Slippery Elm

Available in 100g or 60 caps.

Slippery Elm For Dogs

Medicinal properties:

• Demulcent – Slippery elm secretes a gooey substance called mucilage. Mucilage creates a protective film to relieve mucous membrane irritation.
• Laxative – This herb acts as a mild laxative to help with bowel movements.
• Emollient – Slippery elm helps to soften and soothe skin.
• Astringent – It can dry and tighten skin cells and tissue.
• Nuritive – Slippery elm helps to nourish the body. It’s packed with nutrients like vitamins A, B complex, C, K, calcium, magnesium and sodium.
• Anti-inflammatory – Slippery elm helps to reduce redness, swelling and pain.

Slippery elm gets harvested in the spring and you can use it internally and topically.

Ways Slippery Elm Can Help Your Dog

1. Diarrhoea

Slippery elm is helpful for acute cases of diarrhoea.

It helps soothe the mucous membranes in the digestive tract and ease inflammation. The oily mucilage it produces helps lubricate the digestive tract and promotes mucous secretion.

Slippery elm’s astringent properties also tighten the lining of the digestive tract. This helps to further reduce inflammation.

As an added benefit, it contains fibre. And fibre feeds the beneficial bacteria in your dog’s gut. This means it’s a prebiotic that supports normal gut function by feeding good bacteria.

2. Constipation

Slippery Elm’s main role is to regulate the digestive tract.

And that means it can help relieve and even prevent constipation too. That’s because of slippery elm’s soothing and laxative properties.

When your dog’s constipated, his muscles have to work extra hard. Slippery elm soothes and lubricates the mucous membranes in his digestive tract. This helps to relax the muscles.

This herb can also act as a gentle laxative when your dog has worms whilst easing the irritation worms cause in his digestive tract.

3. Other Digestive Issues

The anti-inflammatory properties of slippery elm don’t just help diarrhea and constipation. They can also relieve intestinal inflammation that accompanies other digestive issues including …

• Ulcers
• Colitis
• Gastritis
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Crohn’s disease

4. Heartburn

Some professionals recommend slippery elm bark for heartburn or acid reflux.

When stomach acids flow back into the esophagus it can cause a painful burning sensation. That’s because the acid is damaging the lining of your dog’s esophagus.

Slippery elm’s mucilage protects the esophagus from stomach acid to relieve heartburn.

5. Cough

Slippery elm can also protect the upper respiratory tract.

It lines the throat to ease discomfort from painful coughs. Like the kind associated with …

• Kennel Cough
• Bronchitis
• Other respiratory infections

6. Transition From Kibble To Raw 

If you want to switch to raw, it can take some time for your dog’s body to adjust. It’s important to go slow when you transition your dog. But even then … your dog may need extra support.

Slippery elm can soothe your dog’s gut and help make this transition easier on him. 

7. Urinary Tract

Some believe that slippery elm can also help the bladder.

It’s most often recommended for unexplained inflammation in the bladder. In fact, bladder and urinary tract infections are often just inflammation, rather than bacteria.

8. Skin Healing

Slippery elm is an astringent that dries and tightens tissue. That makes it useful to help dry oozing wounds and stop bleeding to help wounds heal faster.

If your dog has a burn, boil or oozing skin infection, apply slippery elm to the affected area.

9. Swallowing Too Soon

Dogs are gulpers. Has your dog ever almost choked by swallowing something a bit too big to go down? Mine has … like a bone he should have chewed a few more times before swallowing!

If something like a bone gets stuck in his throat … slippery elm gel or syrup can help it on its way through the digestive tract!

How To Give Slippery Elm To Your Dog

So you know how slippery elm can help.

Now let’s look at a few ways to give slippery elm to your dog.

Caution:

1. In rare cases, your dog may be allergic to slippery elm. Signs of allergy may include, hives, swelling, diarrhoea, vomiting or itchiness.
2. Don’t use it for pregnant dogs. 
3. Slippery elm can interfere with absorption because of the protective layer it forms. For this reason … it’s best to give slippery elm at least 3 hours away from other supplements.

Capsules

Dosage:
Small dog … ¼  capsule twice daily
Medium dog … ½ capsule twice daily
Large dog … 1 capsule once or twice daily

Mix the contents of the capsule into food or some yogurt.

Powder

Dosage: Give¼ tsp of powder for every 5kg of body weight.

Mix the powder into food or some yogurt.

Topical

For topical use, mix slippery elm powder with hot water to form a paste. Let it cool then spread it on a soft cotton cloth and place it over the affected area.

Alternatively, you can put the powder in cheesecloth or cotton. Tie off the fabric to make a sac and then soak in warm water. Gently press it on the wound until it cools.

 

Orders for slippery elm can take between 10-15 working days. Please pop us a mail for urgent orders.