Does Apple Cider Vinegar Treat Worms In Dogs?
The types of worms most frequently appearing in dogs include hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms. You may not notice these yourself, which is why regular vet checks are so important. If you do see the issue, you can use apple cider vinegar to help eliminate the worms.
Find The Best Natural Dog Dewormer
The best natural dewormer for dogs is a healthy diet that helps build a strong immune system. Your dog’s IgE antibodies can attack and destroy worms on their own … so your job is to support the immune system with healthy foods that include good amounts of zinc, vitamin D and other immune boosting nutrients.
But whatever you’re feeding, there are many foods and herbs you can use to help kill all types of worms in your dog. Start slowly with all these remedies if your dog isn’t used to eating them, and work up to the recommended dose.
Fermented Vegetables Fermented foods are a great natural dewormer for dogs. They help expel worms by boosting your dog’s immune system. Almost 90% of the immune system is in the gut … so adding fermented veggies to your dog’s diet can help improve his gut health and defend him from parasites. You can buy fermented veggies or make your own. Start slowly with fermented veggies and work up to 1 to 3 tsp per day per 20 lbs of body weight.
Pumpkin Seeds One of the safest and most effective ways to treat worms is with pumpkin seeds. That’s because pumpkin seeds contain an amino acid called cucurbitin. Cucurbitin paralyzes the worms and eliminates them from your dog’s digestive tract.
When feeding your dog pumpkin seeds, use raw organic seeds. Don’t give your dog the salted seeds, which aren’t safe for him.
Grind seeds and give ¼ tsp per 10 lbs of weight once or twice a day until the parasites are gone. Pumpkin seeds are safe for pregnant dogs.
Black Cumin Seed People call black cumin seed “the cure for everything except death.” It’s very safe and can work for most worms. If possible, try to buy whole seeds. In a pinch, you can use black seed oil but if you do, halve the dose.
Give your dog ½ tsp to 1 tsp of seeds daily in his food. If your dog doesn’t like the taste you can heat the seeds in a pan to get rid of the bitter taste.
Grated Fruits And Vegetables You can add certain fruit and veggies as a natural dewormer for dogs. They’ll make your dog’s digestive tract less welcoming. Good choices include carrots, cucumber, watercress, greens, squash, and fennel. Pineapple is also a good choice. It’s full of bromelain, an enzyme that digests proteins. It can also boost your dog’s immune system to help him fight off the worms. Another enzyme called papain, in papaya, can also help combat worms.
Pomegranate is useful for fighting off tapeworms. Compounds in pomegranate help expel worms from the digestive tract.
Add at least 1 tsp of any of these fruits and veggies per 10 lbs of body weight to your dog’s meals twice a day. Veggies in your dog’s diet can also provide a much-needed source of fiber.
Vegetable Juice Mix fresh carrot, beet, and cucumber juices into your dog’s food. These juices help make his intestines less attractive to worms.
Give 1 tsp per 10 lbs of your dog’s body weight per day.
Garlic Garlic is another natural dewormer for dogs. If you give it to your dog in moderate amounts it can be a good way to fight worms. In fact, garlic can be as effective as conventional dewormers.
Use chopped raw organic garlic and let the garlic sit for 10 to 15 minutes before giving it to your dog. This will help release the beneficial compounds that fight off the worms. Then you can give your dog the following amount.
Small dogs– up to ¼ clove twice a day
Medium dogs – up to ½ clove twice a day
Large dogs – up to ¾ clove twice a day
Giant breeds – up to 1 clove twice a day
Caution: Don’t use garlic as a worm remedy for pregnant or lactating dogs, or if your dog is on blood thinners.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Apple cider vinegar has many benefits as a natural dewormer for dogs. It creates a more alkaline digestive system that’s less attractive to parasites. Use raw, organic, unfiltered vinegar and give ¼ to 1 tsp per day in your dog’s water or food.
Thyme Thyme is especially useful for hookworms. In their book Herbs For Pets, herbalists Greg Tilford and Mary Wulff recommend that you use fresh or dried herbs. Add 1 tsp per pound of food.
Caution: Do not use thyme essential oil on your dog as it can be toxic. You shouldn’t use thyme in any form for pregnant or lactating dogs.
Parsley You can also use parsley as a simple natural dewormer for dogs. Cook fresh parsley down and strain out the solids, then freeze it into ice cubes. Give one cube daily.
Bone Broth Bone broth helps promote digestive health, which helps the immune system kill worms. It’s especially effective around the full moon.
Add a few tablespoons to your dog’s food or feed as a separate snack. You can also add some pure aloe juice for an extra boost.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) You can use food-grade diatomaceous earth to reduce the number of worms in your dog. But it may not be helpful if your dog has tapeworms. Small dogs – 1 tsp per day Dogs over 55 lbs – up to 1 tbsp per day
Caution: Make sure you mix the diatomaceous earth into your dog’s food very well. If your dog inhales it, it can irritate his lungs. Do not use DE for pregnant or lactating dogs.
Chamomile You can use chamomile to prevent and expel roundworms and whipworms. This herb works more slowly but also helps reduce inflammation caused by the worms.
Use chamomile in a glycerin tincture for worms. Give 0.25 to 0.5 ml per 20 pounds of body weight, twice daily. Some dogs may be allergic to chamomile so check for sensitivity before using it. To do this, apply a small amount of the tincture to your dog’s skin.
Caution: If your dog is pregnant or lactating, you shouldn’t use these herbs.
Olive Leaf Olive leaf extract contains oleuropein, which can help expel parasites from your dog’s intestines. Look for an extract with 12% oleuropein or higher and give it for 8 weeks.
Small dogs – 300 mg twice daily Medium dogs – 500 mg twice daily Large and giant dogs – 1000 mg twice daily
Oregon Grape Oregon grape is antibiotic, liver tonic and it’s a great natural dewormer for dogs.
Give your dog 12 drops of Oregon grape tincture per 20 pounds of body weight. You’ll also want to give liver support like milk thistle when using Oregon grape. That’s because Oregon grape can be harsh on the liver and milk thistle will help protect it. Give ¼ tsp of milk thistle tincture per 20 pounds of body weight.
Caution: Oregon grape isn’t safe for pregnant or lactating dogs. Don’t use it for dogs with liver disease.
Black Walnut Black walnut is safer than conventional dewormers but can be toxic to your dog if it isn’t used properly. That’s why you should only use it if the gentler options don’t work. Always ask for guidance from your holistic vet on using black walnut for your dog.
It’s also important to understand that black walnut does not address the underlying cause of the worms. It will simply kill and expel the worms. If other options haven’t worked, there’s a good chance that your dog’s immune system is the problem.
Wormwood Like black walnut, wormwood can be hard on your dog’s body but it is a natural dewormer for dogs. If you have exhausted all other options and want to try this herb, you should do so with the guidance of a holistic vet. This herb can irritate your dog’s liver and kidney.
Caution: You should never give wormwood to dogs who have seizures, kidney problems, or liver disease.
Apple Cider Vinegar Helps Digestion and Blood Sugar
Vinegar has been used medicinally since ancient times. Roman soldiers valued vinegar and water as an antiseptic health drink. Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, prescribed vinegar as medicine.
Advocates credit apple cider vinegar as a nutritional powerhouse, containing an array of vitamins, minerals, and bioflavonoids, but this is inaccurate. The USDA considers all of those nutrients as absent from ACV, with one exception: potassium. Raw cider vinegar contains about 11 mg potassium per tablespoon (the Daily Reference Value for potassium is 4,600 mg).
One way in which vinegar promotes health is through its effect on digestion. By itself vinegar may not contain significant vitamins and minerals, but when combined with foods that do, it helps the body assimilate those nutrients. Acetic acid, like other acids, can increase the body’s absorption of calcium and other minerals. Some nutrition experts, including Donna Gates, author of the Body Ecology Diet, recommend sipping 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water while eating protein in order to stimulate the body’s production of hydrochloric acid for enhanced digestion.
Vinegar has important antiseptic properties that help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and viruses in the digestive tract. As a bonus, it does not interfere with the body’s beneficial bacteria, which are the immune system’s first line of defense against harmful microbes.
In 2010, the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism published a study showing that vinegar’s antiglycemic properties reduce blood sugar levels that rise after meals in healthy adults. These results agree with a 2006 Japanese study that showed that the consumption of vinegar with food prevented blood sugar level increases.
A 2005 study at Arizona State University tested patients with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or no symptoms of diabetes, as they consumed a breakfast containing 87 grams of carbohydrates just after drinking a glass of water containing either 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or a placebo. Apple cider vinegar water consumption slowed the rise of blood sugar in all three groups, up to 34 percent. Based on studies done with rats or in test tubes, the researchers speculate that vinegar interferes with the absorption of high-carbohydrate foods.
No one is suggesting that vinegar cures diabetes, but the studies mentioned above encourage researchers to further examine the effect of vinegar on blood sugar levels.
How much apple cider vinegar do I give my dog for worms?
People have been using vinegar for thousands of years, and while most of it goes into salads and condiments, vinegar can be used as a household cleanser, cosmetic aid, and health treatment. Many dog lovers add vinegar to their pets’ food or apply it topically to their best friend’s skin. Advocates call vinegar, especially unpasteurized organic apple cider vinegar, a wonder food. Is apple cider vinegar for dogs really a health-improving supplement, a natural preservative, a nontoxic cleaning product, a disinfectant, a source of important nutrients, and an effective topical treatment for canine ailments?
Some of the claims made by vinegar proponents are supported by research while others are not. Here are some facts about apple cider vinegar (ACV) and other vinegars to help you decide whether and when to use it for yourself and your dog.