Dogs can find their own medicines and heal themselves
By RBBantiles
@RBBantiles (347)
Philippines
July 10, 2011 10:00am CST
Dogs have the ability to find their own medicine and heal themselves. If the surrounding area is covered with natural vegetation accessible to dogs, the ailing dog will find its medicine by smelling and tasting the grasses. When it finds the right one, it will then eat its fill of that specific grass. After a while, the dog will regurgitate what it had eaten. The dog looks more frisky after that.
Unfortunately, dog enthusiasts in populated areas may not get to see this ability of their dogs. The surrounding must be covered with natural vegetation to spark the ailing dog's instinct for self-healing and survival.
What have you observed about your dog? Do you know of any other animal (excluding humans of course) that has this ability to find its own medicine for self-healing? Do you think this is an interesting area for scientific study?
7 responses
@AgentGulaman (3546)
• Philippines
11 Jul 11
Yes! I do observe this behavior on our dog whenever it has cough or flu like symptoms. We have a grassy garden in our home and whenever our dog feels sick it eventually tries to sniff on the grasses. Then I begin to notice that our dog actually chews the grasses then coughs out mucous thereafter. I do believe that it is a way for them to treat their illness. Yes, I am interested in knowing dog's behavior so that I can take care of our pet nicely.
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
11 Jul 11
Yeah, that is quite true, I used to live in the village area when I was a teenager, I had a few dogs at home, and whenever they are sick, you will be able to see them running around and eating grasses sometime. That is their way to look for the natural medicine that can heal their illness. I have not heard about others animal can do the same. But I believe most of the animal will have this kind of ability or else why they always looks healthy and seldom get sick unlike human?
@RBBantiles (347)
• Philippines
13 Jul 11
Thank you, Friend Yspmyl. I tend to agree with you that most animals, especially those in the wild, still have the ability to find the medicine to heal themselves.
@RBBantiles (347)
• Philippines
10 Jul 11
That cats have this ability too is quite enlightening to me. Thank you Friend Flzmlady. Schools of medicine and veterinary medicine I hope should find this information very interesting.
@sjlskl (3382)
• Singapore
10 Jul 11
I have heard before about dogs healing themselves by eating some grass and I have seen them eating before. What is amazing to me is that those grasses and pretty common around and my dog does not eat them usually. Only once in a while do they do so.
Yes, I agree with you that there should be some research done on this. It is definitely beneficial to let dog owners know about it. But I cant say the same for vets thou.
@RBBantiles (347)
• Philippines
10 Jul 11
Hahahah... Overworked vets will love this knowledge, it will relieve them of much work. I could say the same for animal food and medicine manufacturers too. There will be profitable opportunities for new kinds of veterinary medicines in the market especially in the densely populated areas where vegetation is sparse and limited.
@bouncybug (614)
• South Africa
10 Jul 11
This is really interesting. It would make sense to me that animals (both domestic and in the wild) would have the ability to sense what is good and healthy for them to eat - have you ever noticed that humans seem to get sick a lot more often than animals do? And as most of our modern day medications are derived from plant products, it makes sense that these plants are out there in the natural vegetation. Animals have obviously learnt through generations what plants are good for certain ailments, by instinct. Isn't nature just amazing in that way?
@RBBantiles (347)
• Philippines
10 Jul 11
Uh, I just turned around without thanking Friend Sjlskl. I hope you don't mind, Friend Bouncybug, if I use this box to say thank you to Friend Sjlskl.
Yes, it does appear that dogs and cats have retained their instincts for healing and avoiding food that may do them harm. It may not be the same for human beings who seem to have developed a taste for, if not addiction to, junk and fake foods and, to top it, seemingly unmindful of consequences. That may be the reason for your observation "that humans seem to get sick a lot more often than animals ..." I hope that day will NOT come when we will have to go to schools run by cats and dogs for recognizing foods that are beneficial and foods that are potentially harmful to our health... hahahah...
Thank you for your comments.
@Pippikins (49)
• United States
11 Jul 11
It sounds a lot like people. Ever wonder why you get those weird cravings for things you don't normally like? If we ate whatever sounded good at the time I believe we would be a lot healthier. But, that doesn't mean you eat a whole bunch of it at once... then, you would just be fat.
@RBBantiles (347)
• Philippines
13 Jul 11
That's what you should guard against: eating that results in a waistline that reaches from the South Pole to the North Pole... hahahah... Thanks for your comments, Friend Pippikins.
@bhabycatch013 (9150)
• Philippines
10 Jul 11
hello RBB,
Some people say if you see your pet (dog or cat) eating grass or plants let them because they are not feeling well they are trying to heal themselves.
Somehow I believe on this because my cats always do this sometimes I saw some of them vomits afterward they will walk towards my moms plants sniff and eat some plants.
happy mylotting
@RBBantiles (347)
• Philippines
10 Jul 11
So cats also have this ability... Thank you for this information Friend Bhabycatch013.
