Super Benefits for Your Dog from the Super Food Known as Honey

Honey is beneficial for many reasons, including its known antibacterial and antifungal properties. Honey has been used by humans for centuries to help with coughs and colds, as well as build immunities and treat local allergens.

Could honey really be beneficial for your dog as well?

The short answer is yes. Raw honey is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Containing vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, and manganese, honey truly is a super food. Find your source of local raw honey and prepare to build on your dog’s immunities. Improve their health with disease-fighting properties and tasty enzymes, giving your dog a fight against bacteria and fungus. 

The Amazing Powers of Honey

Local raw honey from your area can boost your dog’s immunities, fight disease, assist with local, seasonal allergies, and more. Honey is sweet to the taste so your dog may want to lick it off a spoon. Otherwise, drizzle honey over their food or mix with dog-safe peanut butter (without xylitol) for a tasty treat.

 Allergies

Raw, local honey is made with the aid of your regional flowers. Local honey contains pollens which help in building immunities against allergens because bees are using flora near you to produce their honey. If your dog is suffering from seasonal allergies, a spoonful of honey may help to tackle the allergic reactions in your dog’s system. Over time, these allergens may not bother your dog as much because your dog will be exposed to them in small amounts over time, helping develop an immunity.

 Digestion and Gastrointestinal Issues

Honey is an excellent digestive aid, containing enzymes commonly used processing food. Dogs suffering from irritable bowel disease or gastritis can benefit from having honey added to their diets. Honey has antibacterial properties that can help kill harmful gut bacteria and bring a healthier balance to your dog’s digestive system. A regular honey regimen can prevent damaging bacteria from growing. Keeping that bacteria balanced could prevent future problems, as well as aid in healing problematic digestive and bowel issues. Honey also has soothing properties, providing dogs with gastrointestinal ulcer relief as well.

 Wound and Burn Care

Because of the antibacterial properties of honey, the sweet substance works to heal minor wounds on your dog’s skin. Simply wash the affected area and apply liberally. For lacerations, keep the honey on the cut or scratch for at least twenty minutes before washing off. As the honey is working its antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antioxidant magic, try to keep your dog from licking the honey off the wound. Manuka honey, in particular, is beneficial for healing burns. Apply the honey to the burn every ten minutes, until your dog appears to be in less pain. When you can gently apply honey to the affected burn area without your dog whining or flinching, wrap or tape the area with gauze while the honey is still over the burn. The honey will soothe the burn, as well as offer healing properties. 

Fight the Fight with Honey

Honey is such a well-rounded natural product. It is known to have as much antioxidant power as many fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants from honey can help your dog fight disease and can aid in the reparation of skin problems, lacerations, or wounds. The germ-killing properties of honey can also keep injuries from becoming infected. Honey is great for digestive problems and for fighting fungal or bacterial infections. Your dog can benefit from the same properties of honey humans enjoy. If your dog is diabetic, you may want to talk to your veterinarian about a safe dosage for your dog because of the high sugar content of this super food. As well, it is not recommended that you feed honey to puppies due to the possible presence of Clostridium botulinum spores, which can make a puppy ill.