What Lemons Can Do For You and Your Dog

The question really should be 'what can't lemon do?' and here are the reasons why...

Lemon Juice vs Arthritis;

When it comes to certain forms of arthritis and rheumatism humans and dogs are very similar. The associated pain is caused when uric acid is not removed from the body fast enough. What should be happening is that the uric acid that we consume should pass in to the blood and travel to the kidneys and into the urine before being eliminated from the body. If however we consume too much of the foods and drinks containing uric acid or if our organs (like Baylea's poor little damaged kidney for example) aren't functioning properly a buildup of uric acid can occur and this is then deposited in to the joints. It is this that causes that gnawing bone ache that most of us, including our dogs are no stranger to at some point or other in our lives.

As well as causing pain in the joints this build up can also cause inflammation of the kidneys when the uric acid fails to be eliminated properly through urination. The acid passes through the blood and then when not excreted begins to crystallize inside of the kidneys and crystallized uric acid is the starting point for kidney stones which, needless to say, can be very unpleasant indeed! This is where lemons come in to their own.

Everyone thinks of lemons as a very acidic food, they contain 5-6% citric acid after all! This is most definitely the case...at least it is when they are outside of the body. Once ingested a fascinating change occurs and lemons transform from being the tangy, bitter, acidic fruit that we all know so well in to being totally alkaline. Citric acid stimulates the body to produce calcium carbonate which in turn neutralizes any acids it comes in to contact with such as the uric acid associated with arthritis and kidney stones.

Drinking a little freshly squeezed lemon juice diluted in water after meals can actually help to prevent a uric acid attack helping you and your beloved pooch stay healthy and pain free.

Not only does lemon juice play its part in neutralizing uric acid but it also acts as a mild diuretic meaning that it increases kidney function and urine flow helping us to rid our bodies of all the toxins that we really don't want sticking around and gives our liver a detoxifying helping hand at the same time.

Lemon Juice For Teeth And Bones

I mentioned earlier that lemon juice stimulates the production of calcium carbonate but it goes one step further than this in that it actually helps our bodies to absorb calcium along with other vital vitamins and minerals from our food. Calcium strengthens bones and teeth and lemon juice helps to stimulate saliva production which, as with increased urine production in the kidneys, helps to cleanse the mouth by washing away buildups of plaque and bacteria from teeth, tongue and gums.

*It is important to mention at this point that too much of a good thing can be just as bad as too little, however, because while ingested lemon juice in all its alkaline glory does so much good lemon juice that hasn't reached your stomach yet is still very much acidic and too much of it in its concentrated form can eat away at tooth enamel causing sensitive teeth so bear that in mind to. There are steps you can take to mitigate this though; for humans drinking your lemon water through a straw limits contact with the teeth and for your doggy friends a brilliant solution is to give a small portion of natural unsweetened yogurt or fresh milk directly after their morning drink. Doing this helps to neutralize any citric acid on the teeth and also provides a huge boost of calcium for the lemon juice in your dogs stomach to get to work absorbing.

Lemon Through The Ages

The Ancient Egyptians used lemons widely for many different functions they even used its essential oil in the embalming process partially due to its pleasant aroma but also because of its bacteria killing powers. Of course back then they wouldn't have the depth of knowledge about these things that we do today but clearly the preservative effects of lemons we noted even then.

Another use that the Ancient Egyptians had for lemons was as a ward against poisoning. Now lemons are fantastic fruit but I'm not sure how effective one would be in the treatment of cyanide poisoning and the like. That being said there is now concrete proof that this ancient civilization was on the right track. Lemon is a natural detoxifier and has been proven to counteract various kinds of food poisoning which one would assume was far more common back before the advent of dettol, fairy liquid and refrigeration.Not only does it help eliminate microorganisms and alien chemicals such as pesticides that are accidentally ingested but it also cleanses the bowel (eliminating diarrhea and constipation and restoring the balance) and is a natural remedy for getting rid of unpleasant intestinal parasites such as worms.

Keeping Lemon Close To Your Heart

A healthy balance of potassium is vital to the health of your and your dogs heart and lemons are packed with it.

Too much potassium and you risk hyperkalemia (abnormal heart rhythms) to little and hypokalemia takes its place with very much the same dangerous results and can in their extreme forms if left untreated can even lead to cardiac arrest and death.

Potassium is the substance that helps to trigger every heartbeat. In turn it helps the muscles to move easily, the nerves to function well, increases circulation and helps the kidneys to filter the blood.

In addition to all these vital functions a healthy balance of it can help you and your dog to ward off the cold. If you live in a cold climate, or anywhere that winter temperatures plummet to freezing, and spend a lot of time in the outdoors then frostbite is always a consideration. For short haired dogs extremities like their delicate ears are particularly vulnerable. Consuming a little lemon every day can help to keep your bodies in balance as well as aiding in all of the processes I have mentioned so far.

Please take my warning about the risks seriously but in no way let it put you off of the far reaching benefits that lemon can have for you and your pet. As with almost everything too much can prove toxic but most things when taken in sensible moderation go together to provide the balanced diet and complex nutrition that we all need in order to life happy healthy lives.

As Good On The Outside As It Is For The Insides

OK guys so last but not least lets take a look at the external benefits of lemons on both the body and the home.

Lemon juice makes a fantastic cleaning agent due to its ability to kill bacteria and its pleasant clean and fresh fragrance. There are many different twists on lemon home made cleaners out there and they are definitely worth a try. Households with pets and/or young children could always benefit from any reduction in the more harsh unpleasant chemicals found in many off the shelf cleaning products. Personally I find that a mix of baking soda, white vinegar, warm water, lemon juice and 4-5 of drops of lime essential oil works just great and leaves everything smelling fresh and fruity.

When used on your dogs coat, lemon juice not only acts as a cleanser but also as an anti inflammatory helpful in soothing itchy or inflamed skin (*do not use undiluted if on broken skin or open wounds or it will sting) On top of that it is a natural deterrent for the many nasty biting things that find our dogs so appealing and will help (along with the appropriate drops/shampoo/flea collar) to dissuade fleas, ticks and mosquitoes from taking a bite out of your four legged friends.

And finally diluted lemon juice makes a very effective ear wash to flush out and kill the bacteria that can cause ear infections (one of the most common ailments in dogs) It isn't exactly Baylea's favorite activity but it does leave his ears nice and clean and, touching wood, ear infections are one of the few things that he hasn't already had to go through so far in his little life so we've no plans of stopping now!!

I hope you find this article at the very least interesting and at best informative and if you have any of your own suggestions, questions, home remedies or comments then please send me an email as I'd love to hear them!!

#Dog #Food #Health #Home