Nettle Leaf

Stinging nettles are something you want to avoid when you’re walking in the woods because of the itchy rash they can cause on your skin. 

But nettle leaf is a welcome tool when it comes to managing your dog’s health. It's a versatile and useful herb that can help with skin problems, allergies, arthritis and more. 

What Is Nettle Leaf?

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), is a perennial plant that was first used medicinally by the Ancient Greeks. Originally native to northern Europe and Asia, it now grows in most places in North America. Nettles bloom in the summer, with yellow or pink flowers. 

Today, nettle leaf is popular in herbal medicine for its medicinal and nutritional qualities. Most nettle products are made from the leaves and stem, but the roots also have medicinal properties. 

Here we’ll focus on nettle leaf, including the stem. 

Nutrients In Nettle Leaf

Nettle leaf is a nutritious herb containing protein, some fats, minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium, as well as vitamins A, C, D and B-complex. 

Nettle is rich in chlorophyll, the green pigment that helps remove heavy metals and prevent cell damage. 

Nettle leaf also has a good array of carotenoids like beta-carotene, lutein, and luteoxanthin, and polyphenols like kaempferol and quercetin. These give nettle leaf its antioxidant properties that can help protect against oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Free radicals are damaged molecules that can harm cells and even DNA. When free radicals are uncontrolled, they can cause early aging and disease.  

Health Benefits Of Nettle Leaf

The herb is valuable for its anti-inflammatory benefits, and it can help manage problems like …

• Allergies and skin issues
• Respiratory problems, including asthma and hay fever
• Urinary tract issues (nettle leaf is a natural diuretic)
• Arthritis and joint pain
• May lower blood pressure
• Helps lower blood sugar
• Reduces bleeding, especially after surgery
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate)
• Eye health – use cooled and carefully strained nettle leaf tea as an eye rinse for mild conjunctivitis or irritated eyes

Nettle leaf may be best known for its ability to manage allergies and skin conditions. 

How Nettle Leaf Supports Skin Health

Most skin issues aren’t an external problem.  They’re an external sign of an internal problem ... including skin allergies which are an improper response by your dog's immune system.

This means topical treatment isn’t usually enough to resolve skin issues.  And nettle leaf is a really good herb to use internally for your dog's skin and allergies. 

Nettle contains histamines. That’s what triggers the itchy rash when your skin touches the plant.

Herbalists Gregory Tilford and Mary Wulff explain that nettle leaf’s histamine content is the reason it helps with allergies. It’s similar to the homeopathic concept of “like cures like,” where a small amount of histamines taken internally help stimulate the body to protect itself from allergens. 

This makes nettle leaf a powerful way to manage allergies, because it acts as a natural antihistamine that help balance your dog’s immune system and response to allergens. 

Nettle leaf for allergies gets an extra boost from its natural quercetin content. Quercetin is in many plants and foods, and it’s an antioxidant that’s known as Nature’s Benadryl for its anti-allergy effects.

Nettle leaf isn’t just helpful for allergic reactions on the skin. It can also help with respiratory problems like asthma. So, for dogs who get a snuffly, runny nose from environmental allergies. nettle leaf can help reduce these symptoms. 

How To Give Your Dog Nettle Leaf

If nettles grow nearby, you can get them for free! If you pick nettles yourself, be sure to sturdy gloves to avoid being stung. But once they’re dried or cooked, nettles won’t sting.

Cook fresh nettles by steaming them, or sautéing them with pastured butter or MCT oil until tender (as you would spinach), and then add to your dog’s food. 

You can dry fresh nettles yourself by hanging them tied in bunches, or by spreading them on a clean dry surface for 2-3 weeks … or use a food dehydrator or low oven at 100 to 150F. 

You can also buy dried nettles at health stores. Either way, sprinkle ½ tsp of dried nettle per cup of your dog’s food.

Nettles are also in some combination herbal remedies or supplements. In these cases it's best to buy one made specifically for dogs, and follow the manufacturer's dosing instructions. 

You can also buy nettle tincture. Give 2 drops per 10 lbs of your dog’s body weight per day, added to food.

Nettle Leaf Tea Recipe

Nettle leaf tea is another way to use this herb. 

To make nettle leaf tea with dried nettle leaf, add 1 oz dried nettle to 4 cups of water.  Bring to the boil and then turn off the heat and let it steep for 5-10 minutes. 

Or use 1 cup fresh nettles to 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil and simmer 3-4 minutes. 

For either recipe, allow to cool, then strain before adding to your dog’s food. If you’re using nettle tea for your dog’s eyes, strain through a very fine strainer or muslin, to avoid any irritating particles in the liquid. 

Store leftover tea in the fridge in a sealed container like a mason jar with a lid. 

Cautions With Nettle Leaf

There are a few reasons to be careful when using nettles. 

Nettle leaf should not be given to pregnant dogs.

The herb may also interact with drugs like NSAIDs. And ask your holistic vet before using nettle leaf for diabetic dogs as it can affect blood sugar levels. 

Some dogs may get mild digestive upset or diarrhea at first, so start slowly and increase as your dog adjusts.