Will ingested neem leaf prevent pregnancy in a dog

by Rosemary Ryan
(Seattle, WA)

I have been giving 950mg of neem leaf capsules twice daily for 3 weeks to my dog to treat skin yeast . The results are impressive. Her skin is less irritated and her coat is softer and shinier. But in the next few weeks she should come into season and I am contemplating breeding her. (She has a superb pedigree, is in good health, and is a well-conformed show dog.) Her bloodwork shows no evidence of internal infections.

Will this dose prevent conception?
What is the mechanism? Will it prevent ovulation, act as a spematocide, or ???
How long before she comes into season should I suspend administration?
Outside of the question of conception, is neem powder something I can safely give my dogs long-term to prevent yeast and maintain a healthy coat? At what dosage?
Given that my main concern is skin and coat, is topical treatment with the oil preferred to ingested powder?
What would be the best mode of using a topical and with what frequency?

Comments for Will ingested neem leaf prevent pregnancy in a dog

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Definitely maybe
by: Birgit

Hi Rosemary,
Great to hear you are seeing such positive results.

The answers and instructions you are asking for have not been researched yet. What research has been done in that area is referenced and explained here:

Neem As A Contraceptive/For Birth Control

The one question it does answer is about the mechanism (at least as far as it is understood yet). Neem is suspected to boost the immune system so much, it even rejects the embryo.

As for the rest, all we can conclude from that is that yes, feeding your dog neem leaf may interfere with contraception.

Since all studies have been done with neem oil or neem leaf extract, we don't know what amount of raw leaf it would take to prevent a pregnancy, we don't know if there is a threshold below which it is safe, we don't know how long beforehand you would have to stop.

I'd stop now if you want to breed her.

I see no problem with feeding raw neem leaf long term. (Please note that this is not medical advice, just my personal opinion and experience on the subject.)

As for dosage, again, there are no studies regarding how much exactly would prevent yeast infections. It also depends how good an immune system is to begin with.

So far raw neem leaf has never caused any negative side effects, so we don't know an upper threshold. (Plus that would be impossible to accurately establish for a natural substance anyway...)

I would only feed it if needed, and only as much as required to control the yeast.

Topical treatment is certainly an option while you are breeding her and you may want to combine the two treatments after.

I will have to do some research into neem and yeast infections (if there is any information available at all) before I can tell you more specifics.

Generally I would not use pure neem oil on skin that's sensitized already.

In some cases people had great results, but it can also cause a reaction (similar to an allergy).

Neem leaf is my preferred topical treatment for skin infections and allergic conditions (paste, tinctures, rinses, washes...). Neem soap and lotions work well, too.

You could also try making a watery spray from neem oil. It really is a matter of experimenting and finding what works best in each individual case.

While dealing with an acute infection I suspect you would need to treat daily. In my experience yeast is hardy and also grows very fast.

Let me repeat that I am not a veterinarian and this is not medical advice. These are my personal experiences, other people's experiences and information from research that has been done in the area.

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