Holistic Pet Care, Medicine And Health

Holistic pet care is growing because we Americans love our pets and our cultural heritage reflects that love. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) 2005-2006 National Pet Owners Survey there are approximately 73 million dogs and 90 million cats owned in the United States. Thirty nine percent of households own a dog while thirty four percent own a cat. Annually, dog owners spent on average $211 on veterinary visits while cat owners spent an average of $179 each year. As people become increasingly health conscious and seek natural methods of staying healthy, they are also seeking holistic pet health alternatives for their four-legged friends.

Holistic pet care has its roots in human holistic health care also known as alternative medicine. The formal branches of alternative medicine are homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbal therapy, and nutrition. All of these branches of holistic pet care share a common philosophy that the body of every dog or cat has a central, controlling life force or energy. This life force keeps the body in balance and when external pathogens cause illness, allows it to heal. Holistic pet care focuses on assisting the body to heal itself.

Holistic pet medicine is provided by doctors of veterinary medicine who have received training and who embrace holistic pet health. Holistic pet care involves homeopathic practices of introducing small amounts of substances into the body to induce a natural intelligent reaction to counteract a pathogen. One such holistic pet medicine used for dogs and cats is flower essence therapy pioneered by Dr. Edward Bach in the 1930's. Dr. Bach identified many flower essence remedies including his famous five flower remedy that is used for resolving emergency and crisis. Holistic pet care advocates advise using a flower essence remedy called the "calming essence" in preparing a pet (or an owner) for a show.

Holistic pet care may even include taking a pet for chiropractic or acupuncture treatment as part of holistic pet care regimens. Chiropractors improve overall pet health through attention to the relationship between a body's health and the spinal column's relationship to the overall nervous system. Chiropractors manipulate the body to improve nervous system function. A chiropractor can even increase a dog's flexibility and performance. Acupuncture is known to have existed in China nearly 4,000 years ago and is still used today as part of holistic pet care. Acupuncture treats specific points on the body that when stimulated by heat, lasers, needles or massage can trigger the body's natural healing responses by improving life force balance.

Nutrition is considered the fundamental element of holistic pet care. Raw meat, bones and vegetables are the staples of a holistic diet for a dog or cat. Perhaps the easiest diet plan to remember is BARF, an acronym for Bio Active Raw Food, a diet based on a book, Give Your Dog a Bone by Dr. Ian Bilinghurst. Raw food raises concerns about the potential for bacterial or parasitic infections so precautions must be taken to protect both owners and their dog or cat. Holistic pet care practitioners prefer feeding with raw food rather than highly processed pet foods used by many pet owners because of the higher nutritional values in raw food.

The holistic pet care industry grows as people learn the benefits of holistic medicine for themselves. Holistic pet care provides hope for long and healthy lives for our pets. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."


Sources:
Bernstein, Larry A. Natural Holistic Health Care. Naturalholistic.com. 1995-2007. 3 May 2007.
http://www.naturalholistic.com/nhpc/index.htmlBernstein, Larry A." Introduction to Holistic Care For Your Animal Companion." Naturalholistic.com. July 2000. 3 May 2007.
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Bernstein, Larry A. "Natural Feeding For Your Animal Companion." Naturalholistic.com. July 2000. 3 May 2007.
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Bernstein, Larry A. "A Homeopathic Primer." Naturalholistic.com. July 2000. 3 May 2007.
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Bernstein, Larry A. "HOW TO GIVE THE REMEDY." Naturalholistic.com. July 2000. 3 May 2007.
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U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics. The Humane Society of the United States. 2007.3 May 2007.
http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pe ts/pet_overpopulation_and_ownership_statistics/us_ />Famous Pet and Animal Quotes. Lifelike Pet Portraits in Oil Pastel by Artist Sarah Theophilus. 3 May 2007.http://www.petsinpastel.com/quotes.htm.