Giving herbs to picky eaters
Occasionally administration of herbs to pets may come with a slight challenge if your pet has a reduced appetite due to illness, or is a picky eater.
Here are a few ideas on how to administer their daily dose of nutritious herbs.
- Mix the herbs in with their food. If the food is dry pellets, dilute the herbs with water, meat-, chicken- or fish broth. (Start with a little pinch of the supplement and increase slowly up to the recommended serving size.)
- You may add a little stevia, with the herb-food mix, to improve the taste.
- For cats, milk may be added to the herb-food mix. (Avoid milk if your cat have a skin condition, or is sensitive to milk)
- If your pet’s appetite is poor, or if he is used to food off your table, you may disguise the taste by using fish, fish broth or tuna water.
- If your pet’s appetite is reduced due to illness, do not administer the herbs with his food, but rather in a separate treat like anchovy paste, meat, sausage, fish (pilchards, sardines, tuna, snoek) etc.
- Mix canned cat or dog food with the herbs. (Use a natural, grain-free option for pets with skin problems)
- Administer the herbs with peanut butter, anchovy paste, meat or liver, mixed into their food.
- You can also dilute the herbs with water or a meat broth or fish broth and administer slowly with a syringe into the mouth.
- Mix the herb into a paste with anchovy paste and smear it on your cat’s paws.
- You may also encapsulate the dry powder or dilute the herbs into a thin paste and, with a syringe, add the paste to a capsule and close. Administer the capsule directly into the mouth of the pet.
***Always try to use natural meats/fish/chicken with no preservatives, flavours or spices.
***For allergic pets or pets with chronic skin problems use grain-free food and snacks.
