What is White Willow Bark?
White willow bark is a plant medicine made from the spring bark of the white willow (Salix alba), a tree that borders many streams and ponds and is found in the northern hemisphere. It is found commercially in dried form - to be prepared as a decoction or as a mother tincture - or in several other forms including capsules of micronized powder or nebulisate.
The active ingredient in white willow bark is salicylic acid, the same as aspirin. This bark thus has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antirheumatic, antipyretic properties and, in local use, astringent and keratolytic properties.
What are the indications for white willow bark in dogs?
Thanks to its pharmacological properties similar to those of aspirin, white willow bark is indicated in all febrile syndromes as well as painful inflammations, in particular joint and musculotendinous.
In dogs, herbal veterinarians therefore gladly use it to relieve attacks of osteoarthritis or arthritis and more generally to treat pain, inflammation and fever.
What are the dangers of white willow bark for dogs?
Even though white willow bark is a natural product, it is not safe for dogs. Like aspirin, it has the particularity of being a blood thinner so that it is contraindicated in animals suffering from blood coagulation disorders, in the event of poisoning of the animal with anticoagulant products or in the days preceding a surgical intervention of the animal.
As an anti-inflammatory whose mode of action is comparable to that of aspirin, repeated and/or excessively dosed administration of white willow bark to a dog can weaken the wall of his stomach. For these reasons, its use is also to be avoided in a dog suffering from gastritis and/or gastric ulcer.
In any case, remember that the use of white willow bark in a dog must be strictly supervised by a specialized veterinarian. Only give it to your dog on veterinary prescription.