Protect Your Pet from Wildfire Smoke: 5 Effective Home Remedies

Protecting Your Pets from Wildfire Smoke: Essential Tips and Remedies

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Right now, much of Eastern Canada and the Eastern U.S. are enveloped in smoke. Millions of acres of forests are burning, affecting wide swaths of the continent with poor air quality filled with fine particulate matter and gases. It’s akin to smoking a pack of cigarettes if you spend the day outside in these conditions. Our pets, including dogs and cats, are vulnerable, inhaling fine particulate matter that can cause serious lung inflammation and eye irritation. Especially at risk are brachycephalic breeds—those with pushed-in faces.

Simple Measures to Safeguard Your Pets

Here are some straightforward steps to keep your pets safe:

• Limit outdoor activities. Avoid strenuous exercise and keep outings brief, just for bathroom breaks.
• Keep indoor air clean. Close your windows to minimize smoke entry. Avoid activities that can increase indoor particles like burning candles, cooking on high settings, or vacuuming.

Home Remedies for Pets Affected by Smoke

If your pets are showing signs of discomfort due to the smoke, here are five remedies that can help:

1. Steam Therapy: Utilizing steam can open the airways and help clear mucus in the lungs. You can use a heated vaporizer, or simply bring your pet into the bathroom while you run a hot shower to create a steam-filled room.

2. Air Purifiers: Although not cheap, air purifiers can filter out fine particulate matter effectively. I recommend setting up an air purifier in a dedicated room where your pet spends most of their time. You’d be surprised at how much dust and smoke it can filter out.

3. Green Tea: This is an excellent, natural anti-inflammatory agent packed with antioxidants. Drinking green tea can also provide some protection against lung damage from wildfire smoke. For your pets, you can add about a quarter cup of cooled green tea per 20 pounds of body weight to their drinking water once or twice daily.

4. Natural Anti-Inflammatories:

   • Curcumin: I recommend doses of 50 to 100 milligrams per 10 pounds of body weight daily. We have developed our own high absorption curcumin supplement that can be particularly beneficial.
   • CBD and Chamomile: For inflammation and cough relief, standard doses are about three milligrams of CBD per 10 pounds of body weight, administered twice daily.

5. Honey for Cough Relief: Honey is an excellent cough suppressant and has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. A standard dose is about half a teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight, which can be mixed in water or green tea, or given directly from a spoon.

Soothing Inflamed Eyes

If your dog’s eyes are inflamed, over-the-counter eye drops like Clear Eyes or Visine can be beneficial. You can safely apply one drop to each affected eye up to four times a day. Alternatively, freshly brewed green tea, cooled down, can be used in the eyes to reduce inflammation.

If your pets are impacted by wildfire smoke, consider these remedies. They’re simple yet effective and can significantly alleviate discomfort. Thank you for watching this edition of Veterinary Secrets on how to help your pets during wildfires. Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the bell for notifications. And remember, you can get a copy of my free book by clicking the link below.