Slippery Elm for Dogs: Safely Treat Irritation

This extremely safe herb can soothe any inflammation or irritation.

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Slippery elm for dogs is used to help treat digestive issues and skin irritation. The supplement (scientific name: Ulmus fulva) is one of the safest herbs commonly given to dogs, and one of the most beneficial.

Herbalists attribute many wonderful healing properties to slippery elm: demulcent (soothing, mucilage-forming), emollient (soothing and protective for skin), nutritive (providing specific nutrients), tonic (promoting healthy function of one or more body systems), and astringent (constricting, binding, or drying effect). It can be used both internally and externally. Slippery elm is one of the herbs used in the original formulation of “Essiac,” an herbal brew that has been widely promoted as a cancer-fighter.

The part of the tree used is the inner bark, which is soft and stringy. Simplest to use is the powdered form, which can be purchased loose or pre-packed in capsules at most health food stores. It is also readily available over the Internet from herb suppliers.

In the gastrointestinal tract, slippery elm acts directly. Think of it as a natural Pepto-Bismol (Pepto-Bismol itself should be used with caution because it contains salicylate, a.k.a. aspirin). Slippery elm’s mucilage content coats, soothes, and lubricates the mucus membranes lining the digestive tract. Slippery elm is an excellent treatment for ulcers, gastritis, colitis, and other inflammatory bowel problems. It is high in fiber, and so helps normalize intestinal action; it can be used to relieve both diarrhea and constipation. It may also help alleviate nausea and vomiting in dogs suffering from non-GI illnesses, such as kidney disease. A syrup made from slippery elm bark (see recipe below) can be used to help heal mouth ulcers.

Slippery elm is said to relieve inflammation of virtually any mucus membrane, and has been used in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the lungs (bronchitis, asthma), kidneys, bladder (cystitis), throat (tonsillitis), and joints (arthritis).

This wonder herb also contains many nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, and several trace minerals) that can be beneficial for dogs recuperating from any illness, and it may stay down when other foods are not tolerated.

Externally, a soothing paste of slippery elm powder (mix the powder with a little cold water) can be used as a poultice for hot spots, insect burns, rashes, scratches, ulcerated areas, or other shallow wounds. Native Americans used slippery elm bark to stop bleeding. It forms a natural bandage that can be left in place for several hours, if you can convince your dog to leave it alone! Moisten with water to remove it.

Internal Uses of Slippery Elm for Dogs

Slippery elm is thought to soothe the bladder lining, making it helpful for dogs suffering from cystitis. Slippery elm bark contains natural pentosans, a class of complex sugars that contains the same compound found in the drug Elmiron, the major pain-relieving treatment for interstitial cystitis in women. However, slippery elm is somewhat high in magnesium and ash, so may be contraindicated in dogs who have an active infection with an elevated urinary pH, where struvite crystal formation may be a risk.

To administer internally, mix about a quarter-teaspoon of slippery elm bark powder with cold water for every 10 pounds of the dog’s body weight. (The quarter-teaspoon dose works fine for dogs who are less than 10 pounds, too.) The bulk powder may be very fluffy, so pack it down as much as possible to measure it.

Alternatively, use a half-capsule (per 10 pounds), opened and the contents mixed with water. Slippery elm powder will absorb many times its own weight in water, so be sure to add enough to make a moderately thick gruel. This gruel can be given before meals by syringe or eyedropper, or added to baby food, canned food, or a homemade diet. It has a slightly sweet taste and is usually well-tolerated by dogs when mixed with food. Administer the dose before or with meals for digestive tract problems, such as inflammatory bowel disease, until symptoms resolve.

Because slippery elm may interfere with the absorption of certain minerals and pharmaceuticals, I would recommend that it be given several hours before or after any concurrent drug therapy.

Slippery elm bark is inexpensive and easy to use; it would be a great addition to your holistic medicine chest!

Recipe for Slippery Elm Syrup

Author Anitra Frazier gives the following recipe for slippery elm bark syrup in her book, The New Natural Cat, which applies equally well to our canine companions when adjusted for weight:

Into a small saucepan, place a half-cup of cold water and one teaspoon powdered slippery elm bark. Whip with a fork. Bring to simmer over low flame, stirring constantly. Simmer one or two minutes or until slightly thickened. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Keeps seven or eight days. Give a teaspoon of syrup (5 cc) per 10 pounds of body weight five minutes before a meal to minimize diarrhea, or to soothe and heal mouth ulcers.

Jean Hofve, DVM, is a regular contributor to WDJ. Her veterinary practice is in Englewood, Colorado.

40 COMMENTS

  1. Slippery Elm…interesting…can it be given on a regular basis? My Beagle has IBD and she has episodes of diarrhea every so often. Would this keep her intestines soothed on a regular basis? Thank you for your help!

    • I’m wondering the same. My dog has been diagnosed with C. Difficile and has been prescribed so many different anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, anti-bacterials that are not working. This has gone on for months with no relief. A friend suggested Slippery Elm for him. I’m willing to try anything at this point. But can he stay on it long term and also I suffer from IBD/IBS could I stay on it long term. Thank you for your help

      • This herb is safe to give to a dog long term. For it to work, give it to your dog an hour before the first meal and before going to bed. My dog has also gastrointestinal issues and nothing worked until I tried this wonder herb. He went from bloody diarrhea to solid brown stool overnight (he had eaten a big piece of raw bone that he shouldn’t have). I plan to keep giving this herb to my dog for as long as I need until I see a regular stool.
        What I do is a mix the herb puree into some plain greek yogurt. My dog loves it.

      • My dog has been fighting cdiff for the last 2 months. He’s on Advita( probiotic), metronidazole and Tylosin. A few days to a week after finishing his meds, his dark green diarrhea comes right back. We’ve tried fecal transplant too. That worked for a few days as well. I read that slippery elm may help him along with probiotics. Anyone Know if this is correct?

  2. My dog has chronic UTI’s, and has suffered from passing Struvite stones. She is currently on prescription dog food to prevent the UTI’s and another permanent medication as a pain reliever.

    Would this be safe to give her? She has just recently stopped eating her Urinary SO food so then infections have flared up again.

  3. I’ve been giving this to my dog for years (he’s now 16 1/2). It has helped with his stomach ulcer and IBD issues. I’ve been able to get him off metoclopramide, carafate, and famotidine. I’m an LVT ,and I think my Veterinarians were sceptical at first but can appreciate the results. ☺

    • did you give it to your dog with this food cause thats the only way my dog will eat it she’s done with the syringe cause i had to give her so many terrible medications that way she won’t let us get near her with the syringe anymore thanks

  4. My dog recently had surgery for bladder stones. Surgery determined the stone was Oxolate. Since surgery he has developed pancreatitis. Slippery elm has helped with the pancreatitis, however, I am wondering if it’s safe, as I don’t want my boy to develop stones again.

  5. My dog has been fighting cdiff for the last 2 months. He’s on Advita( probiotic), metronidazole and Tylosin. A few days to a week after finishing his meds, his dark green diarrhea comes right back. We’ve tried fecal transplant too. That worked for a few days as well. I read that slippery elm may help him along with probiotics. Anyone Know if this is correct?

  6. I have a retired greyhound racer and he’s recovering from worms from the track, but still has an irritable bowel. Slippery Elm was recommended. I bought Slippery Elm in 400mg capsule and wondering if you have a dosage based on the milligrams. Thanks

    • Hi Tracy, I’ve just seen your comment about your greyhound recovering from worms. We have a very old Boxer boy Bruce who had lots of problems most of his life and his immune system is so low. He then got roundworm and had to have 2 lots of medication and we even think his lungs were affected by them. Has your dog now recovered from the worms and fo you have any tips at all please? Many thanks, hope your dog is doing well, Julie

    • I think you could prob use this instead of metronidazole- I lost my dog exactly a year ago to ongoing issues with pancreatitis- I never heard about slippery elm until this year when I gave it to my dogs for other issues I really wish I could turn back time and give this to my dog- it would have helped him so much . My recommendation is to try to stay away from all the medicine they give you to treat pancreatitis- instead buy slippery elm capsules ASAP and mix it in with baby good once a day and only give baby food or boiled chicken and white rice until your dog is better and going forward absolutely no table scraps no bones be careful w dog treats- just dog food not high in fat. Plz don’t make the same mistake I made. If slippery elm just isn’t fixing the diarrhea than continue w the metro but if you can get off the metro as fast as u can and continue w slippery elm- it’s natural and it helps w so many other body parts at the same time

  7. My recently retired stud German Shepherd Male was given to me at 5yo
    He had diarrhoea after (Ceflexin) for mild infected toe that the nail was removed
    Much research revealed he had EPI and lots of bellyaches The vets did not know what was the problem and gave him more antibiotics for diarrhoea which made him dry cough profusely I stopped immediately and spoke to a Veterinary friend who said he might have EPI I looked it up and it was exactly his S/S
    He now has blended food with Slippery Elm and K9 Probiotics x 2 daily he put on weight poos are great he loves life

  8. I have 2 75 pound Boxers how would I give this to them?
    Every 2 to 3 weeks out of no where they start feeling nauseous licking, drooling and doing what I call the chicken dance with their heads, sometimes it’s both the same day other times it’s within a couple of days of each other. They get an anti nausea when it happens and the next day they are fine, they also take an antacid at night.

    I’ve tried changing food, making my own raw using eggshell for calcium, Deworming even the vet doesn’t know why because if it was the food it would happen all the time.

    My Mylo also seems to have Pica and would like to eat ashes and tissue.

    Any Ideas

  9. Ever since my 4 months old Rottweiler puppy recovered from Parvo Virus , Her poo hasn’t been solid . She eats well and pretty active but her poo isn’t solid, as it should be.
    I’m tempted to give her this medication and see if it works . Please am I advised to do so ? Cause I’m skeptic if it’s good for her or not .

  10. I foster rescue puppies and all of them get slippery elm in their wet food until I have all parasites gone and they have adjusted to the food change. I also have to Chorkies of my own with sensitive tummies. I take a little chopped chicken liver and dip the capsule and down it goes. No more diarrhea. I swear by this herb.

  11. Hi I have a frenchie it’s 10week now is this safe? Puppy has had booody stools off and on for a week now woth drops of blood 🩸 on the butt. Seem happy and eating and drinking, vet gave us carafate to line the bowl but it doesn’t really make a difference.
    We are now adding phylumhusk today and the probiotic.

  12. Hi there!

    I have a Three Year old Morkie with terrible Acid Reflux. He will be ok for a few weeks, even months, then suddenly he has these swallowing episodes that last around 12 hours or more. All he wants to do is eat grass and his tummy rumbles. I have him on a Veterinarian Low Fat Diet, and I just bought a Prebiotic/Probiotic and Digestive Enzyme (Thrive), recently switched from the Purina Probiotic as I read its not recommended for long term use. I bought the Slippery Elm as well and I am looking to add that into the daily feeding routine. He never has much of an appetite in the morning, so getting him to eat is a bit of a chore.

    • Hi. I know that you posted this a year ago but I’m curious if Slippery Elm has helped? My shorkie does the same thing with the swallowing episodes. We’ve tried switching foods but the only thing she’ll eat is one for sensitive stomach & skin by Hill’s I believe. But will only eat the turkey slop. Doesn’t like salmon or chicken.
      I’ve also read that this may help with paw licking.
      If you get this message, let me know if your pup has had luck with the swallowing issues. Thanks.

  13. In the syrup recipe it mentions adjust for the pets weight etc. but this is a very diluted form for dogs when looking at the recommended 1/4 tsp for every ten pounds of body weight. I’m wondering a good formula for syrup for dogs and especially large ones. I can certainly calculate up but again, my concern is keeping the dosage appropriate for dogs. Thank you!

    • Hi, I have been giving my golden retriever slippery elm for a while now for gut issues. We switched vets after my first vet only gave antibiotics and they totally made things worse. We switched to a holistic vet and right away she told us to give her slippery elm. We use the slippery elm by Animal Essentials, there is no mixing. I use a syringe to administer. My golden is now 58 lbs and the vet told us to give her 1.5 ml twice a day. I give it to her right before she eats and at the very end of the day. It is a miracle herb! I really hope that this helps.
      You can find this particular brand in the bottle at most boutique pet stores. We get it from our vet most of the time, but I have purchased once from a pet store.

  14. We have a Boston terrier puppy who suffers really badly with acid reflux, has his dinner wakes 4-5 hours later vomiting and or course panicked- making everything worse for him. Problem started at 3.5 weeks when mum unable to feed and they had to be weaned on substitute milk . All puppy milk made him worse so ended up giving him a very expensive French brand of lactose free baby formula plus vet advise 5mgs of Omeprazole twice a day . I have managed to keep him on a very low dose of Omeprazole since ( he’s 8.5 months) he’s not a big as his siblings but gaining weight and no congenital deformities that could cause this . Obviously worried that Omeprazole isn’t great as absorbs micro nutrients like b12 from the body and cannot be a long term fix . He absolutely loves food, (eats mud on walks) including vegetables raw and cooked and his main diet consists of chicken breast, rice , sweet potatoes with various veggies added, plus he is on Burns puppy kibble for sensitive tummies.But he’s known to steal mum and Dads food or grab ( he’s like lightening) anything that drops on the floor in the kitchen ( favourite hangout is next to the stove sniffing for his dinner to be ready) with disastrous consequences, grabbed a cheese cube and vomited for two days . Without doubt he has a lactose intolerance as well as the acid reflux. Will the slippery elm help ? He weighs 7:4 kilograms- desperately want give him a good probiotic too , would appreciate any advice for Georgie,thank you .

  15. Just wanted to say, that I used to get horrible stomach pain (from food sensitivies) and slippery elm really stops the stomach pain. Since it was for me, I would mix it in applesauce and sprinkle with some apple pie spice from McCormick and it helped sooooo much. I have been buying it for years and the reason I’m telling my experience is to tell you that it really works. Right now my dog has diarrhea really bad ( I think she ate something outside) and I decided to try it…After reading the other positive experiences, I’m hoping it will help her and thanks to the person that recommended mixing it in baby food, it was a hit.