Natural dog care has many different meanings and different components. Holistic pet care is more about what is included versus what is not included. Your dog’s health care will probably still include traditional intervention when necessary but most of his health care will include alternative veterinary medicine, herbal remedies, and homeopathy. Natural dog care explores all the possibilities and chooses the most natural route possible given the medical situation.
Alternative Veterinary Medicine
Alternative veterinary medicine can encompass many different treatments but is mostly a different way of thinking about canine disease. In traditional veterinary medicine, a disease is seen mainly by its symptoms and the causes of those specific symptoms. Medicine is then given to try to alleviate the symptoms versus addressing the dog’s whole system. In alternative veterinary medicine, symptom alleviation is still a goal. However, the disease is seen as an imbalance and all aspects of the dog’s health are considered in how to treat the disease and restore balance. Nutrition, immune system and emotional health are considered when trying to determine where the primary imbalance lies.
Holistic Pet Care
Holistic pet care looks at many aspects of the dog’s health including nutrition, exercise and stress while employing herbal remedies and homeopathy as forms of treatment whenever possible. Natural dog care focuses on strengthening the baseline health of the dog and creating a stronger immune system so as to prevent disease.
Nutrition, Exercise and Stress
Disease prevention occurs largely by keeping the body free from toxins and maintaining strength and vitality. A key component is feeding a diet that closely mimics the way a dog would eat in the wild. This includes mainly whole animal protein, raw bones, vegetables and very little grain. The diet would also include moisture from blood and water naturally mixed into the food and would avoid wheat, corn and soy, which can cause allergic reactions. A vet with this approach would also want to make sure that the dog was getting enough regular exercise and that the home was a stress-free and loving environment.
Herbal Remedies
In a situation of disease and imbalance, a holistic approach would consider herbal remedies to help restore balance and well-being. Herbs have been used for healing for thousands of years by many cultures around the world. Herbal treatment should only be carried out by someone with specific training and experience in canine herbal medicine. Such a practitioner would use only the highest quality herbs with the goal of boosting the immune system, detoxifying the body, and addressing weakness or imbalance in specific organs in the dog’s body. Herbs can be powerful healers but should never be used to replace a full veterinary consult and other medications if necessary.
Homeopathy
Canine homeopathy is a specific approach to healing disease and imbalance in a dog. Homeopathic vets are well-trained and employ techniques based on thousands of years of research and practice in homeopathic medicine. Homeopathy works by prescribing small amounts of a natural version of the illness itself so as to trigger a natural immune response. It is perfectly safe but also powerful in cases of even the most serious diseases.