The Herby Hound

According to my dogS, the following situations require immediate attention:

🐾 An empty food bowl (even if breakfast was 17 minutes ago).

🐾 The fridge door being closed.

🐾 Mum opening a packet of biscuits and not sharing.

🐾 Dad leaving the house without a proper goodbye ceremony.

🐾 A squirrel existing within a 3-mile radius.

🐾 Being asked to move from the exact spot where a human needs to sit.

🐾 The postman having the audacity to approach the front gate.

🐾 A tennis ball rolling under the sofa.

🐾 Dinner being served 30 seconds later than usual.

🐾 The other dog receiving attention first.

🐾 The vacuum cleaner being switched on.

🐾 Someone eating cheese without obtaining canine approval.

Fortunately, all of these emergencies can usually be resolved with snacks, cuddles, or a strategic nap!

What's the biggest "emergency" according to your dog? 😂🐾

Because it’s very easy to collect lovely ideas.

A rinse for itchy skin.
A balm for dry patches.
A tea for a funny tummy.
A herb you saw mentioned in a Facebook group at 11pm while your dog was licking one paw with far too much commitment.

But natural care becomes much more useful when you stop thinking, 'What can I throw at this?' and start thinking, 'What is actually going on here?'

Is the skin broken?
Is it hot or swollen?
Is your dog distressed?
Has something changed?
Is this something gentle support can help with, or is this one for the vet?

That took me a while to learn.

And it’s one of the reasons I created the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆.

Not because I think every dog owner needs to become a herbalist.

But because I think more dog owners would feel calmer if they understood a few simple remedies properly, instead of having a hundred saved posts and no idea which one applies.

This month inside the Academy, we’re looking at Skin Reactions, Itch & Inflammation.

Useful herbs matter.

But knowing when to use them matters even more.

If this sounds like the kind of support you’d like to have on hand, the Academy link is in my bio. 🌿🐾

I think a lot of dog owners feel as if they have to change everything if they want to improve their dog’s bowl.

New food.
New brand.
New subscription.
New price tag that makes you need a little sit down!

But sometimes, a better bowl starts with what you already have.

A spoon of natural yoghurt.
A splash of bone broth.
A cooked egg.
A little mashed sweet potato.
A few blueberries.
Some shredded chicken from the fridge.

Small additions can make your dog’s usual food more useful, more interesting, and often more tempting.

That’s what I like about bowl boosting.

You don’t have to throw out the food your dog already eats.

You don’t have to panic-buy the most expensive bag in the shop.

You can start by adding one simple extra and seeing how your dog gets on.

More moisture.
More variety.
A little extra nourishment.
Something that suits the dog in front of you.

Because feeding better doesn’t have to mean starting again.

Sometimes it just means making the bowl you already serve a bit more useful. 🐾🌿

Be honest!!

No judgement. I think most of us have done number 6 at some point.

I’m asking because this month inside the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆, we’re looking at Skin Reactions, Itch & Inflammation, and I’m always interested in what people naturally do first when something flares up.

Pop your number below - or tell me what you usually do. 🌿🐾

Oats can be really useful when your dog’s skin feels itchy, dry, or irritated.

They work by leaving a soft, slightly slippery coating on the skin, which helps calm that scratchy feeling and supports the skin barrier while it settles. Colloidal oatmeal is widely used in skincare for dry, irritated, itchy skin because of its anti-inflammatory and skin-protective properties.

You can use finely ground plain oats in a bath or make a simple oat rinse, then apply it gently to the itchy area.

A few things to remember:

🌾 use plain oats only
🌾 grind them finely so they mix well
🌾 rinse well afterwards if needed
🌾 dry your dog properly, especially in skin folds, armpits, and between toes
🌾 avoid broken skin, wounds, stitches, eyes, ears, and delicate areas

And as always, if the skin is hot, swollen, weepy, bleeding, spreading, very sore, or your dog seems unwell, that’s one for the vet.

Simple, gentle, and easy to overlook - but handy when itchy skin appears. 🌿🐾

It’s one of the easiest bowl upgrades you can make.

A splash of bone broth takes seconds, adds moisture, and can make dinner much more tempting - especially for fussy eaters or older dogs.

No cooking session required. No chopping board. No pretending you’re about to become the sort of person who meal-preps for the dog every Sunday.

Just pour a little over their usual food and see how they get on.

That’s what I like about bowl boosting. It fits into real life.

Some days, the best upgrade is the one you can manage while the kettle boils!!

This month’s Academy topic is Skin Reactions, Itch & Inflammation.

And while I was putting the lesson together, I kept coming back to one very ordinary dog-owner moment:

You spot a red patch.

Or your dog starts licking one paw.

Or they come back from a walk and suddenly seem itchier than usual.

And then you do the thing we all do.

You check it.
You check it again.
You wonder if it looks worse.
You take a photo.
You compare it to the photo from ten minutes ago.
You ask the dog to please stop licking it, which they naturally ignore.

That’s the sort of real-life moment this month’s topic is built around.

Not dramatic emergencies.

The smaller skin flare-ups that still make you think, 'I need to do something sensible here.'

So inside the Academy this month, we’re looking at skin reactions from that angle:

What’s useful to notice.
What might be irritating things further.
What’s worth having in your cupboard.
And when it’s time to stop hovering and call the vet.

Because sometimes the most helpful thing is not a complicated plan.

It’s knowing how to be a bit less flappy when your dog’s skin kicks off.

If this sounds like the kind of support you’d like to have on hand, the Academy link is in my bio. 🌿🐾

A mistake I used to make with natural dog care.

I used to treat herbal remedies like something I’d make when I needed them.

Which sounds sensible.

Until you have a dog scratching, licking, looking uncomfortable, or generally making it very clear that they do not care about your calm herbal intentions.

That is not the moment you want to be hunting for a clean jar, checking whether you still have chamomile, or trying to remember how long something needs to steep.

Ask me how I know.

Over time, I’ve learned that some remedies are much more useful when you already understand them.

Even better when you’ve made them before.

A simple rinse.
A balm.
A soothing tea.
Something gentle you know how to use because it isn’t your first time looking at it.

That doesn’t mean having a cupboard full of things you’ll never touch.

It just means getting familiar with one useful remedy at a time.

That’s part of what I want the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 to help with.

This month, we’re looking at Skin Reactions, Itch & Inflammation.

Not just 'here’s a herb that might be useful.'

But what could help in the moment, and what’s worth having ready for later.

Because future you is much less flappy when past you has already made the chamomile rinse.

If this sounds like the kind of support you’d like to have on hand, the Academy link is in my bio. 🌿🐾

This month’s topic is Skin Reactions, Itch & Inflammation.

But instead of trying to learn everything there is to know about itchy skin, we’re keeping it practical.

Members are looking at two simple questions:

What can I do in the moment?
What can I have ready for next time?

That’s the bit I want the Academy to help with.

Because when your dog is suddenly itchy, red, licking, sore, or reacting to something, it’s very easy to start scrolling, saving, and second-guessing.

A simple first step is much more useful.

So this month, members are working through:

🌿 what to notice first
🌿 what might be making the skin worse
🌿 one gentle remedy for now
🌿 one longer-term remedy to prepare for later
🌿 when it’s time to stop guessing and call the vet

That’s what’s happening inside the Academy this month.

One issue.
One remedy for now.
One remedy for later.

If this sounds like the kind of support you’d like to have on hand, the Academy link is in my bio. 🌿🐾

Aloe vera tends to have its moment in summer, and for good reason.

For dogs, the cooling gel from the inside of the leaf has traditionally been used to help soothe:
🐾 minor hot spots and irritated skin
🐾 itchy insect bites
🐾 skin that's feeling a bit warm and bothered
🐾 small patches of redness after a day spent enjoying the sunshine

It's one of those plants that's worth having around because it can provide that instant "ooh, that feels nice" sensation.

A couple of important reminders:
✔️ Use only the clear inner gel from the leaf or a pure aloe gel product.
✔️ Avoid the yellow latex part of the plant, as this isn't suitable for dogs.
✔️ Don't apply it to deep wounds or encourage your dog to lick large amounts off.

As Paris starts turning up the thermostat again, that slightly neglected aloe plant on the windowsill might just become one of the handiest plants in the house.

Cool, calm support when your dog's skin needs a little kindness. 💚