Nutritive, astringent, bacteriostatic

Fresh or dried hips, petals, leaves and bark, tinctures, teas or decoctions

Each part of the rose has its own unique properties that can benefit your pet.

Rose petals can be used to treat dry, itchy skin. It can also be made into a tea to treat mild cases of colic and diarrhea, or minor irritations in the mouth and stomach. The tea is also useful as an anti-inflammatory eyewash especially in cases where the redness is caused by environmental irritation.

Rose leaves can be used as a rinse for contact dermatitis or inflamed fleabites or fly bites. Leaves can also be used internally for cystitis and acute inflammation of the digestive tract caused by bacterial or parasitic infection.

Bark and stems can be used for painful urination, gushing diarrhea or minor bleeding.

Rose hips are a great source of vitamin C and make a nutritious treat for animals.

To make a petal tea, infuse a handful of fresh petals in a cup of almost boiling water. Allow tea to cool. Feed at a dose of 1 tablespoon per 20 pounds of the animal’s body weight. It can also be added to the drinking water. The cooled and strained tea can be used as an eyewash to treat inflammation.

To treat fleabites or fly bites, make a decoction of the leaves and use it as a rinse.

To treat cystitis and digestive tract issues, give a decoction at a dose of 1/2 teaspoon for each 30 pounds of the animal’s weight once or twice daily, for no longer than four days.

For more severe digestive issues, make a decoction of the bark and stem at the above dose, but do not use for longer than two days.

To feed rose hips, dried hips can be ground in a coffee grinder and added as a nutritional supplement at a dose of 1/2-1 teaspoon of ground hips per cup of food daily.

• Feeding too much rose hip can cause stomach upset or diarrhea. If this occurs, reduce the amount given.
• Rose bark should not be used in pregnant animals or those with pre-existing kidney problems.
• Call your veterinarian immediately if internal bleeding is evident, diarrhea is persistent or urination is laboured.

Wulff-Tilford, Mary, and Gregory L. Tilford. All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets. Irvine, CA: BowTie, 1999. Print.

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