Treating tummy trouble

PEOPLE are not the only ones who can benefit from simple home remedies – they can help heal animals too.

Not all human home remedies can be applied to your four-legged friends, the German animal welfare organisation Aktion Tier warns. But there is one tried and tested home remedy for humans that works for animals too: bicarbonate of soda.

The powder, which is also used for baking, is an effective remedy for stomach problems and heartburn in animals, says vet Tina Hoelscher.

Bicarbonate of soda neutralises the acid created by the stomach and thereby soothes the stomach lining and oesophagus.

How can you tell that animals have an inflamed stomach lining? Signs include vomiting or constantly licking their chops, according to Hoelscher. The same symptoms appear with heartburn, which is caused by stomach acid flowing back into the oesophagus.

To give bicarbonate of soda to small animals, you can mix a little bit – enough to cover a knife tip – directly into their food.

It is even better to dissolve it in water and squeeze the mixture into their mouths with a syringe one hour after their meal.

Those who want to use exact dosages can give 50 milligrammes per kilogramme of the animal’s body weight every 12 hours.

Self-medication should not be a long-term solution, however. If the symptoms of gastritis have not disappeared after two days at most, you should take your animal to see a vet. – dpa