May 21, 2012

We sip on chamomile tea to de-stress, visit our chiropractor to iron out the muscle spasm and keep our backs and bodies healthy. We see our acupuncturists to restore our qi and fine tune our bodies and we consult our naturopath or herbalist to restore our health and wellbeing.

So, why shouldn’t our animal companions benefit from some of these modalities? Well many do! Herbal medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic, homœopathy, flower essences, craniosacral therapy and massage are booming therapies for animals. Why? Because animals respond very well to a more natural lifestyle and healthy diet and natural care in the same way that we do, perhaps even more so. Like human medicine they also benefit from incredible advances in veterinary medicine, but that’s where the similarities diverge.

Holistic animal care needs special consideration. Unlike humans who can explain where it hurts or provide details about what they are feeling, the animal therapist needs to be extremely skilled in not only asking the right questions but also in being able to examine an animal thoroughly to understand what is going on.

Treating animals also requires greater care, a bit like treating children, because most animals are small and potentially more sensitive to treatment. There are also obvious anatomical differences when it comes to a chiropractic adjustment or placement of acupuncture needles, palpation of a pulse or tongue diagnosis and their metabolism can vary greatly. For example, cats are particularly sensitive to what they ingest so aromatherapy oils can be highly toxic even when applied externally (because they groom themselves). They are also sensitive to many herbs. And where garlic can be fabulous for us two legged animals, raw garlic can cause gastric ulceration in dogs and anaemia in both cats and dogs. It can still be given but just with food and in very small quantities (no more than 1/8 clove per 5kg).

Natural healthcare for animals provides one great benefit over and above conventional medicine. Rather than focusing on the diagnosis and treatment using drugs or surgery (which can reduce vitality), a natural approach helps to restore health and wellbeing increasing vital energy and the ability to self heal, beyond the condition being treated. You can expect your pet to be much fitter and healthier all round, even if seemingly impossible to begin with.

If you choose a natural path for your animal’s care then here are some tips to get started:
Start by improving your animal’s diet. Add raw or cooked fresh food daily into the diet, reduce the use of ready made foods.
Provide appropriate raw bones for dental health. A healthy mouth leads to better systemic health, while poor dental hygiene seriously compromises your pet’s health and can be a source of chronic pain. Your vet can help you work out the best dental hygiene plan as bones don’t suit all animals.
Reduce vaccination. There is good information now to indicate that vaccination every year is unnecessary. You can request an antibody titre test from your regular veterinarian to ensure your animal has protection. Vaccinate no more than every three years if you must, but certainly not if your animal is not 100% healthy. Animals with
any chronic condition should not be vaccinated unless the risk of disease is very high and the animal does not have any antibodies.
Reduce chemical use in and around the home, bare paws and lying on the ground, then licking coats leads to higher contamination than for us two legged animals.
Make sure your animal is not overweight, obesity leads to similar disease problems as in people. Losing excess weight can add years to their lives and make a huge difference to their wellbeing and mobility.
Cure is sometimes impossible, but there are only a few animals that don’t have better health and wellbeing with natural therapies even if their condition remains.
Ensure your animal has a peaceful home, reduce stress and take your dog for a walk and play with your cat every day. Animals often reflect our own tension and like children can exhibit disturbances in behaviour if they feel
insecure. Anxiety is a very common problem affecting animals and the chronic stress that anxiety produces can undermine their health. Plenty of exercise and play can make a huge difference to them as well as us.
If in doubt get advice from your own trusted Vet. They should be understanding of your desire to seek other health options for your pet.
And don’t give up too early if you don’t get a rapid response; some natural therapies may take longer to begin to turn around chronic problems. A good natural animal therapist should be able to give you a guide of what to expect and when.
We may be different from our animals but it doesn’t matter how many legs we have, we all thrive on good food, exercise, an enriched life, love and someone to care for! And there isn’t a single animal I have met that hasn’t benefited from a more natural approach to their healthcare!

Choosing a Natural Animal Therapist
Natural Animal Therapists (other than integrative veterinarians) are currently not regulated in Australia although this is changing. Current legislation actually prohibits anyone other than a qualified veterinarian from examining or attending any animal for the purpose of diagnosing a condition. When choosing a natural Animal Therapist it is really just a matter of making an informed decision and being aware that their role is a complementary one. Ideally, natural animal therapists should be in communication with your veterinarian to avoid missing important aspects of your pet’s condition. This way your pet benefits from the best of both worlds in the same way you need to see a GP for a diagnosis and your own natural therapist for treatment when conventional care isn’t working or is inappropriate for you. If something ever does go wrong, the Veterinary Surgeons Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is in place to protect the patient.