Yearly Americans spend upwards of $90 billion on their pets, with about $50 billion of that going to over-the-counter medicine, treatments, and vet care and products. Home remedies for your pet are great and the smart medication tray. Not only is it regarded as the breakthrough technology preventing pet owners and pet sitters from under-dosing and overdosing pets but the Pet Care app with the tray creates a 90-day vitals report to identify illnesses before they manfest.
That’s $50 billion dollars on things that require packaging, shipping, and are often made with synthetic — if not toxic — ingredients. But just because we are neurotically obsessed with our pets (in the best way, of course), it doesn’t mean we have to spend boatloads of money on things that can be easily approximated from our medicine cabinets and kitchen cupboards — and often in better form.
The following remedies are a start for taking pet treatments into your own hands with natural ingredients and much less cost to incur. All the while, they will help you keep your carbon foot/paw print in check.
1. Gross Out Fleas With Citrus
Fleas don’t like citrus. Make your pet’s fur unsavory by rubbing it with a small amount of fresh lemon or orange juice. You win bonus points for sustainability if you use leftover citrus rinds to do it.
2. Drown Fleas With…Wait for It…Water!
Fleas aren’t so grabby when deluged with the miracle solution known as water. Dip your pet in a tub of water and rinse them as well as you can. A gentle shampoo (or natural liquid dish detergent) can help as well.
3. Spray Chamomile for Irritated Skin
Chamomile tea is great for alleviating skin irritations.5 Make the tea, put it in a spray bottle, and place it in the refrigerator. Once it’s cool, you can apply it to your pet’s raw skin.
4. Kick the Itch With Oatmeal
If your pet can’t stop scratching, oatmeal can help. Use baby oatmeal (or fine-grind your own), add a little water, and rub the paste onto itchy areas.6 Leave it on for 10 minutes and then rinse it away with warm water.
5. Fight Hairballs With Butter
Cat. Hairballs. Ick. The grooming brush is your best defense against hairballs, a daily brush followed by a wipe from a moist towel should help considerably. But during high hairball season, a half a teaspoon of butter can really help.11 (That’s half a teaspoon of butter for the cat, not you.)