Over the course of time, pet healing has taken a number of different pathways. Some advocate that the advances of science are capable of healing most illnesses, diseases or medical conditions. These treatments often take a toll on the pet, his owner and the veterinarian.
The discovery of other forms of treatments, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage and holistic therapy, has developed more recently. At first, holistic treatments were not taken seriously or thought to have any real healing properties; however, some therapies are worth investigating.
Herbal Medicine
The use of natural herbs and vitamins in boosting pet immune systems is the crux of herbal medicine. Pets are given antioxidant supplements containing vitamins A, C and E as well as alpha lipoic acid and selenium, to boost the immune system and to reduce the cellular damage done by free radicals. With a strong immune system, pets are capable of fighting off infections more easily and to fight diseases. Some herbs have shown great prospects in treating such diseases as cancer, arthritis, allergies, eye disorders, and respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.
Vitamins keep the body functioning properly and repairing any cellular damage, thus promoting healing. Minerals and essential fatty acids also play a major role in maintaining health. The idea behind herbal medicine is to increase the capacity of the body to maintain and heal itself using herbs and vitamins.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Asian medical treatment whereby it is thought that the body's energy forces control the body's health. If they are unbalanced, disease or illness is evident. It is thought that the body's energy forces travel along body corridors or pathways. Whenever these pathways are blocked, illness sets in.
Acupuncture uses needles that are placed along blocked pathways, allowing energy to follow smoothly along the pathways again and thereby restoring health. Acupuncture is used in human treatment regularly; however, it may be difficult to find an acupuncturist for a pet.
Massage
Humans can get tense and stressed out, and so can animals. Massage promotes proper blood circulation and can alleviate some medical conditions that result from stress. Indigestion and other digestive disorders can be treated using massage therapy.
Pet Whisperer
Some pet owners swear by their pet's therapist or "pet whisperer." A pet whisperer is a person who claims that he or she can communicate with the pet through verbal and non-verbal means, and by behaviors displayed by an animal that the pet whisperer is tuned into. The therapist then communicates these messages to the owner so that action can be taken to promote health.
For example, a pet may feel stressed or upset and communicates this to the therapist, who then communicates it to the owner. The owner may have changed the food that the pet was eating and perhaps the pet does not like the new brand. Perhaps there is a new addition to the family and the pet is stressed or unhappy about that. Actions can then be taken to help alleviate this stressful condition.
Holistic pet healing is a relatively new field to both the human and pet medical treatment world.