Carol & Charlie Photo credit: R. Fischella
Intense summer heat is not only dangerous to humans, but to your adored animal friends, as well. Searing sun exposure, hot surfaces and dry air are just a few of the dangers of summer heat exposure for your pets. My simple home remedy… olive oil to the rescue!
Olive oil is a truly amazing substance. Three of the main chemical structures that make up olive oil are oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Toss in a few more great things such as the fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6, vitamins A, D, E, K, not to mention the fabulous taste of this golden gift from the gods, and the substance becomes even more beneficial, whether used internally or externally. And, it is great for your pets.
5 Summer Tips:
- Treat a sunburned nose.
If your pet’s nose gets sunburned (the only body part that is susceptible to sunburn), dab it with olive oil. If they lick it off, it won’t hurt them. - Relieve itching from fleabites.
Use a small amount of olive oil to soothe areas that have been scratched raw from fleabites. Olive oil soothes the skin and brings relief to your pet’s suffering. - Soothe your pet’s paws.
Can you imagine walking barefoot across hot sand or hot pavement? Weather extremes (too hot or too cold) can hurt tender feet – whether human or canine. Apply warm olive oil and massage onto the footpads to soften, soothe and heal your pet’s paws. - Treat dry skin and maintain a shiny coat.
Treat your pet’s dry, itchy flaky skin from the inside out with olive oil. Pour olive oil on their food and the oil will work like magic to improve the skin and the shine of their fur. Olive oil is a great natural remedy that, when added to your pet’s favorite food on a regular basis, can help to maintain a beautiful, shining coat. In addition, supplementing your pet’s food with this marvelous oil maintains good lubrication of their bowels. This is especially important if your pet gets only dry food for its regular diet.Remember to use your judgment for the right serving size of straight olive oil. For example, for small dogs weighing up to 20 lbs use ½ teaspoon; for medium size dogs weighing up to 50 lbs, use 1 teaspoon; for larger dogs weighing up to 100 lbs, use 1-2 tablespoon(s) and for extra large dogs, you can use up to ¼ cup.
- Massage your pet.
Make your own massage oil from calendula flowers and olive oil. Calendula, a plant with brilliant yellow flowers, blooms from spring through fall. Calendula is naturally antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal. When the flowers are crushed and blended with olive oil, the resulting ointment can heal sores, cuts, eczema, psoriasis, and other difficult to deal with rashes. The olive oil and calendula ointment may also be used to help heal dry, cracked, irritated, or itchy skin, especially bare-skin area where a pet has scratched, chewed, or otherwise removed the fur. Any ingested calendula and olive oil will have additional beneficial effects on the overall healing process.
Remember that the pets you love can benefit from the same healthy properties from olive oil that their owners enjoy. Many olive oil beauty treatments for the human body (from head to toe) can be applied to your furry friends... and of course, in both cases, I recommend using extra virgin olive oil!