Household items all DogMothers need to have in their homes!

There are some items I absolutely swear by. All DogMothers need to have them in their pantry. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at your local drug store, grocery market or Target!

Ares, my 5 year old, 100-pound German Shepherd

• Apple Cider Vinegar: This is one I absolutely SWEAR by. I've seen dogs of all breeds have negative skin reactions to Frontline and other anti-flea medications. Pick up some ACV (apple cider vinegar) and get on a regular routine. Put one teaspoon per day in your dogs' water bowl and you will never see a flea again. I've lived in heavily wooded areas, Florida and the damp state of NJ. Bonus use: take a paper towel, dip it in some warm water and put some ACV on it. Dab it on the dog's hot spot twice a day and the hot spot goes away (in 24-48 hours in my experience).
• Castor Oil: When shedding season comes around (twice a year for German Shepherds) it seems that the combination of their natural oil, dirt and hair follicles opening causes sebaceous cysts. They are usually round and a little squishy (like bird eggs). The first time Ares had one I admittedly freaked out and took him to the vet. I cannot help diagnose your dog's cyst but I can tell you that taking a cotton ball dipped in castor oil and blotting it on sebaceous cysts has fast results.
• Coconut Oil: Admittedly, I jumped on this bandwagon but the results are undeniable. Put a teaspoon of it in their food every day and you will see their coats start to shine and glow! For picky dogs I recommend melting the jar, putting in their favorite protein (boiled chicken or chicken broth) and putting it in the fridge or freezer to harden - make treats out of it!
• Hydrogen Peroxide: Aside from being able to force vomiting (in case your dog gets into something bad) there are other great uses for it. For instance, kennel cough. I can attest to the fact that you can cure kennel cough with hydrogen peroxide - there is a formula, however, that requires some honey and warm water - check it out here.
• WoundSeal powder: One of the things about having lively dogs (retrievers, shepherds, border collies, etc) is that they will have incidents. My rescue dog has had quite a few of her own. Most recently she sliced part of her ear in a way that could not be fixed by a vet (I recommend seeing a vet first if your dog has a wound) I ran to CVS and spent a little too much money on human wound care and the one thing that absolutely helped was the WoundSeal powder. I was able to stop bleeding with it until we saw a vet (that didn't have a solution). It was our go-to product for 48 hours. We applied it twice and a week later she successfully healed, though she does have a scar!

I am not a vet or a doctor so I can't guarantee your dogs will have the type of results mine have but after years of "incidents." I have tried most things and always prefer to look to a natural, household treatment. If nothing else, I urge you all to get your own ACV and castor oil; those two have been tried and true in my house!

One of my go-to sites is Earth Clinic - they have a way of crowdsourcing solutions to dog problems that allows you to see which have had success and which haven't!