Slippery elm is a must have in our house, we never let ourselves run out, and here’s why!
Treats Diarrhea
Slippery elm is our go-to for any type of stomach upset for our dogs. In our experience it can stop diarrhea in 1-2 doses. We will also give this on days where we may be feeding them some extra treats or snacks. We always give them a dose or two of slippery elm for doggy birthday parties, it keeps them regular and prevents diarrhea!
Treats Constipation
Slippery elm is also perfect for constipation, this “magic” herb works both ways!
Soothes sore throats and coughs
Kennel cough is so common, especially if your dog is a social butterfly like our puppies. We’ve had our dogs catch kennel cough multiple times despite our best efforts; slippery elm tea is perfect to soothe their throats and stop their coughs. If your dog socializes with other dogs, goes to pet stores, grooming shops, doggy daycare or dog parks there is always a risk of kennel cough. If your dog catches it, keep them home, make them some slippery elm tea and let them rest!
Immune system
Slippery elm has vitamins and minerals and it has been known to help boost the immune system. It definitely doesn’t hurt to try it!
Topical use
Slippery elm can also be mixed with a bit of water to make a paste. This paste can be used topically on cuts, scrapes, abscesses and hot spots to promote fast healing. The perfect thing about using it topically, is it’s completely edible therefore safe to lick so you don’t need to worry about your dog ingesting it!
Where to buy and how to feed
We buy our slippery elm powder from Totally Raw (click here), as directed we mix 1 tsp of powder with 1 cup of cold water (we typically double or triple the recipe since we have a large pack) then whisk and bring to a boil. Allow to cool then add the proper dosage to their meal and either refrigerate (good for up to a week) or freeze in an ice cube tray! Our ice cube tray holds 1 1/2 tbsp of tea per cube, which is the perfect dose for our little dogs.
We feed our small dogs 1 1/2 tbsp 1-2 times a day as needed. Our Aussie’s get 2 ice cubes (3 tbsp) 1-2 times a day as needed, and Mable, our Doberman gets 4-5 tbsp 1-2 times a day. Read the package and start out with the recommended dose but then you can play around with the amounts slightly to see what works for your dog!
When we first got Mable she had the worst stool quality; It was constantly runny. She was otherwise happy, active and eating well. With the right food and supplements, her stool is almost always solid now and slippery elm has played a huge part in that, we recommend it to everyone!