Lifesaver Sauerkraut for Dogs

The list of home remedies that can be used for minor (and sometimes major) problems is long. This is how sauerkraut found its way onto this list. Where the sour herb ends up on the plate with us two-legged friends because of its taste, it can become a real lifesaver with our faithful four-legged companions. You will now find out why this is so.

Nightmare: swallowed item

Our four-legged friends are very curious and sometimes they eat something that actually has nothing to do with the gastrointestinal tract. Fortunately, it is often a rather harmless object, or sometimes a bit of dirt. However, if your dog swallows something else, for example, something with sharp edges, such a foreign object can cause great damage. This is where the lifesaver sauerkraut comes into play.

The mode of action is quite simple and quickly explained: Since sauerkraut is almost indigestible for our dogs, the long threads can wrap themselves around the swallowed object and thus “accompany” it naturally on its way out. It wraps itself around the sharp edges, so to speak, and thus prevents the swallowed object from slitting the stomach or intestines. This works particularly well for individual items, but several smaller ones can also be securely wrapped and transported outside.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind when giving sauerkraut:

1. If the swallowed object is poisonous, for example, you should not wait, but go straight to a veterinarian! The same applies to objects made of long threads, as these wrap around the intestinal loops and can thus lead to the death of the intestine.
2. The sauerkraut must be administered as soon as possible after swallowing the item. The longer the object is “free” in the stomach, the greater the risk of internal injury.
3. Watch your dog closely. If he behaves strangely, you should definitely go to the vet!

Prepare for emergencies

However, to ensure that giving the dog the sauerkraut does not cause cramps in an emergency, the administration of the actually unloved sauerkraut must be “practiced” beforehand. So try out how you can best convince your dog to eat the herb. In any case, wash it off thoroughly before giving it so that it no longer tastes so sour. Then mix it with meat broth or liver sausage, for example. Test how your four-legged friend likes it best and give him a small amount every now and then. This is the only way to ensure that your dog will eat the sauerkraut even in an emergency.

The output

Once the sauerkraut has been administered and your dog is up and running, you should check your dog’s bowel movements. It is immensely important to ensure that all parts of the swallowed object are excreted. If you are unsure whether everything has really been excreted, then going to the vet is certainly not a bad choice.

Conclusion

Sauerkraut can help if a dangerous object has been swallowed. However, there is no guarantee that there will be no damage to the gastrointestinal tract, so you should continue to monitor your dog closely. If he behaves strangely, if he becomes very restless, or if he even excretes blood, a trip to the vet is unavoidable. However, sauerkraut can be an alternative.