Grow Your Own Herbal First Aid Kit (For Pets & People!)

Most of us have go-to first aid remedies in the event of accidents or injuries for ourselves, or our families. But have you considered keeping a first-aid kit handy for your pets?

If not, you totally should.

That’s not to say we don’t or won’t make trips to the vet - trust me, our veterinarian knows us, and our dogs, quite well. In general, our rule of thumb regarding vet visits - if you had the same injury, would you see the doctor? When the answer is no or not sure, these four herbs are indispensable!

Four Great Herbs for Pet First Aid Care

Yarrow

Yarrow is one of those herbs that everyone should have in their cupboard. It’s a first-aid go-to for pets and people. Why? It’s a powerful antibacterial, antiseptic, and styptic.  In other words, it cleans wounds, kills bacteria, and stops bleeding.

Some ways we use yarrow:

A poultice of dried flowers to stop bleeding

Brewing as tea and soaking a cloth in it for an antibacterial herbal compress

Or, instead of a comporess, to wash wounds before applying Pet Salve

Yarrow is easy to grow a staple for most plant medicine makers. 

Plantain Leaf

Plantain leaf, or Plantago Major - you probably know this as a weed in your lawn. But, if you knew all of this plant’s medicinal properties you might decide to ditch the grass and grow plantain leaf!

When it comes to injuries, plantain offers antibacterial properties like yarrow, so you can get an added boost to preventing infection. Plantain is one of my favorites because it helps wounds heal faster. It’s an astringent with demulcent properties - this means it can dry wounds and stop bleeding while lubricating the wound area and surrounding tissues - which helps your fur baby’s body speed up tissue regeneration and healing.

For pets and humans alike, plantain is commonly used to:

• Clean wounds and prevent infection
• Relieve itching caused by bug bites, eczema, and plant allergens.
• Draw foreign objects from the skin. I’ve used a plantain poultice to draw out stingers, splinters, and foxtails, as well as draw out the gunk from abscesses.
• Helps cells regenerate and heal damaged tissue

A few common and easy ways to use plantain leaf in a first aid situation include:

• Chew up the leaves, then apply to the affected area. You can do this right in the garden!
• Make a plantain extract (tea or oil infusion) and apply to the wounded area
• Infuse dried leaves in oil

Here's our deep dive on How to Grow and Use Plantain Leaf

Calendula

Calendula is among the first herbs to consider in minor first aid situations. 

For minor cuts, insect bites, abrasions, or postsurgical incisions, a calendula-based salve will bring quick, soothing relief to pain and swelling, while lending antimicrobial properties to the body’s healing effort.

Infusions of calendula flowers (like a calendula tea or oil)  are used to provide relief from various forms of inflammatory dermatitis, such as flea bites, poison ivy, eczema, or sunburn. The antimicrobial and astringent nature of this plant make it useful for treating burns as well.

Apply calendula as a salve or tea to soothe and heal:

• Cuts
• Burns (always use cooled tea for burns. Do not use oil-based remedies on burns).
• Bites
• Scrapes
• Abscesses
• Fungal infections

Learn How to Grow and Use Calendula

Comfrey

Comfrey is a miracle workhorse in the garden and in your medicine cabinet! 

Comfrey’s topical uses are numerous - there is a reason why its nickname is knitbone. Great for relieving the underlying causes of bruises and sprains as well as catalyzing bone repair, I keep a small jar of powdered comfrey on hand to help close wounds and gashes. We use a salve to heal more intense bone injuries and bruising.

Comfrey works so well, in fact, it is IMPERATIVE that you clean the wounded area thoroughly before using. If you don’t, the comfrey could heal the wound and trap bacteria under the skin, causing an infection. That's why, in our salves, we include calendula to help clean that bacteria.

Comfrey ointments have been used for centuries in folk medicine for:

• pain
• bone mending
• inflammation
• joint health
• bruising
• healing wounds 

The easiest ways to use comfrey are:

• Apply a comfrey salve
• Make a poultice with chopped, steeped leaves or apply a compress
• Pack cleaned, disinfected wounds with comfrey powder or a fresh leaf poultice. Wrap in a bandage to prevent licking. 

Here's our tips for How to Grow and Use Comfrey in the Garden and Beyond.

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