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Arnica for Dogs: Is It Safe? Uses, Side Effects & How to Use It

Dr. Shruti BhattacharyaBy Updated:No Comments11 Mins Read Dog Health
benefits of arnica in dogs
benefits of arnica in dogs

Why is Arnica Montana a popular remedy for dogs?

Arnica Montana is one of the oldest and time tested drug of the homoeopathy regime. If you have been following my blog, you know that I am all in favor of herbal remedies and non-side effect medication for my boy and foster kids. I do not like to take unnecessary risks by administering him any kind of pain killer (NSAIDs) which might cause side effects in the future. I know a lot of you would want the same thing for your pups too. Today, I bring you arnica, a homeopathic and herbal remedy I have personally used on my fosters, along with what you need to know to use it safely.

Is arnica safe for dogs? Arnica is popular for bruises and sprains, and it is meant for use on the skin. But arnica is toxic if swallowed in concentrated form (oil, gel, cream, tincture or the plant). The Merck Veterinary Manual lists vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, high blood pressure and heart effects. Highly diluted homeopathic pellets are unlikely to poison a dog, but labels aren’t always reliable. So: only a thin layer on unbroken skin, stop your dog from licking it (a cone or T-shirt helps), never put it on open or bleeding wounds, and ask your vet before giving any arnica by mouth. If your dog eats an arnica product, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435).

 

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Arnica Montana can have a wide variety of effects on dogs
Arnica Montana can have a wide variety of effects on dogs

 

 
Thus, for this post, I bring you a detailed explanation of one of the previously described herbal remedies ARNICA MONTANA (Leopard’s bane).
 
Arnica montana L. (also known as Arnica m.) is one of the most famous medications in the complementary medicine world. It is widely used in the form of cream, gel, ointment, oil, tablet as well as alcohol tincture form. This herb is a native of the Siberian and Central Europe mountains. It has been used for ages to treat a variety of pathological conditions like stiffness, pain, trauma associated swelling, symptomatic relief in case of osteoarthritis and postoperative clinical conditions.
 
Homeopathic arnica (highly diluted pellets or drops) is given by mouth, while herbal arnica oil, gel and cream are for use on unbroken skin only, never by mouth.
 
The pharmacological compounds present in this herb are sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids thymol derivatives and finally acid polysaccharides and their glycoconjugates. Arnica mainly works by inhibiting the transcription factors like NF-κB and pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF- and IL-1. 
 
Thus, in layman terms, Arnica reduces inflammation. It has also been observed to cause an increase in blood flow, then efficiently reducing bruising and congestion. These amazing pain-reducing abilities of Arnica make it the choice of alternative drug in case of bruises, sprains and other injuries.

However, these are not all the benefits Arnica has to offer. Scroll down to keep reading about the benefits of this magical herb.

  • Reduces emotional trauma

Arnica can be used when a dog displays signs of emotional disturbance like:

    • Fear of approach
    • Fear of touch
    • Trembling, panting, anxiety
    • Urinates when you go close
    • Freezes on feeling threatened
    • Crouches with the body close to the ground and becomes completely submissive
Arnica has been observed to release the fear which is the primary deep-seated emotion due to an unfortunate previous experience. Arnica can work towards unlocking this fear and settle the emotional and physical symptoms allowing the dog to enjoy a more balanced and peaceful life.
 

Other uses of Arnica for dogs:

  • Bruising
  • Muscle cramps
  • Pain
  • Soreness
  • Hematoma
  • Travel sickness
  • Arthritis
  • Rheumatism
  • Bursitis or elbow hygroma

 

Arnica for dogs dosage

It is recommended to use Arnica in 30c or 200c potency. As per the classic homoeopathy guidelines, the medicine should be administered in a single-dose and the dog’s response checked before administration of the next dose. 
 
Since it was not possible for me to check her reaction every 30 mins (I foster around 14 dogs who live on the streets), I decided to go with giving her the dose just once a day.
 
If you are unsure of the dosage of arnica for your dog or the symptoms you observe in your dog, it is advisable to consult a homoeopathic practitioner first before administration.

Where to buy arnica for dogs? 

Arnica oil and pellets can be bought from any homeopathic shop nearby your location or you can order it online from any online site like amazon etc. 

My personal experience with this magical drug:

I have previously and am currently using arnica on some of my foster kids.
My fosters as you know do not live with me (unfortunately, I do not have the kind of space in my house to accommodate my 14 fosters). They do live on the streets, but they always come at specific times of the day for their lunch and dinner. That’s the time for their lunch, dinner, physiotherapy, cuddle session. Post lunch and dinner, they prefer to lounge and sleep right outside the gate of my house.
 
Unfortunately, life on the streets is very harsh and only providing a daily meal is not enough for my kids. Most of the times, they come to me bleeding, battered and bruised as well.
 
Recently, as you must have known, one of my boys, Guy came to me badly battered from a street fight.  He was bleeding from several places as well had a huge swelling on the inside of his hind right thigh muscle. Poor thing could neither sit nor stand. He could only howl in pain. Initially, for a couple of days, I tried to massage the region with Diclofenac pain relief gel. But the progress was just too slow. It was during this time that I came across Arnica while researching for one of my blog posts. I decided to give it a try. For the purpose of quick absorption, I bought Arnica oil from the homoeopathy shop.
 
I used it first on myself for my back pain to check its effects. Turns out, the moment you apply arnica oil, it starts to heat up, providing quick relief from the pain. Next day, I used the arnica oil on Guy while he was eating his dinner. He seemed to actually enjoy the massage.
 
When I was administering pain relief gel to him, I had to run around the entire locality hunting him down and applying the gel somehow before he started to run again. I would be able to get my work done in 4 to 5 sittings. He would make me jump through hoops to get himself massaged. But with Arnica oil, he stood absolutely still, let me apply and massage the oil and within minutes was able to put some weight on the troubled leg.

Please learn from my mistakes here: don’t use human pain gels like diclofenac on your dog. Licking even a small amount of an NSAID cream can harm a pet (ASPCA). And a dog that is bleeding, badly swollen or can’t stand after a fight needs a vet first. Bite wounds are almost always contaminated with bacteria and often need cleaning, drainage and antibiotics (VCA). Arnica can be a comfort measure alongside vet care, not a replacement for it.

 
Due to the strong smell of arnica, I did not have to worry about him licking the oil either (something which worried me a lot when I was using the diclofenac gel). After his massage, he would go to sleep right outside my house. Now, it has been almost two and a half weeks of regular use of arnica oil. The swelling is almost gone. His pain levels are much lower. He was walking on 3 legs but now he has use of all 4 of his legs and is happy running around the locality. Arnica oil was my Hail Mary option, and in Guy’s case it really seemed to help his swelling settle.
 
I also read previously that Arnica can be used to reduce emotional trauma in dogs. One of my other foster’s (Momma gal) is severely traumatized. She pees if anyone reaches very close to her. Over the past few months, due to regular feeding, she has come of her shell to the extent that she will eat in front of me but not directly from my hand. I thought, why not give Arnica a try? I had the 200c solution of the same at home and put a few drops in her food once a day for a while. I did notice a difference in her behaviour. She is still sceptical but will take food from my hand. She also talks a lot when she sees us outside (she is very vocal now, something which was totally absent earlier). She comes closer, almost touches me, is friends with Delta and better than ever before. All in all, I’d say Arnica has had a lot of positive effects on her.
 

Arnica for dogs: quick answers

Can I put arnica gel or cream on my dog? Only a thin layer on unbroken skin, and only where your dog can’t lick it off. Never use it on cuts, scrapes or open wounds. Check the label: some human pain gels and creams contain NSAIDs like diclofenac, which are dangerous for pets.

What are the side effects of arnica in dogs? If swallowed: vomiting, diarrhea, weakness or lethargy, and with large amounts, high blood pressure and heart problems (Merck Veterinary Manual). Call your vet if you see any of these, and stop using it on the skin if the area gets red or irritated.

What is the arnica dosage for dogs? There’s no proven, standard dose of arnica for dogs. Homeopathic pellets are labeled by dilution (30C, 200C), not by your dog’s weight. Never give arnica oil, gel, cream or tincture by mouth, and talk to your vet before trying homeopathic arnica, especially if your dog takes other medicines or has heart disease.

Can arnica help a dog’s ear hematoma? An ear hematoma (a blood-filled swollen ear flap) needs a vet, both to drain or repair it and to treat the ear problem (often an infection) that caused the head shaking.

Conclusion:

For this blog post, I am using my own experience to recommend the use of Arnica oil for topical applications. It has been a magic drug for me in the times of my foster’s greatest needs. It has probably saved my boy’s life and is healing Momma Gal from the inside slowly. I have found it helpful for minor sprains and bruises. For anything major, see your vet first.
 
However, in case you are planning to administer it orally, I’d advise you to first have a discussion with a homoeopathic practitioner about the dose to administer and also mention ahead if your dog is currently on any other drug, or has any other underlying condition. It is always better to be on the safe side.
 
If you keep arnica oil or gel at home for bumps and bruises, store it where your dog can’t reach it, because it’s harmful if swallowed. Be it on the road or in the house, our puppy’s love playing and there is no guarantee when one might get hurt.
 
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If you know other dog guardians, please forward this post, so that they can be made aware of the benefits of this super amazing and fast-acting herbal remedy too…
 
I would love to hear your thoughts on this so please leave your views in the comment section below. 
 
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