Aloe Vera is a common houseplant with many uses. A quick google search will tell you that Aloe Vera is mildly toxic to pets. Even the ASPCA website lists Aloe Vera as “toxic to dogs, cats, and horses” with no explanation.
This information is misleading and immediately scares you away from keeping an aloe plant at home. However, hundreds of pet care products on the market today include Aloe Vera. If you have a cat or dog that believes themselves to be vegetarian and no plant is safe in your home, then no, do not get an aloe plant.
Why is aloe listed as toxic?
An aloe leaf consists of three layers; the outer green cuticle, the leaf pulp or latex, and the inner aloe gel. The aloe’s latex is the yellow/orange sap lining of the green outer cuticle. Latex contains saponins and anthracene glycosides, which induce vomiting. So if your pet is allergic to latex or ingests too much of the aloe’s latex, you may see adverse effects. What you want to use, is the aloe’s gel.
How do you extract aloe’s gel?
Step 1: Take a cutting from your aloe plant
Step 2: Sit the cutting in a dish at an angle to allow the latex to drain for 5-10 minutes, you will see a yellowish or orange sap in the dish. Once the cutting has stopped dripping latex, rinse the cutting in cold water
Step 3: Trim any spikes from the edges of the cutting
Step 4: Using a sharp knife, slice off the top layer of cuticle. Try not to tear the cuticle, as this may release remaining latex into the gel.
Step 5: Remove the aloe gel using your knife or a spoon
Step 6: Chop or blend the aloe gel. It’s ready to use!
**You can store this in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze for later use.
How can you use Aloe gel for your pets?
Aloe is fantastic for topical use. It is a great source of vitamins A,C, E, B12, folic acid, calcium, zinc, lignins, amino acids, and fatty acids (among many other things) which help relieve itchy skin and reduce inflammation. Rub the gel, or frozen gel cubes, onto your pets skin once or twice daily to relieve mild burns, superficial scrapes and wounds, or to relieve dry skin and rashes. Monitor your pet for a few minutes to allow the gel time to absorb before they try to lick it off. To read more about treating minor burns, click here.
Aloe gel can be given orally to help treat a variety of ailments. Although, I don’t recommend doing this if you are new to preparing and using fresh aloe. If the aloe gel is contaminated with latex, you can cause vomiting and diarrhea. So stick to topical applications for now.
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