Aloe vera is one of the safest ‘wonder herbs’ for pets and it has many uses for virtually all of them. Even sensitive pets like cats can safely enjoy its holistic and medicinal benefits.

What can Aloe do for your pet?

 

  • Soothes and treats skin conditions
  • Wound & insect bite healing
  • Burn treatment & cooling
  • Treat frostbite
  • Kidney stones
  • Anti-bacterial
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Topical pain relief
  • Repairs cellular damage and reduces scarring
  • Immunostimulant (Acemannan)
  • Digestion (nutrient absorption) & digestive system injury
  • Heals ulcers
  • Normalizes blood sugar
  • Protects against radiation exposure
  • Dietary supplement of antioxidants, polysaccharides, enzymes, protein and minerals.
  • May prevent cancer and tumors (Alo A)

Aloe has been studied quite extensively, including animal studies. Its effectiveness on a broad spectrum of maladies is well documented.

You can treat pets using the sap from a broken Aloe plant leaf, or purchase Aloe juice or gel. Usually Aloe gel is used externally, Aloe juice internally, and Aloe bitters are used for kidney stones and constipation. It can be used alone or in essential oil blends and other pet products.

Notes of Caution

  • Long-term internal use is not recommended (more than two weeks)
  • Internal use is not recommended for nursing animals as Aloe is passed through the mother’s milk.
  • Aloe juice and gel are safe for pets. However, products containing ‘Aloes’ (extracted latex) are not.
  • Aloe has been used on many pets without issue, including dogs, cats, horses, ferrets and rabbits. We do, however, recommend consultation with your veterinarian if medical conditions are present and to avoid possible drug interaction. Prescription drugs should not be taken at the same time as Aloe.
  • Be aware that many products containing Aloe actually contain very little of it. Look for it in the top 3 ingredients if it’s the focus of your treatment.

Where to get it

You should find Aloe vera plants quite easily at your local nursery.

You can also purchase Aloe vera in a wide variety of natural supplement forms from the following online retailers that we have personally purchased from:

Starwest Botanicals

??? Have you treated a pet with Aloe? Please tell us about it in the comments below.

Sources:
Swaim, S. F. Lee, A. H. Topical Wound Medications. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 1987.
Aloe: Your Miracle Doctor – 130+ home remedies for 80+ disorders.
Feline/Canine Kidney Disease: The Complete Guide to Chronic Kidney Disease in Dogs & Cats
Tilford, Gregory. Wulff, Mary. Herbs for Pets: The Natural Way to Enhance Your Pet’s LifeHerbs for Pets: The Natural Way to Enhance Your Pet's Life. 2009.
Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for Herbal HealingPrescription for Herbal Healing 2012.
Wynn, Susan G. DVM. Fougere, Barbara. BVSc BVMS(Hons). Veterinary Herbal MedicineVeterinary Herbal Medicine. 2006.

 

14 thoughts on “The Many Uses of Aloe for Pets ©

  1. Why is it that long term use is not recommended and does that only apply to pets? I’ve been taking Aloe Gel, by Lily of the Desert, daily (switched from whole leaf to inner fillet, due to the latex content in the former) for several months now and am wondering if I’m not doing myself harm. It’s the only thing I’ve found so far that keeps my GERD under control, although no lasting healing has occurred. If I get off it for more than a day or 2, I start coughing again and my voice gets raspy.

    Also, if you can only give it to pets for such a short period of time, how is it going to help stave off such things as cancer and normalize blood sugar?

    • Hi Donna,

      Using any natural treatment over the long term should be done with medical supervision. Therapeutic doses may be prescribed for long-term use. In regards to Aloe specifically, it isn’t recommended for long-term use because it can deplete electrolytes, including potassium, especially when combined with diuretics or laxatives. The risk applies to both humans and pets.

  2. For some reason I haven’t used aloe in recent years but I did have two plants before that I used all the time. I’m going to get back into it, thanks for inspiring me.

  3. I never knew aloe was so useful! There are so many healing aspects – one that particularly caught my eye was the prevention of cancer. Two of my dogs (years ago) were diagnosed with cancer one cancer was simply cut out and the dog was fine however the other was affected neurologically by the cancer and was forced to be put down so if aloe can assist in preventing one of my animals going through that again (and myself) I will give it a try!

    Would these cures and benefits be the same in human’s?

    • I’m sorry to hear you’ve had to watch your friends suffer with cancer. I sure hope Aloe proves to offer the preventative properties they’re exploring.

      The benefits of Aloe does extend to humans. 🙂

  4. This post is very informative and useful. It is well laid out and easy to read. The tips are very good. I’m sure many people will learn new techniques here and helpful tips for their sick pets. This is an excellent innovation, and you have done well.! Cheers my friend!

  5. It’s one of those remedies that doctors wrote off years ago and now they’re finding out that grandma knew what she was talking about. Thanks on behalf of grandmas everywhere. 😉

  6. Aloe is one of the original natural cures and it stood the test of time. I don’t drink it but maybe I’ll try it too. I’ll google for an aloe juice recipe.

  7. Aloe is one of the remedies that is gentle but highly effective and the medical community could learn from that. I mean they always have to kill everything dead with harsh antibacterials & then wonder why we have super bugs.

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