Pets, Illness and Remedies

First I wanted to update you guys on a little home remedy that worked for us. Tim was starting to feel the usual sinus drainage that he (we) always get this time of year. I searched around and found some home remedies that we just happened to have here in the house and he tried them. First of all we now take 2-3 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar a day so that helps fight off things. I read that if sinus head stuff starts, to start taking 1-2 tsp of ACV 3 times a day. The ACV actually thins the mucus and helps it drain much easier. Since it thins it, this also relieves any blockages. You can take this in the grape juice like we do or you can make an elixir: 

Sweetened Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Elixir:

• 1 1/2 cup of cold filtered water
• 2 tbs of apple or grape juice
• 2 tbs of raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of stevia (powdered) if using liquid you only need a few drops.

We prefer to just mix a little ACV with a few ounces of grape juice and get it over with (it tastes horrible), I haven't tried the elixir though. 

 

Then we started adding a little turmeric in our food as we cooked. Tim put it in his scrambled eggs. You can buy turmeric in the spice aisle and I will post soon just how great this spice is to have on hand. He also added sauteed onions and garlic to his eggs. Onions are really good for you and garlic is a natural anti inflammatory and anti fungal and it helps to boost your immune system. So when you feel a cold or sinus junk coming on start adding more garlic and turmeric to your meals. It will help. 

Another thing he did was take a tsp of local honey and mixed it with 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. He only took this once (so far) but it can be taken twice a day starting at the first symptom of a cold or sinus junk and taken for three days. 

 

We also drink a lot of herbal tea this time of year and Chamomile (my favorite) and Green tea are excellent for sinus junk. 

Here is a website (<<<click here) You can check out for more natural remedies to knock out sinus drainage. 

He was waking up the end of last week with a sore throat and could really feel the effects of the drainage. After doing all this for a few days, I asked him Monday morning how his sinuses felt and he paused and said.... they aren't bothering me at all now! It was a hallelujah moment for me. Natural remedies WORK! 

I know it may seem like a lot to do but 1) you don't have to spend a day in the dr office being exposed to a number of other illnesses 2) it's mostly stuff you can find in your pantry or a quick trip to Kroger. 3) If you are already used to taking the ACV and drinking the herbal teas daily (like we are) these things are just part of your daily routine and they help.  

OK enough about that, I promise I am not trying to shove all this natural remedy stuff down your throat. If you want to skip over it, that's fine :) I just think seeing how well it works for us, it should be shared with others. When hesitant... check with your dr. 

One of the kids dropped Lucy a month ago and she hurt her leg. It only bothered her every now and then so we knew it wasn't broken. We let her lay on the heating pad for a few days and she was back to new again. She LOVED laying on the heating pad and was spoiled by it. Now Baby A sneaks over and turns it on for her even though she doesn't need it. LOL 

Earlier this week temps here dropped down into the single digits. Even though Heidi has a THICK coat and a doghouse full of hay, I couldn't stand to leave her out in the frigid temps. She was our house guest for a few days while it was so cold. And she LOVED it. 

Henry had a spell where he was using the bathroom all over our garage. This made us very mad... cat urine smells horrible. He had never done such a thing before and we couldn't figure out why all of a sudden he started doing this. We tried a few things and finally realized that he was sick. Of course we figured this out late at night and when no vets were open. So I googled to see if there was anything we could do to help him. We had a pretty strong feeling he had a Urinary Tract Infection. Well I found a few sites that suggested giving them a small dose of vitamin C in their food. It got great comments on it working so I figured, we'd try it and if needed we would take him in as soon as a vet office opened. Well guess what it worked!! I was shocked. Within 12 hours we could see a big difference in his demeanor and within a few days he wasn't peeing everywhere anymore. I also gave him kefir.. Laugh all you want but I think it helped too. I have to explain my reasoning for giving it to him. The grocery store was out of the strawberry kefir I always buy so I thought I would try the plain kind. Well my kids HATED it. I hated to waste it so I gave it to Henry. He LOVED it and may have become a tiny bit spoiled. :) 

I admit I know nothing about animals health and would have taken him to the vet if they'd been open. However, he was pitiful and the thought of leaving him like that all night and possibly the next day too was unbearable to me. Yes, he is just our mouser cat but there is no need to let him suffer. I was SO happy to see him up and acting like almost back to 100% the next day.