Hannah Zulueta Quercetin has been known to help dogs with allergies. I prefer it over Benedryl, and you can feed quercetin to your dog to stop them from scratching themselves.
If you’re looking for natural remedies for your itchy dog, then this post is for you.
What Is Quercetin?
It’s a plant-derived flavonoid present in fruits and vegetables such as:
- apples (red)
- berries
- cherries
- asparagus
- bell peppers (green and yellow)
- broccoli
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- citrus fruits
- kale
- green tea
It’s also an antioxidant that fights against inflammation reduces itch and allergy symptoms.
Why Would You Feed This To Your Dog?
Essentially the reason you would feed this is if you were looking for natural methods to alleviate their allergy symptoms.
When Not To Feed Quercetin To Your Dog
Don’t feed quercetin if your dog is:
- On any medication like tramadol, amitriptyline, ondansetron, omeprazole, piroxicam, and Prozac (fluoxetine).
- Any drugs that might react with quercetin, including blood pressure and heart medications such as amlodipine, enalapril, diltiazem, and furosemide.
- Pregnant or lactating
- Suffering from kidney disease
Always run any supplements by your vet if your dog is on any medication.
Some dogs can react to quercetin – and while this is a very small minority it can happen.
What Kind Of Quercetin to Feed
When you shop for quercetin, you will see it come as Quercetin or Quercetin Dihydrate.
The key difference between quercetin and quercetin dihydrate is that quercetin is a plant flavanoid whereas quercetin dihydrate is a synthetic chemical compound.
Practically, this powder is insoluble in water. But it is soluble in alkaline solutions.
It’s also bitter in flavor and found as a yellow crystalline powder.
“Quercetin dihydrate is a chemical compound having the chemical formula C15H14O9. This substance is commonly found in quercetin supplements. It has the highest bioavailability among other ingredients. This substance also assures a better absorption of the supplement. However, it costs more than other supplement forms due to this quality of high absorption.”
It’s often sold in powder form and bright yellow in color.
How Much Quercetin To Feed Your Dog?
Take your dog’s weight in pounds(lbs) x 1000mg
Divide the resulting number by 125
The resulting number will be the mg daily dosage required.
Then split the daily dosage in half.
Administer the half dosage two times a day with food.
Feed quercetin for no more than 12 weeks. Your dog’s allergies should be resolved by then and quercetin is not meant for daily use for the life of your dog.
What Form To Buy It In?
Quercetin is best purchased as a powder so that you can dial back the dosage if you need to. A very small portion of dogs may get diarrhea from the supplement.
Sometimes quercetin is sold with bromelain to help with digestion simultaneously.
Another variation is seeing quercetin combined with vitamin C.
How To Feed It?
You can add it to their food and mix it in, or you can combine it with a thick food topper and fold it in because it won’t actually “mix” in well. You can watch a sample video here:
When To Feed It?
Just before their meal or with food.
Possible Side Effects?
Your dog may have diarrhea, reduced appetite or nausea.
Note: Some links in this article are affiliate links (Amazon Associates or other programs I participate in). At no charge to you, as an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
How Soon Does It Work?
Quercetin stops the itch almost immediately. As long as your dog is on a natural diet, you will notice that your dog’s “itch” will be less right after you feed it to them.
In some small cases, you may have to try another brand, or if you haven’t addressed the diet or have yeast issues you are tackling then the itch won’t be as fast to go away.
Shopping
- Quercetin Powder (dihydrate) on Amazon
- You will need very small measuring spoons linked here.
- Don’t overfeed because if you feed too much your dog will get diarrhea.
- Red Rover Organic Berry Blend by Four Leaf Rover
- Instead of pure quercetin this supplement is made from whole foods that contain quercetin and is a powerful blend of certified organic raspberries, blueberries, apples and cranberries. It also has organic apple skins for quercetin and blueberries for anthocyanin, which help support the brain and nervous system.
- Buy it Direct on Four Leaf Rover’s site.
3 Top Things To Remember About Quercetin:
Quercetin supplements can quickly help reduce your dog’s itchy symptoms.
You can feed it from whole food, supplements, or whole food supplements.
Don’t feed it for more than twelve weeks at a time and be sure to address any underlying issues like yeast as well as feed a natural whole foods diet.
Need Help To Reset Your Dog’s Gut?
Allergies don’t happen overnight and it can take time to reset your dog’s gut to bring them back to a state of wellbeing.
I can help guide you through this long and lengthy process. Click on the photo below to get started.
Resources
Oral bioavailability of quercetin from different quercetin glycosides in dogs
Why can’t dogs take quercetin more than twelve weeks at a time? I am trying to give my dog a joint supplement which happens to have Quercetin in it.
Hi that is a very good question. It is a human supplement that is also now used for dogs. Long term use has not been studied and… it can be hard on the kidneys. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29127724/