Burdock is a biennial plant with the scientific name, Arctium. It is native to Europe and Asia, but several varieties have been introduced worldwide. The plant has heart-shaped leaves and purple burrs at the top that have reverse hooks that stick to everything. But the part that we are interested in is the root.
Burdock root is an ancient and highly respected liver tonic. It helps cleanse the blood and influences lymph. It’s also a mutagenic substance remover, which means it helps the body get rid of pesticides and pollutants.
Because it’s so helpful to the liver in removing systemic waste and allergens, the body can function more optionally.
In Asia, burdock root is peeled and cooked and served as a side dish. It can also be steeped as a tea. However, most dogs don’t like the taste of the root, so the best way to give it to them is in a tincture.
In this video, I’m going to teach you how to make burdock root acetous tincture for your dog. Whenever vinegar is used as a menstruum to extract nutrients from an herb, it’s called an acetous tincture. You can add this to your dog’s food at mealtime. Talk to your holistic vet to see what dosage he or she recommends. Personally I give about 8 drops per 10 pounds.
The key is to let the burdock and apple cider vinegar sit in a cool dark place for about 6 weeks. You want the vinegar to pull all of those wonderful nutrients out of the root, so they can benefit your dog.
