What Is a Poultice and How Can You Use It to Relieve Inflammation?
A poultice, also called a cataplasm, is a paste made of herbs, plants, and other substances with healing properties. The paste is spread on a warm, moist cloth and applied to the body to relieve inflammation and promote healing. Some can be spread directly on the skin.
This popular home remedy has been used for centuries to treat inflammation, insect bites, and more.
Poultice benefits and uses
When using a poultice, you not only get the benefits of the ingredients used, but the method itself. The warm poultice increases blood flow to the area, which is an important part of healing.
Poultice for abscess
An abscess, also called a boil, is a collection of pus that forms due to a bacterial infection. A poultice has been a popular home remedy for the treatment for abscesses for centuries. The moist heat from a poultice can help to draw out the infection and help the abscess shrink and drain naturally.
Poultice for infection
A poultice can treat infection by killing bacteria and drawing out the infection. The use of poultices made of herbs, mud, or clay for infection is ancient.
Poultice for cyst
A cyst is a sac filled with fluid or a mix of solid substances and fluids. They can grow anywhere on your body or under your skin and range in size, depending on the type.
Applying a warm poultice to a cyst can speed up healing by helping it drain.
Poultice for arthritis
This is the most common reasons are pets are on anti-inflammatories..
There are other options..
A 2010 study on people with osteoarthritis found that applying a warm ginger compress to the kidney area improved pain and stiffness, as well as overall well-being.
Ginger and a number of other plants have been shown to have anti-arthritic, anti-rheumatic, and anti-inflammation properties. Applying a poultice made of herbs for arthritis pain may help relieve inflammation and pain.
HOW to make a POULTICE with this common Kitchen Ingredient
Baking soda poultice
A baking soda poultice requires nothing more than 2 or 3 tablespoons of baking soda mixed with just enough warm water to make a paste.
Ingredients
2-3 tablespoons (or more as needed) of Baking Soda
Enough hot water to form a thick paste
Organic cheesecloth or cloth for covering
Waterproof covering to keep poultice on
Instructions
Make a thick paste with the Baking Soda and water.
Apply directly to the wound or place between two layers of cloth and apply the cloth to the wound (depending on the cloth and the wound). Leave for 20 minutes to 3 hours as needed and repeat as necessary.
Wash off after use as you do not want your dog/cat to be licking off and ingesting the Baking Soda. | 
