Yellow Dock for Dogs

Main Constituents

• Contains a combination of anthroquinone, tannins, and oxalic acid.
• It is also rich in vitamins, iron, and thiamine.

Medicinal Activities

• antimicrobial
• laxative
• nutritive
• a blood cleanser

Common Uses in Dogs

Yellow dock's blood cleansing properties make it an effective herb in treating chronic or acute skin problems (e.g. eczema, psoriasis) and liver diseases resulting from toxic build-up in the body.

Because of its ability to flush out toxins from the body, this herb is used in the treatment of allergies and cancer.

As a tonic, use this herb in combination with burdock, alfalfa, slippery elm, and dandelion. However, due to its laxative property, the use of the herb should be limited to short-term detoxification therapies for our pets. It should not be used for an extended period of time.

Precautions

Extended use in large doses may be irritating to the intestinal tract, resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, and intestinal cramping. It should not be used in pregnant animals.

Availability

Available in various forms (tea, tincture, dried root) at herb retailers. References

J.A. Duke, The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook: Your Comprehensive Reference to the Best Herbs for Healing (Rodale Books, 2000).
R. Kidd, Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Dog Care (Storey Publishing, 2000).
M.L. Wulff-Tilford and G.L. Tilford, Herbs for Pets (Bowtie Press, 1999).