Holistic Pet Care

No one form of medicine as all the answers, cures to all the problems---Allen M Schoen DVM

Holistic health care looks at the whole pet, including diet, nutritional supplements, preventative care and exercise.
Holistic health looks beyond the symptoms of disease to identify and balance the underlying causes.
By combining both conventional and complementary medicine such as acupressure, herbal medicine, nutritional supplements and homeopathy, your pet can heal itself and maintain their health.

• Nutritional counseling
• Information on holistic medicine and licensed medical professionals
• Natural solutions for behavioural issues

Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing that is a widely accepted form of complementary medicine. Reiki is a gentle, painless and non-invasive therapy for pets. It complements both traditional and holistic therapies. Reiki can enhance both therapies and lessen side effects from traditional medicine.

Reiki can help animals in a variety of ways

• Maintain health
• Heal physical illness and injury
• Deepen the bond between pet owners and their pets
• Reduce fear, anxiety and stress
• Heal emotional issues that result in behavioural problems
• Peaceful transition between life and death

Because our pets are so close and bond with us, they will often internalize and reflect our problems. An example of this would be if we are stressed at work and bring it home with us; our pets will sense this emotion and take it on as their feelings. This sympathetic connection can manifest itself as either a physical or emotional problem. Reiki heals not only the physical ailments but also the mental and emotional issues.

Reiki is extremely safe and there are no side effects. Animals are more sensitive to energy than people. How they react to the energy depends on their previous experience with people. Some pets will immediately settle down and accept the treatment, while others will seek to avoid it. The duration of a treatment varies from 30-60 minutes. The treatment can be hands on or delivered from a short distance. When receiving a treatment, your pet will enter a deep state of relaxation. After the treatment, your pet will generally drink more water and go to the bathroom more often, trying to expel the toxins.

In general, Reiki can bring about significant health improvements not necessarily a cure. The number of treatments necessary depends on the severity of the illness and how long your pet has suffered from the illness. The healing effects of Reiki treatments build upon one another. For healthy pets, a maintenance Reiki treatment every month will suffice. For pets suffering from minor health problems such as a cold or sprain, weekly treatments would be beneficial. For chronic conditions, such as arthritis, four consecutive treatments plus weekly treatments can help your pet manage pain. If your pet is seriously ill, they can receive treatments as often as necessary. Occasionally, pets will miraculously respond to treatment. In these cases, only a few treatments may be necessary.

Always discuss complementary treatments with your veterinarian. They should have a record of the complementary treatments you are using and be able to contact the animal health care consultant working with your pet.

Bach Flower Remedies

Dr Edward Bach worked at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital back in the 1930’s. Dr Bach was a highly respected bacteriologist and homeopathic doctor. He believed that physical illness and emotional states were interlinked, with emotional issues giving rise to physical problems. Dr Bach believed that by treating the underlying emotional issues that you could treat the physical problems. He developed 38 remedies that corresponded to different emotions. Each flower essence has a specific effect on emotional and behavioural problems.

Bach flower remedies are made from the flowers of 38 different plants. Generally, the petals from the flowers are placed in spring water and left out in the sun for a specified period of time. The water is then filtered off and the essence or energy from the flower is bottled and preserved with either brandy or vodka.
There are 38 original Bach flower essences plus Rescue Remedy-a combination of 5 essences.

Rescue Remedy is primarily used when you or your pet is in a state of anxiety, distress or fear. It contains 5 essences: cherry plum, clematis, impatiens, rockrose and star of Bethlehem. It is the first remedy to try when you need an immediate calming effect.

Cherry plum is used for animals that lose mental, emotional or physical control (bowel or bladder control) during fearful or aggressive situations. It can be used to help adjust the attitude of territorial dogs that destroy furniture or fences in order to confront other animals entering their territory. Cherry plum can also be used for uncontrolled seizures and continuous chewing.

Clematis is used to treat lethargy, inattentiveness and slow anesthetic recoveries. It helps to restore and increase consciousness.

Impatiens is given to nervous, impatient or agitated animals. It can be used with epileptic animals and to alleviate emotional or physical discomfort.

Rockrose is used for terror and panic. This remedy instills courage and trust. Rockrose can be given to dogs that are fearful of thunderstorms and other loud noises. Animals that have been traumatized in the past can also benefit.

Star of Bethlehem is used for animals suffering from current or past physical or emotional traumas. It is especially useful for animals in shelters, dealing with the death of a pet parent or other family or being abused or abandoned. It helps give the pet comfort.

All 38 flower essences can be used as a stock formula. To make a remedy, you put 3-5 drops of an essence into an empty 1oz bottle. Fill ¾ of the bottle with spring water and ¼ with vodka or brandy (preservative). You should not use more than 5 essences in a remedy. You can apply the remedy 2 drops at a time on the nose or in the mouth or place in your pet’s water. You can administer the remedy every 2-3 hours. There is no concern with overusing the remedy. Bach flower remedies are extremely effective and are completely safe and have no known side effects.

Bach flower essences can be used for a variety of behavioural problems/illnesses such as

• Excessive barking
• Car sickness
• Dermatitis
• Incontinence
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Grieving

You should always consult with your veterinarian to let them know that you are using holistic treatments.

Herbal Medicine

In today’s society, we are looking for a quick fix. When a person or pet gets sick, we go to the doctor or vet and get medicine to treat our symptoms. We want immediate relief. We never ask ourselves “what’s the cause of these symptoms?” If your pet is suffering from chronic diarrhea wouldn’t you like to figure out the cause rather than just treat the symptoms?
Herbal medicine can help. Unlike conventional medicine, the focus of holistic health is to reestablish and maintain a balance between body and mind. An herbalist will use the chemical and energetic properties of plants to help the body heal itself. Herbs are used to stimulate and regulate the body’s natural ability to rebalance.

There are three forms of holistic medicine that commonly uses herbs. They include Ayurvedic medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine and Western herbal medicine. While the philosophies of these three groups vary between cultures, they do share two fundamental similarities. The first is that they look at the entire person/pet instead of focusing on the symptoms of disease. The second is that they recognize that herbs work more effectively when you maintain good health.

Herbs can be used as alternatives to conventional medicine. Like drugs, herbs can be used to treat symptoms. Generally, herbs are relatively safe and gentle, with fewer side effects. Herbs are slower acting than drugs. They may take a few extra days to work. An example would be licorice. Licorice can be used as an anti-inflammatory substitute for steroidal and non-steroidal drugs.

The dosage and duration of treatment depends on your pet’s needs, tolerances and metabolism. Animals have a much faster metabolism than we do. In general, the doses recommended for people are based on a 150 lb person. If your dog weighs 50lbs, you would cut the dose by 2/3rds. This is a starting point. You can increase the dosage by 10% up to a maximum of 50% above the starting dose.

Sometimes you may need to decrease the dose. If your pet is vomiting, you may want to decrease the dose by 50% or stop it all together for a day or two. This gives your pet’s body a chance to readjust.
In general, most animals require a dose 2-3 times daily.

The duration of the treatment depends on your pet. Normally, you would treat for 5 days and than 2 days off. This allows you to notice any changes in your pet’s behaviour. Keep a journal of the herb you are using, how much you are administering and record any side effects and of course results. This can be very helpful when you are speaking with your vet.
If you have selected the correct herb and are using the maximum dosage, you should start to see some results within a week. Be patient! If you do not see any results, you may need to select a new herb.

Serious adverse reactions are rare but can occur through overdose and prolonged use. Sometimes, animals are allergic to certain herbs. Be proactive. Start with a small dose and watch your pet for adverse reactions.

Probably, the easiest way to get your pet to take an herbal remedy is by using tinctures or glycerites Tinctures are the most versatile, strongest and readily usable. This concentrated formula allows for quick and complete absorption into the body. Alcohol tinctures have an unlimited shelf life. The main problem is they contain alcohol, which makes them taste terrible.
Glycerites are made by using vegetable glycerin and water instead of alcohol. It is far more palatable than an alcohol tincture because glycerin tastes sweet. Some glycerin based extracts are not as potent as their alcohol counterparts, but pets like them better. Potency can be adjusted by simply increasing the dose.
Glycerites will last for 2 years if stored in the refrigerator and can be used by pets that have diabetes.

Herbs can also be used as dietary supplements. Herbs provide vitamins, minerals; fatty acids…With nutritive herbs such as dandelion, the body can absorb the nutrients that it needs and safely eliminate the excess.

Recipe for herbal dietary supplement

Combine equal parts of the following:
Spirulina
Nettle
Dandelion Leaf
Alfalfa
Powdered flaxseed

This recipe can be fed 1 tsp for dogs per pound of food fed daily or ½ tsp daily for cats.

This recipe provides: protein, vitamins A, B complex, C, E and K, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids.

Recipe is courtesy of All You Ever Wanted to Know about Herbs for Pets—Mary L Wulff-Tilford and Gregory L. Tilford.