Your Dog's Skin Can Benefit From This Soothing Healing Herb, Calendula

★ 5 min read

In this article:

1. About Calendula and Healing With Calendula Flowers
1. Medicinal Properties of Calendula 
2. Calendula Can Help Treat
   
2. Calendula Tea and Calendula Infusion 
1. When to Choose Tea v.s Infusion
   
3. How to Make Calendula Tea for Dogs and Cats
   
4. How to Make Calendula Infusion Dogs and Cats
   
5. How to use Calendula Tea or Infusion
1. Chin or Muzzle Cleanse
2. Full Body Soak or Rinse
3. Paw Soak
4. Insect Stings and Bite
5. Under Belly Spray, Rinse or Soak
1. Environmental Allergens, Pollen
   
2. Road Salt
3. Urinary Tract Infections
6. Can My Dog or Cat Drink The Calendula?
1. Calendula Herbal Beverage and Ingested Herb for Dogs and Cats  
2. Calendula Tea, Infusion, Dry Herb Dosing Guideline

1.0 About Calendula and Healing With Calendula Flowers

Calendula (calendula officinalis) is a common sun-loving flower with impressive healing properties. Calendula flower petals have antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, mild analgesic, antiseptic healing properties. Calendula has a calming affect and nourishes skin.

1.1 Medicinal Properties of Calendula
 

Medicinal properties of calendula include:

1. Analgesic (pain relief)
2. Antiseptic
3. Antibacterial
4. Antifungal
   
5. Antimicrobial 
6. Astringent
   
7. Detoxicant
8. Styptic
   

1.2 Calendula Can Help Treat

1. Acne, common in puppies and younger dogs.
2. Acute dermatitis.
3. Bleeding when your dog and cat's nail is but too short.
   
4. Cuts and wounds.
   
5. Food hypersensitivity skin symptoms.
6. Gastrointestinal Issues.
   
7. Eye infections.  
8. Environmental skin allergy symptoms. 
9. Flea allergy skin symptoms.
   
10. Bee, wasp and other insect bites and stings.
11. Skin infections.
12. Urinary tract infections.
13. Yeasty paws.
    

2.0 Calendula Tea and Calendula Infusion

2.1 When to Choose Infusion v.s Tea

.1 For Immediate, Acute Treatment 

 

If you need to treat an issue right away:

•  Use calendula tea.

 

.2 For Best Healing Properties

 

If you need to treat an issue that does not require immediate treatment or treating on-going issue:

• Use calendula infusion.

Infusing calendula increases its healing properties. 

 

3.0 How to Make Calendula Tea for Dogs and Cats

You'll need:

• 1 calendula tea bag for every 8-ounces of water or;
• 1 tsp loose calendula petals for every 8-ounces of water. 
• 1 tea infuser if using loose calendula petals.
• Kettle
• Tea pot or sauce pot with lid.

Preparation

1. Place the calendula tea bag into a tea pot or sauce pot.
2. If using loose petals:
1. Put the petals in a tea infuser and then into the kettle or sauce pot or;
2. Place the loose petals directly in the kettle or sauce pot.
3. Boil the water.
4. Pour the boiled water into the tea pot or sauce pot.
5. Cover and steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. When finished steeping, remove the tea bags or tea infuser, or strain the loose petals from the tea.
7. You can keep the steeped, cooled tea bags or petals to use as a compress.
8. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature.
9. The tea is ready for use.
10. If you aren't using the tea right away, store the tea in the refrigerator.
11. For optimal healing properties use the tea (or tea bag compress) within 24 to 48 hours.

4.0 How To Make Calendula Infusion For Dogs  and Cats

You'll need:

• 2 tablespoons of dry loose petal or fresh petals for every 8 ounces of water or;
• 5 to 6 calendula tea bags for every 8 ounces of water.
• Kettle
• Tea pot or sauce pot with lid.

Preparation

1. Place the calendula tea bag into a tea pot or sauce pot.
2. If using loose petals:
1. Put the petals in a tea infuser and then into the kettle or sauce pot or;
2. Place the loose petals directly in the kettle or sauce pot.
3. Boil the water.
4. Pour the boiled water into the tea pot or sauce pot.
5. Cover and steep for 12-hours up to 8-hours.
6. When finished steeping, remove the tea bags or tea infuser, or strain the loose petals from the liquid infusion.
7. You can keep the steeped, cooled tea bags or petals to use as a compress.
8. Allow the infusion to cool to room temperature.
9. The infusion is ready for use.
10. If you aren't using the tea right away, store the tea in the refrigerator.
11. For optimal healing properties use the tea (or tea bag compress) within 24 to 48 hours.

5.0 How To Use Calendula Infusion or Tea

 

5.1 Calendula Chin and Muzzle Cleanse 🧽

 

Spray Application

1. Pour the infusion or tea into a spray bottle.
2. Gently spray your dog or cat's muzzle and chin, then pat dry.
3. Wipe Application
4. Pour or dip a little calendula infusion or tea onto a soft clean cloth.
5. Wring out excess liquid, and use the cloth to gently wipe chin and muzzle.

5.2 Calendula Full Body Soak or Rinse 🛁

 

Multi-purpose soothing, cleansing, healing soak or rinse.

1. Add calendula infusion or tea to your dog or cat's bath water.

5.3 Calendula Paw Soak 🐾
 

Help treat yeasty paws, irritated, inflamed, cut or infected paws.

 

Use calendula infusion or tea to soak your dog's paws. 

 

Or add calendula infusion to Himalayan salt paw soak. 

 

Make sure to soak your dog's paws for at least 30 seconds.

A calendula paw soak can:

1. Help protect cut paws from infection and help speed healing.
2. Cleanse toxic road salt from your dog's paws.
3. Allergy support to cleanse pollen and other allergens from your dog's paws.
4. Candida overgrowth support, help soothe and treat inflamed, irritated paws.

5.4 Insect Stings and Bites 🐝🦟

Help relieve pain, swelling, inflammation, and infection at insect sting or bite site.

 

Insect bites and stings can cause skin irritation, swelling, rashes, pain and infection.
 

To help reduce inflammation, irritation and infection:

1. Apply calendula infusion or tea. 
2. You can also use the steeped tea bags as a compress. 
3. Apply the compress for at least 30 seconds to the bite or sting-site.

5.5 Underbelly Spray, Rinse or Soak 🚿

Help prevent environmental allergen skin symptoms, help prevent toxins from entering your dog's blood stream.

 

 .1 Environmental Allergens, Pollen

 

Rinse pollen, other environmental allergens and contaminates from your dog's:

1. Face.
2. Paws.
3. Underside.
4. Can also be used to do a whole body rinse.

.2 Road Salt

Rinse road salt from your dog's:

1. Paws.
2. Underside.
   

.3 Urinary Tract Infections

 

Rinse your dog's vulva with calendula infusion or tea, two to three times per day to help:

1. Reduce discomfort from urinary tract infections.
2. Reduce risk of re-infection.

6.0 Can My Dog or Cat Drink The Calendula or Eat The Dry Petals?

6.1 Calendula Herbal Beverage and Ingested Herb for Dogs and Cats

 

Calendula tea or infusion, and the dry calendula petals are safe for dogs and cats.

 

If your dog or cat seems to enjoy (self-select) licking-up the tea or infusion, place a bowl of calendula tea or calendula infusion beside their fresh water bowl.

 

If your dog or cat wants to eat some of the dry petals, follow the dosage guidelines provided in the chart below.

 

Learn more about self-selection:

• Go to this article.

 

6.2 Calendula Tea, Infusion, Dry Herb Dosing Guideline

 

If your dog or cat has self-selected calendula to drink (herbal tea or infusion), or to take as a dry herb, follow the daily serving guidelines below. To view a larger version of the chart, click on the image (chart).

 

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Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld.