Regular readers will know that I am fairly involved in running a few websites that deal with pet meds. Today, while doing some research I came across something I had never heard of before, and that was Colostrum. Now, if you know all about it then please do not scoff, I am a man and really do not know very much about lactation, especially when it comes to lactating Cows!

Anyway, I looked up Colostrum on Wikipedia and I must say I was quite interested in what I read. I then read a very interesting article on a holistic pet care site here that I found very informative. Here are a few interesting snippets:

Bovine Colostrum provides instant antibody protection and destruction of infective bacteria, viruses, fungi and cancer cells. It is an old remedy that was relied upon before the advent of chemical companies churning out chemicals and antibiotics.

Colostrum’s healing affects are multifaceted. I have become a believer and recommend it in all ill animals and people no matter what the cause, in arthritic, allergic and autoimmune conditions. I have found it has reduced my allergy expressions of migraines and psoriasis since I have been taking 2 capsules 3 xs daily. Colostrum comes in capsules or in loose powdered form. I find mixing the powder with a small amount of milk is quite palatable to cats and dogs

It certainly made for some interesting reading. Delving deeper it seems that many Dog owners are looking for bovine Colostrum to give to their pets to help alleviate all manner of problems. Small Dogs can be given a capsule twice a day and larger Dogs can have 2 capsules twice a day. There is no need to buy colostrum specifically for Dogs, you can simply choose from the many available offers here on Amazon for a lot of choice. Here is another quote I came across:

Hundreds of studies by some of the world’s most respected doctors, researchers and scientists have shown that the components in colostrum can help destroy viruses, bacteria, yeasts and parasites and powerfully boost immune function as well as help increase vitality and stamina. It has also been used to help relive symptoms of sinusitis, asthma, herpes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Go to www.colostrumresearch.org for more research information.

Note that colostrum is not species specific so this applies as much to giving to humans as it does to Dogs. It should also be noted that the calf will always have been given the colostrum first as without it it would very likely not survive and we can rest assured that farmers would consider the calf much more important. From what I have read it can aid greatly in improving the health of young puppies that may not have had enough of their mothers milk for the first day or two after they were born. This often happens if the puppy is born in to a large litter.

How To Give To Dogs

Simply pick your brand, although this brand is the bestseller so I would stick with that, and simply then open up the capsule and sprinkle on your pets food. It is said to help greatly in so many Dogs that the arguments for giving it are quite strong.

You don’t need a Dog specific brand as it will all work in exactly the same way. It is seen as especially useful if young pups are weak and not doing as well as their siblings. Here is yet another quote from an avid advocate:

I have found that puppies and kittens that are not thriving respond within days to supplementation with bovine colostrum fed four times per day, mixed with water. I dose them at 1/8th to _ tsp depending on the size of the newborn. Once they are stable, I reduce the frequency on once per day and the amount to 1/3 tsp up to 25 pounds per body weight believe that colostrum from their mothers is not adequate or not being utilized by the newborn.

So, if your Dog is lethargic, has allergies, diarrhea, ulcers, viral infections and so many other ailments that I could go on and on, then there is a surprising amount of anecdotal evidence that colostrum is very effective at aiding recovery.

I obviously have no personal knowledge of using colostrum and this is not in any way advice or a guarantee that colostrum will work. I simply found it extremely interesting and wanted to offer up a little of what I found, and there is a very strong case for the many benefits bovine colostrum can give to your Dog.

If you have used it yourself or for your Dogs then please leave a comment so me and other readers can hear about the effects (or not) it had.