TURMERIC: WONDER HERB OR OLD WIVE’S TALE?

It seems you can’t look on any dog care site at the moment without being told how wonderful Turmeric is and some owners are buying huge stocks of turmeric powder and making up wonderful concoctions. But is it a cure all, and can it do harm?

GREAT THINGS ABOUT TURMERIC!

Turmeric is a well studied herb with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-platelet, bile stimulating, liver protecting, anti-cancer and cholesterol reducing properties.

It is a favourite of our vet Vicky for older patients with arthritis as is improves circulation and warms the patient as well as having anti-inflammatory properties. However these warming properties mean it wouldn’t be her first choice of anti-inflammatory herb for a young dog with an acute injury.

There is a wealth of research showing turmeric has anti-cancer properties, but many of these have only been carried out in test tubes rather than in actual animals. However it has shown promise against melanoma in lab animal trials. Turmeric certainly has a use alongside conventional cancer treatments as it may slow tumour growth as well as supporting the liver.

Turmeric’s anti-platelet effects may be useful in feline cardiac patients at risk of thromboembolism.

NOT SO GREAT THINGS ABOUT TURMERIC…

The biggest problem with turmeric is that it stains things yellow so use with caution in animals prone to vomiting or diarrhoea! It can also cause skin irritation so should be used cautiously on external wounds. As turmeric stimulates bile flow it shouldn’t be used in patients with bile duct obstructions and it can cause stomach irritation in some patients.

Turmeric shouldn’t be given to animals due to have surgery and could interact with other anti-clotting drugs increasing the risk of bleeding.

SO, SHOULD I FEED MY DOG TURMERIC?

Turmeric is certainly a useful herb and one which can be safely added to the diet of many dogs. As it is a readily available herb for culinary use we advise buying fresh turmeric root to avoid the loss of volatile oils. This be be grated then frozen so nothing goes to waste. Half a teaspoon twice as day of fresh root is enough for most medium to large dogs.

If your dog is already on medication for joint problems, allergies, cognitive dysfunction, liver problems, or heart problems we would strongly recommend speaking to a vet trained in the use of herbal medicines before using turmeric (or any other herb!).

Building the dose up over several days is advisable to avoid pets being put off their food or getting stomach upsets.