Herbs for My Dog – Thyme
Thyme is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. It’s my favorite go-to herb when I’m trying to protect our dog Leo from catching doggy kooties (j/k) when going to daycare or the dog park. I see doggy daycare or the dog park as great opportunities for him to socialize get a good amount of exercise. For him, we use these environments as enrichment.
However, dogs are more at risk of catching infections when going to dog parks or daycare because these environments involve close contact with many unfamiliar dogs, often in shared spaces where germs can easily spread. Just like schools for children, dog parks, and daycares are hotspots for communicable diseases due to the combination of crowds and shared surfaces.
Dogs sniff, lick, wrestle, and share toys and water bowls—all prime ways to spread germs. I noticed that whenever we would take him to these places, a few days later, he would come down with a sneeze or a cough.
As a nurse, I’m all for educated immune systems and not being a complete germaphobe. But at the same time, I also value prevention. So I put two drops of thyme in a dollop of Greek yogurt before we head to the dog park or to doggy day care and repeat the dose the next day. Since I started doing this his he hasn’t caught any colds after being social with other dogs.
So thyme has been a great ally in keeping our Leo illness-free, in combination with appropriately timed and appropriately selected vaccinations for our dog Leo.
