People have used vinegar for centuries in health care and as a household cleaning agent. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) fans claim that this ingredient has properties as a natural preservative, disinfectant, and source of nutrition. Apple cider vinegar is an excellent supplement to add to your dog's diet. Apple cider vinegar can improve digestive tract health, control pests, and treat skin and ear infections. While modern medicine doesn't recognize apple cider vinegar as a miracle cure, most veterinarians will recommend using it as long as it's not in excess. Apple cider vinegar does not solve the problem immediately, and is not without the possibility of causing side effects. Learn more about using apple cider vinegar on dogs by reading this article.
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Method 1 of 3: Bathing Your Dog with Apple Cider Vinegar
Step 1. Make a water rinse to beautify the dog's skin and coat
After bathing your dog, rub the vinegar all over his coat. This will make your dog's coat look shiny, and ACV will act as a deodorant at the same time. Do not use ACV if your dog's skin is dry, damaged, or irritated.
Treating your dog's skin in this way will help prevent it from becoming dry and itchy
Step 2. Clean your dog's ears using ACV
The antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar make it suitable for cleaning dog ears. ACV will help prevent infection and ward off parasites that are susceptible to the acid content in ACV. Soak a small cotton ball or piece of clean cloth in the vinegar, then gently dab it on your dog's ears as carefully as possible.
Step 3. Spray apple cider vinegar on your dog's coat to repel fleas
If your dog spends a lot of time playing around all summer, use ACV to keep him away from fleas. Mix two cups of water with two cups of ACV in a clean spray bottle. Once every week, spray your dog's coat with this mixture. While it hasn't been scientifically proven to get rid of lice, the sour taste of vinegar can repel fleas and other parasites.
If your dog doesn't like being sprayed, dip a small towel in the mixture and rub it against his coat. You don't need to rinse the dog again after that. The smell of ACV will disappear once it dries
Step 4. Bathe your dog in a mixture of ACV and anti-flea soap
If your dog has fleas, you can get rid of the fleas using a mixture of soapy water and ACV. The soapy water will kill the fleas, while ACV will prevent the fleas from coming back. Make a mixture consisting of 1/4 cup dish soap, 1.8 liters of water, and 1.8 liters of ACV.
- Wear long sleeves and protective gloves. Before treating your dog, it is important to protect your own skin from tick bites. Bathe your dog outdoors if you are dealing with a lot of live fleas and mites.
- Bathe your dog in the solution. Be careful not to get the solution into his eyes. Flush the entire coat, and use your fingers to massage the solution into the skin. You will need to create enough soap lather to help kill the lice. Allow the solution to stick to the dog's body for 10 minutes. If the flea infestation is severe enough, make one more solution, so you can double the flea treatment.
Step 5. Use a flea comb to get rid of fleas on dogs
Carefully comb the dog's hair over any part of its body to remove live fleas and their eggs. Soak a flea comb in a bowl of soapy water, which will drown any fleas that are affected by it. The fleas should be able to be removed from the dog's fur easily, as they are repelled by the taste of ACV.
Step 6. Rinse your dog's body
When finished, rinse the dog's body to clean it of soap residue and dead fleas. Continue by spraying the ACV solution and water in a 50:50 ratio onto the dog's coat. Then, let the dog's body dry on its own.
Method 2 of 3: Treating Dogs with Apple Cider Vinegar
Step 1. Improve your dog's general health using ACV twice a week
Giving ACV as dog food this often will help keep his coat and skin healthy and keep him away from fleas. To give ACV as dog food, put a teaspoon of ACV in his drinker twice a week.
Keep in mind that the effects of apple cider vinegar will be different for each dog. There is no scientific evidence that the use of ACV will improve the health of any dog. Some of the effects may be a placebo effect
Step 2. Treat your dog's digestive problems
If your dog has digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhea, try using ACV once daily. Add a teaspoon of ACV to a large bowl of water daily. With repeated use, it will help treat diarrhea and constipation in dogs.
- You can give ACV twice a day to a large dog. If your dog weighs more than 23 kg, give two teaspoons of ACV daily.
- If your dog's symptoms do not improve after a week, you should take him to the vet to see if his condition requires stronger medication.
Step 3. Make an ACV mix that your dog likes
If your dog hates the taste or smell of it, it's best not to force him to eat ACV. Mix ACV with food only. Or, make a special ACV snack by mixing it in a teaspoon of peanut butter.
Method 3 of 3: Learn More about Apple Cider Vinegar
Step 1. Recognize the benefits of ACV
ACV has antibacterial properties that are beneficial for dogs' skin, ears and digestive tract. ACV can also change a dog's internal pH level, helping to repel fleas. Giving your dog ACV regularly can improve his health inside and out.
- Keeping the pH at a good level is important. Pests such as fleas, mites, bacteria, parasites, roundworms, fungi, staphylococcus, streptococcus, pneumococcus, and mange are less likely to bother dogs with more acidic urine and coat/outer skin. Apple cider vinegar can produce this effect.
- Opponents of using ACV argue that there is no scientific data to show that ACV can effectively repel fleas. They argue that any benefit derived from bathing the dog in ACV likely stems from regular flea combing and cleaning of the dog's environment, rather than occurring directly from ACV use.
Step 2. Know the risks associated with using ACV
Apple cider vinegar can sting when applied to broken or injured skin. Do not use apple cider vinegar on broken skin. If you're planning to use ACV as a flea repellent, be careful if the fleas have damaged your dog's skin deep enough, as ACV may burn the skin.
- Bladder stones may form after prolonged use of ACV. ACV is acidic, and can increase the acidity of your dog's urine. Very acidic dog urine can cause oxalate stones to form in the bladder. This is caused by the deposition of oxalate crystals from the ACV solution. Chances are, the bladder stone will block the dog's urethra, preventing the dog from urinating. This is an emergency condition, which requires immediate surgery to treat it.
- You are of course NOT advised to give ACV to dogs who have a history of oxalate-type bladder stones. In theory, you can monitor the pH of your dog's urine with a dipstick. The ideal pH should be around 6.2-6.4, so if the dipstick says it's more acidic than that (below 6.2), it's best to stop using ACV until the dog's urine pH has recovered.
Step 3. Choose the best ACV product
There are ACV products that are manufactured and some are made organically. Choose the second one. The best apple cider vinegar to use is fermented and unfiltered, which is also called "raw" ACV. Raw ACV contains a cloudy ingredient called the "parent" ingredient, which contains healthy enzymes and minerals.
