandha as a replacement.
- Improves Mood and Reduces Fear – Reduces fear & nervousness and improves mood to boost the emotional well-being of pet dogs. Also, it soothes hyperactivity, overstimulation and nervousness.
- Improves Metabolism and Digestion – Dogs dealing with poor metabolism and digestion can get relief from the regular consumption of the Ashwagandha herb.
- Supports Nervous System – The herb offers Neuroendocrine and adrenal support which is crucial for the proper functioning of the nervous system. Thus, it helps regulate and control the entire nervous system of a pet’s body by repairing it.
- Acts as Hematinic – Ashwagandha acts as a hematinic due to the presence of high levels of iron and many free amino acids in it.
- Thyroid Support – Owing to its immune-modulating effects, the herb helps offer thyroid support to dogs. However, it doesn’t directly treat hyperthyroidism in dogs.
Researchers have hinted that the regular use of Ashwagandha helps decrease many components in animal bodies. These components are glucose, triglycerides, creatinine, IL-6, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, cortisol and epinephrine.
As a result, it helps reduce stress and anxiety in dogs. Overall, its hemopoietic, adaptogenic, immune-stimulant, and antioxidant properties benefit dogs greatly by keeping their body healthy. After getting the regular Ashwagandha dosage, your dog could also get rid of loud snoring and seizures.
Side Effects
Though Ashwagandha is a low-risk herbal medicine, pet owners should take great care while using it for dogs. One precaution they must take care of choosing the Vet approved and dedicated Ashwagandha for dogs. It is different from what is available for humans.
Instead of deciding the Ashwagandha dosage for dogs, you should consult a vet for this purpose. Not only would it help you feed the right amount of herb to your pet but it will also help you prevent the side effects like Diahhorea, Vomiting and miscarriage (in pregnant dogs).
Dosage
Everything in excess is dangerous, right? Well, it also holds true when it comes to Ashwagandha dosage for dogs. Offering large amounts of dosage to pets could result in side effects as mentioned above. Therefore, it is best to consult a vet to decide on this subject.
Regarding the way to give this herb to dogs, you can choose to include it in your pet’s water or food. This way, you can easily help your pet dog consume it easily!
Conclusion
Finally, I could say that offering Ashwagandha could result in many health benefits for them. If your dog ate Ashwagandha, don’t worry! It is a completely safe herbal medicine.
However, still, you need to practice precaution by considering the right dosage for your pet dog. The best way for it is by visiting the vet to decide on it.
I hope you liked this post and get to know the useful benefits of this medicinal herb for dogs. I will bring another interesting post for your. Till them, stay tuned with Mentalhiking.com.