The Canine Critique: Apple Cider Vinegar

If you have dogs, your home should have Apple Cider Vinegar (also known as ACV). ACV has been known to help allieveate allergies, arthritis and establishing the correct pH balance in the body. ACV also can help humans with dandruff and weight loss! (I'll talk about that later.)

If your dog has itchy skin, hot spots, constantly licking its feet, smelly ears or is a picky eater, Apple Cider Vinegar might work for you.

For itchy skin or the beginnings of a hot spot, fill a spray bottle with ACV, part the hair and spray an even layer across the skin. This drys out any skin eruptions within 24 hours! If the skin is already broken, dilute ACV with an equal amount of water and spray.

ACV also helps stimulate the appetite in dogs. Adding 1 tablespoon (per 50lbs of dog) twice a day can entice a dog to eat.

After cleaning your pup's ears, a few drops of ACV inside will help prevent future ear infections.

ACV also helps acidify the digestive tract. Buy some pH strips at your local drugstore to test your dogs urine first thing in the morning. A normal pH level ranges anywhere from 6.2-6.5. If it is 7.5 or above, the diet you are feedign your dog is too rich in alkaline, and ACV will help correct the imbalance.

Nasty bugs (fleas, flies, ticks, external parasites, mange, etc) are very unlikely to inhabit a dog whos system is acidic inside and out. If you ever have a bout with any of these pests, simply bathe your dog in a good herbal shampoo, rinse and sponge on ACV diluted with equal amounts of warm water. Allow your dog to drip dry. The ACV rinse makes the skin too acidic for a re-infestation, so there is no need for harmful chemicals (a la Frontline) to be put on your dogs body. If you are worried about your pup picking up some travelers along the way on your walks or dogpark time, simply fill a spray bottle of ACV and spray on before and after you get back.

Obviously if you have a severe infestation of any type of extrenal parasites, then you will need to take different measures to rid your dog of the infestation. Since ACV puts your dogs pH levels back to normal (more acidic), your skin is now unpalatable to bacteria and parasites. Cool!

ACV also has uses for humans as well. It is noted for having great effects for people with severe dandruff. Rinsing your hair with ACV (no soap prior is needed), then putting it up in a towel for a few hours then rinsing with warm water will virtually elimiate dandruff. And it will leave your hair silky smooth!

ACV is also known to help with weight loss as well. Try doing the search "Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss", and you'll find tons of websites that you can figure out your opinion on the subject.:)

It is important to know that the best Apple Cider Vinegar (with the best results) is the all natural, unfiltered organic dark kind with sediment on the bottom of the bottle. Filtered ACV is a amber color, while unfiltered ACV has the color of real dark maple syrup.