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Saturday, June 21, 2008

HONEY: HOW GOOD IS IT FOR WINNIE THE POOH?(and for your dog too?)

From Sydney Dixon, a CRM Member:

I have always thought the pictures and stories of Winnie the Pooh with his paw sticking in the Honey Pot were cute and that his love of honey was something that was made up for his character. I have found out that there may be some real reasons why Winnie loves his honey and that it just might be something that is really good for our pets!

I show some of my Cairns and at one of the shows we were attending, I heard a very experienced dog handler say that he sometimes gives his dog a teaspoon of Honey about a half hour before going into the ring. I thought to myself that this must be to perk the dog up since I have always believed that eating pure honey was a lot like eating a chocolate bar – it gives you a very fast shot of energy. I decided to do some research on the use of honey because if it is not bad for the dogs, I thought I might try this little “trick”. Here is what I have found out about this easy to find and use condiment:

First of all, I found that I was correct – Honey IS the greatest of the natural energizers. Since it is predigested by the bees that make it, honey is absorbed immediately into the blood stream of the consumer. A diet of milk and honey can sustain life for months in humans and animals. Honey has also been proven to be a very good medicine that will inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the digestive tract. This was especially good for me to learn because I have found that my dogs love a bite of toast with honey on it.

Some uses for honey include:
- Allergies - feed your dog a tablespoon of honey 2 times per day. You can mix it in with their food or let them eat it right off the spoon. You can also do what I do, spread it on a piece of buttered toast – your dog will love it. NOTE: in using honey to help with allergies it is really important to buy from a local producer who has bees in the area where you live. It appears that honey used in the raw form, is particularly good for the seasonal allergies that our dogs, like ourselves, get in the Spring, Summer and Fall seasons. Raw honey has Vitamins A, B-complex, C,D,E and K and has about 63 calories per tablespoon.

- Make a Shampoo out of honey. It will soothe the dogs skin. Take clear natural organic shampoo and mix in equal amounts of honey. You can add things like aloe vera, orange, lemon grass and citronella. What you now have is a very gentle shampoo that is good for disinfecting, deodorizing and insect repelling. The honey will make the shampoo into a very low lather. Put it on your pet and rub it in. Leave it on for a few minutes and then rinse well.

- Use honey to treat cuts and wounds. The high sugars in the honey make it a good infection fighter and wounds may heal faster as well.

- You can use it to help remove wart-like growths on your pet. Rubbing the spots with thick honey will help soften the growth and eventually it will become removable.

- Honey used on burns will both soothe the pain and help prevent bad scarring. After completely cleaning the burned area, thickly spread honey on it. Keep applying it every 10 minutes until the pain subsides.

- Add honey to those home-made dog treats – most dogs love the taste of honey and you will be giving them a treat that can be very beneficial So, the next time you go to a county or state fair or to a local flea market, look for Honey – your dog will thank you!
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References:
Professor James Amrine, Division of Plant & Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
The Complete Herbal Handbook for Dogs & Cats by Juliette de Bairacti Levy

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