This is Eve. She’s my 13-year-old senior girl and, like many older dogs, she suffers from arthritis.

When I first noticed that she had joint pain and was struggling to get on and off furniture, I set off to find the best natural options for her. I wanted to find something that could really relieve her discomfort. And I wanted to avoid as many side effects as possible. There are many nutritional supplements you can give, like chondroitin, glucosamine, and green lipped mussel extract. I added those to her diet. But, I also wanted something more targeted to joint inflammation, or inflammation in general.

I found several herbs that could do the job, but many had too many potential side effects, or just didn’t suit her. You’ve heard of Turmeric. It can help with inflammation in some dogs. But, it can make things worse for a “hot” dog, like Eve. So, if your dog prefers cool to hot temperatures and gets overheated easily, you shouldn’t add a plant that makes things hotter. It will make their condition worse. Therefore, Turmeric was definitely off the table for miss Eve.

Then, I found a plant that had it all. It was a strong anti-inflammatory with few side effects. Most dogs could tolerate it. It was known for its effectiveness with arthritis and pain in general. It also helps break down urea. Urea can cause many problems if unchecked, especially in older dogs! The plant? It’s Yucca!

Yucca, the most amazing natural anti-inflammatory plant!

Yucca is a cactus-like plant that grows in desert climates around the world. It has a lot of nutritional qualities as it contains vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, protein, and B vitamins. But that’s not what makes it, in my opinion, absolutely the best anti-inflammatory herb for dogs. Its healing powers are found in a group of compounds in the root of the plant, called saponins.

When these compounds are ingested with a bit of food, they clean and penetrate the lining of the small intestine, and prevent toxin release, improving digestion of nutrients as well as cartilage formation.

It acts like a steroid, without the side effects and all while supporting the immune system, has a 50 to 80% success rate in helping with arthritis, joint pain and dysplasia, and effectively reduces inflammation in the hips and knees. Yucca even helps reduce inflammation related to allergies!

Another great effect of using Yucca is that it controls excess urea, which can cause urinary stones, kidney disease, arthritis and skin problems if left unchecked. And it makes their pee and poo smell better, too! Bonus!