Holistic Dog Health - What Is It?

by Melinda Smith

Holistic dog health care has emerged as a natural means for dog owners to ensure that their dogs are healthy, living long, happy lives to the absolute fullest.

Nutritional needs are perhaps the most important aspect to consider when it comes to a dog's health, as theirs are somewhat different from ours and will require a certain balance of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to ensure everything from the digestive systems to the bones, joints, and organs as well as the skin and coat are as healthy as possible. A diet of meat, vegetables, and whole grains without any processed foods or unnecessary fillers is usually recommended when following the holistic approach to dog care.

Using a combination of various essential oils, flowering essences, plant extracts, and certain herbs, people have been treating a host of ailments and health conditions for the last few thousand years. As of recently, these ancient healing practices have found their way into pet care and are now becoming increasingly popular as more and more dog owners are looking for safer, healthier, and less invasive alternatives to treating their pets.

Canine herbal remedies include calendula and chamomile for treating wounds, with chamomile used to give relief for respiratory compaints as well.To help your dog to recover from constipation or bowel disorders, you can try crushed flaxseed mixed with lot of water. For dry, itchy skin, oats are as soothing to a dog's skin as they are to a human's, and if your pup is having trouble sleeping, smelling some lavender may help them to relax and finally fall soundly asleep.

Be sure to do your homework before using any herbal concoctions on your dog. Some herbs and flowers can be harmful or even toxic to animals or people.Also, ask your veterinarian for their input and recommendations when it comes to holistic dog health and using all-natural remedies for their care.

In recent years, thousands of veternarians have made holistic dog health a greater part of their practice.A veterinarian who makes use of holistic dog care treats your pet as a whole, rather than looking at a certain issue and prescribing one type of treatment for that specific disease, illness or injury.

As an example, if your dog is exhibiting some form of rash on his skin causing irritation, redness, itching, a possible infection, and some fur loss, a "regular" vet would probably send you away with an antibiotic to treat the skin infection as well as a topical ointment to deal with the itching.

A holistic veterinarian may also prescribe those two remedies, but there will be more emphasis on finding out what could have caused the rash to occur in the first place, which, of course, was the root of the infection. Your pet's lifestyle, eating habits and his environment are all considered when attempting to treat him holistically.

Holistic dog health care is becoming more popular as an alternative to purely conventional veterinary care. It is thought that holistic pet health care encourages a healthier, longer life for pets.

Published June 25th, 2008

Filed in Pets

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