Greetings! Welcome to the August edition of Dr. Pet Mom’s Delightful Pet Menagerie (DPM) Newsletter. In the lead up to the fall season, let’s close out the month on a high note for our pets. This edition celebrates National Holistic Pet Day on August 30. Enjoy!
Holistic Pet Lives
As a loving pet parent, you want to give your pet the best quality of life possible. Quality includes holistic living that helps your pet’s mind, body, and soul.
Holistic pet living means enriching:
- Their minds through mental stimulation and challenges.
- Their bodies through diet, exercise, grooming, and massage.
- Their souls through lots of loving, attention, and security.
Enrichment is a process that improves the environment and behavioral care of confined animals.
If you think about rescue and shelter animals, enrichment will improve their mental and physical health. Enrichment also helps animals feel confident, secure, and increases their chances for adoption.
Holistic Veterinary Care Myths
Holistic vet care is more than natural remedies. Care combines traditional veterinary practices with alternative therapies.
Common myths about holistic vet care include:
- Holistic vet care is not effective. Wrong. Studies show that holistic care can improve your pet’s health and longevity.
- Holistic vet care is a substitute for traditional vet care. Wrong. Holistic veterinary care is a complement to traditional vet methods.
- Holistic vet care is breed-specific. Wrong. Holistic veterinary care is for all animals, from gerbils to elephants.
Traditional or Holistic Veterinary Care?
Today, we can watch a variety of veterinarian shows online that explore emergency vet care, vet care in rural America and vet students learning their profession in real time.
Pet parents may not know that there are alternative ways to treat their pet’s health. You can find alternatives and let’s compare two types of veterinary care.
Traditional veterinary care relies on a “one path” method, using evidence to diagnose your pet’s care. Vets review immediate symptoms, use diagnostic testing, prescribe medications, suggest dietary changes and offer surgery as needed.
Holistic or integrative veterinary care offers a wider look at the overall well-being of your pet and favors natural treatments. The holistic approach supports preventative care and encourages pet parents to choose the most suitable treatment for their pets.
Holistic or integrative pet care supports:
- Preventative-focused therapies to reduce the need for invasive treatments.
- Alternative therapies for chronic conditions that may not respond to traditional methods alone.
- Minimal prescriptions to lower the risk of side effects.
Overall Well-Being for Your Pet
What does holistic pet care look like? The basic elements include:
Nutrition: The foundation of holistic pet care is good nutrition. Similar to humans, artificial additives and low-quality ingredients in food cause health problems (obesity, allergies, diabetes) in our pets. Good nutrition includes raw diets, whole foods, and supplements.
Alternative therapies: Holistic pet care favors alternative therapies that complement traditional treatments. Examples include hydrotherapy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic care, herbal medicine (natural herbs), homeopathy (natural substances), and sound therapy.
Emotional Well Being: Your pet’s emotional health is key to a quality wellness plan. Anxiety and stress can appear as physical and behavioral problems. Pheromone therapy, behavior modification, flower essence remedies and animal communication can address emotional and mental concerns.
Preventive Care: Similar to humans, preventive care can prevent your pet from getting sick. Holistic care is key to health maintenance and preventing disease. Care includes regular wellness exams, natural parasite control, vaccination tailored for your pet, and monitoring early signs of disease.
Environment and Lifestyle: Your pet’s environment is critical to their health. Holistic care favors regular exercise, mental stimulation, a home free from harsh chemicals, and strong human-animal bonds for a well-balanced life.
Blending holistic and traditional veterinary care: Your pet can benefit from both holistic and traditional vet care. A cat with kidney disease can be treated with herbal support and traditional fluid therapy. Or a dog with arthritis can be helped with anti-inflammatory medications and hydrotherapy.
A blended model is flexible and focused on personal care that recognizes the strengths and limitations of all treatment modalities.
Holistic Veterinary Care: Pros & Cons
Alternative vet care is an option you can explore. Here’s a list of pros and cons:
Pros: Less invasive and gentle methods. Holistic pet care is a wonderful option if your pet has complicated health problems not resolved by traditional vet care. Also, gentle methods can help a stressed or anxious pet.
Pros: A whole-body perspective on natural pet care and well being. Spiritual, emotional, and physical qualities are important to your pet’s overall health. The aim of holistic pet care is to address the balances and imbalances in your pet’s health.
Pros: A blend of traditional and holistic vet care can lower the risk of disease before it becomes serious. Alternative treatments can avoid over medicating your pet, a common issue in pet health care.
Cons: The practice of holistic pet care is not standardized and not all veterinarians follow the same principles or methods. Any pet parent should remember their due diligence and find a knowledgeable and experienced vet for their pet care.
Cons: Compared to traditional vet care, holistic pet care is expensive. Combining different methods and treatments not covered by insurance are things to consider for your budget.
Cons: Access to a holistic veterinarian is a challenge, but the list of alternative vet care professionals is growing. Visit the American Holistic Veterinarian Medical Association’s (AHVMA) VetFinder tool. Or search online for “Holistic vet” or “Alternative veterinarian”.
Closing Thoughts…
Choose wisely as you explore the best veterinary care for your pet. Think about your pet’s overall health needs.
You can even try out some daily holistic remedies for your pet, such as adding pumpkin to their diet for digestive issues, using coconut oil on dry skin or lavender as a natural flea repellent.
You can find a stress-free veterinary practice that separates dogs and cats in the waiting area, or use treats to calm your pet when touching their nails, feet, and ears.
Also, read up on holistic and natural healing for your cat or dog.
Thanks for stopping by!
Dr. Pet Mom
“Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.” ~~ Jeff Valdez
A wonderful and informative article, Dr. Pet Mom…thanks so much!
Hi Lou,
Thanks for your comments. I love the idea of alternative health treatments for our pets. They deserve the best we can give them!
DPB