Apple Cider Vinegar for Dogs - Keeping Your Dog Healthy

Has your dog been scratching itself obsessively, losing hair, trying to clean itself, developing an odor, or become picky over food? An application of apple cider vinegar (ACV) can help your poor pooch. A bit of apple cider vinegar in your pet's food is a great way to maintain the acid/alkaline balance of your dog's body; and it also helps with digestive health, allergies (watery eyes, runny nose, wet coughs), and even parasites such as fleas, ringworm, ticks, fungus, and bacteria.

Taken orally or sprayed on topically, apple cider vinegar is great for skin conditions in dogs. For hot spots, thinning hair, pimples, or even ear infections, try out an ACV/water spray. ACV is also useful for after grooming sessions; applying a few drops to the ears can help prevent ear infections, and applying to your dog's skin after a washing on a weekly basis can help prevent reinfestation by fleas or ticks.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Fleas, Dog Allergies, and Wellness

Every home with dogs should have apple cider vinegar. It's a remedy with multiple uses for dogs: repelling fleas, alleviating allergies, arthritis, establishing correct pH balance. You can also give apple cider vinegar to cats and horses.

Dosage and Instructions: Start with a one-teaspoon dose mixed into your dog's food twice a day for a 50 lb dog (adjust accordingly by weight) and if necessary increase up to about 1 tablespoon twice a day for the same size dog. For skin application, you can spray on or rub apple cider in directly, or for sore or open wounds mix the ACV with equal parts water before application to the dog's skin. In the case of pests or parasites, bathe your dog and then apply a 50:50 mix of apple cider vinegar and water. Allow this to air dry on your pet to kill off fleas, ticks, ringworm, etc. and to prevent future infestations and/or infection. You can also spray your dog with apple cider vinegar before going out for a walk, in order to repel fleas and ticks naturally.

Also check out our related pages on:
Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment for Fleas
Apple Cider Vinegar for Dog Skin Problems

Gretchen from Coronado, Ca writes, "Hi, I'm a HHP (holistic health practitioner) and have just read the ACV book by BRAGG. I wanted to add some notes on apple cider vinegar for dogs.

"You can check your dog's ph balance status with pH strips available at any local pharmacy. Just slip the strip into the stream of your dog's urine first thing in the morning. A reading of 6.2 to 6.5 shows a healthy pooch pH. Readings around 7.5 or higher are a bit too alkaline, but acidic readings below 6.0 are too acidic and of more concern. Try to adjust your dog's diet accordingly, and using ACV will also re-establish the correct balance.

"Keeping a good pH is important, since pests like fleas, ticks, flies, bacteria, parasites, ringworm, fungi, staphylococcus, streptococcus, pneumococcus, and mange are less likely to bother dogs with an alkaline system inside and slightly acidic mantle outside. Since apple cider vinegar makes the skin more acidic but has an alkalizing effect inside the body, it's the perfect treatment for pets.

"It's also worth noting that fleas can be drowned in soapy water and the ACV rinse makes the skin too acidic for re-infestation."

EarthClinic Home Remedies offer other great ideas as well.