Raw apple cider vinegar
Good morning readers. I'd like to tell you about my experience using raw apple cider vinegar on my cats. This differs from white vinegar or the regular apple cider vinegar offered for sale in the grocery store. You'll know you have the real thing by checking for two things. First the label will include the word "raw" and second, there will be a sediment at the bottom of the bottle. This is referred to as "the mother."
I had a great great aunt who took apple cider vinegar on a daily basis. She was always bursting with energy and never had a weight problem. I won't lie to you and tell you the taste is yummy because it's NOT. The only way I can take it is to take a swallow from the bottle and drink half a glass of tea or juice to get rid of the aftertaste. YUCK!
I purchased a few bottles of raw apple cider vinegar last year, so I had it on hand when I found an injured feral kitten. He had a few really bad sores and I had to take him to the vet. Antibiotics didn't help in the beginning so I made a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and pre-boiled water. I would take a dropper full twice a day and squirt it in his mouth. He didn't seem to mind the taste.
I'd read to add it to the cats drinking water, but my cats didn't like the taste. They refused to drink any water and the vinegar idea in the water bowl was tossed aside.
I also mixed some of the raw vinegar with water in a spray bottle. I used this to spray on my cats to deter fleas. I'd read fleas don't like the smell or the taste and honestly I don't blame them. I will say the smell doesn't take long getting used to. I noticed my cats didn't run away from me when I sprayed their coats with the vinegar mixture (again a 50/50 mix). This was strange because any time I'd go after them with the veterinary flea spray they'd turn tail and run.
They also got the added benefit of the vinegar when they licked some of it off their coat. Therefore, it was all right to over spray them because there are no harmful side effects. I always worried about my pets licking the poisonous chemicals found in commercial sprays.
This spray mixture made my cats coat soft and silky. I've heard it also treats most skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema.
As it turns out, raw apple cider vinegar is packed with health benefits. For more on these, the Bragg site (the #1 maker of raw vinegar) has a detailed list at Organic Apple Cider Vinegar for Pets (opens in new window or tab).
For centuries vinegar has been used to fight infection, aid digestion, reduce the inflammation of arthritis and to restore the body's pH to alkaline. It's an excellent remedy for heartburn in animals and humans. Because of it's pH regulating ability it makes an excellent treatment for any kind of urinary condition in animals. It helps prevent both kidney and bladder infections.
My daughter uses a small amount when cooking green beans. It adds flavor and after dinner my cats fight to see who gets to lick the vinegar out of the pan. Apparently they like the taste as long as it's not in their water bowl.
Raw vinegar can be used full strength to aid inflammation from a minor injury. Simply soak a cloth or bandage and apply plastic over it once it's wrapped around the inflamed area. I have also found full strength raw vinegar will almost immediately take the itch out of a mosquito bit or bee sting.
For animals with arthritis it breaks down calcium deposits and re-mineralizes the bones. It also aids in reducing blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels. I've heard it used to treat urinary problems more than any other condition.
It is one of the only natural foods that is full of vitamins, enzymes and trace minerals. It is both an anti-biotic and anti-septic. I've never read anything bad about it. In my opinion, it's one bottle everyone needs to keep on hand.
I order mine through discount vitamin companies as the cost is cheaper. Most health food stores also carry it.
Please feel free to share any experience you've had using raw apple cider vinegar. I never allow myself to run out and always keep a bottle in my pantry. It doesn't replace regular veterinary care or emergency medicine, but it does make a good supplement for cats and humans.
Elisa
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar and Cats to Articles of Elisa Black-Taylor
i know you can use apple cider vinegar diluted way down as a rinse after a bath to soothe your pets skin and remove any left over soap that may be left behind. It also has helped for itching or flaking skin problems. It seems to work as a anti fungal or inflammatory agent.
Thanks d.p. Apple cider vinegar is acetic acid so I don’t understand how it can do some of the things that it is claimed to do. But it certainly does have some useful medicinal properties.
Be sure to use Bragg’s. I bought another brand several months back because it was on sale and it wasn’t nearly as strong. Brand name does matter.
I have organic raw unfiltered with the mother. It is quite strong.
So a stray ended up on my doorstep (they always do and we rehome them) with a horrible swollen right side of his face. Upon further inspection it was his eye and it was draining some nasty pus. He had to be in horrific pain.
First thing I thought was to flush his eye, yeah that was not going to happen. He did not want to be near anyone. Pain or just being a stray kept him from trusting us.
I figured what there heck, why not so I grabbed the ACV, I will try anything safe at least once. He was not letting me near him but I poured a bit in my hand and rubbed it on the back of his neck as I distracted him for a fraction of a second with food. He was not happy I touched him and tried running. That food though, that was just calling him so he came back up the porch. I explained it was for his own good and left him be.
This was all last night at about 8:45pm. I saw him this morning as he was being me for more food and his face is normal, his eye is clean and it is almost all the way open. AMAZING.
Now to convince him to let me apply some more the right way……. Diluted. Hopefully he will continue coming and we can get him cleared up and maybe caught and vetted.
I used organic raw & unfiltered ACV. I swear there is miracles in every bottle.
Great story Denise but how do you explain it? Well done though. That must have been tricky.
I have no clue how it worked or how it does work. I have read about it and decided to try it.
Explaining it to him was easy although I am sure he didn’t listen or care. Heck I know he didn’t understand as I do not speak cat.
It might have helped that he was in the rain as it poured here last night. I saw him out and about a few times. Apparently our kitty house was not suitable for him to stay in.
I read the article wrong , and gave my cat a tablespoon of the vinager by its self.
She the fomed out the mouth just a little. I’m trying to treat her for a uti .
But
Not long after I gave it to her she finally used the bathroom , ate a little , but not to active.
Will she be okay ?
I’m not a vet but I’d suggest you get her to drink some water to dilute it. The vinegar is strong when not diluted. You’ll get the same reaction if you ever give a cat liquid Benedryl. Be careful with a UTI. If there’s a blockage you really need to get to a vet. Kidney or bladder stones can be very dangerous. I hope she feels better soon. She’ll likely be mad at you for awhile for making her take something she didn’t like. Mine run and hide when they see a syringe.
i ran across the bragg’s on the back of a cat’s neck a coupke of months ago and tried it out. it sounded kind of ridiculous but i do natural stuff all the time. you know, it worked for eye discharge for my little snowshoe. she has a chronic problem in her left eye, only the left eye, especially if she gets intense about something, like playing, that eye weeps. i soak a cottonball in a 50-50 bragg’s-water solution and sop the back of her neck with it, and under her ears. i really massage it in, also put the cotton ball in her ears and swueeze a little in there. it takes a day-and-a-half, but it clears her up every time. sometimes i put a little vinegar in her water, and she likes it just fine. it hasn’t solved the problem, though. but neither has antibiotics from the vet, one salve and one liquid, and neither did anything. i use bragg’s and colloidal silver (mesosilver brand).
so i brought a shelter kitten home to be company for my cat, and the shelter kitten is sneezing! eyes are clear as a bell, though. taking her to the vet tomorrow morning as i amniw afraid that i have introduced sickness into my house that sill infect my cat. :-0. but last night i saturated the new kitten’s neck with the diluted acv and put some in water which she drank. hope this helps her.
sorry for all the typos, have a terrible time hitting the correct key-spots on my ipad screen, but always leave reviews on amazon, go back to edit them later, and forget that is not always possible.
Don’t worry about the typos. I am just pleased you visited and shared your experiences. Thank you.
Good luck with your shelter cat’s sneezing. I hope it clears up. Well done on adopting a shelter cat. And thanks again for commenting.