A Holistic Approach to Caring for Senior Dogs & Cats
Caring for aging pets with holistic remedies can soothe many of the health issues and illnesses that senior dogs and cats face in their twilight years. Natural remedies can reduce pain and help keep older pets healthy and active.
Older dogs and cats can develop a wide range of health challenges from respiratory problems and arthritis to cognitive decline and joint pain. For many of these health challenges, seeing a holistic veterinarian can make a big difference in diagnosing the causes for senior pet symptoms and alternative therapies are often far more effective forms of treatment to bring your pet to optimal health.
Pet parents who have tried conventional veterinary care with senior pets suffering from an unexplained health crisis, lack of mobility, or changes in behavior due to pain or discomfort have found that holistic therapies can accomplish what conventional medicine cannot - restoring the quality of the animal's life by pinpointing why their pet is in pain or suffering from an affliction that has gone on far too long.
Simply put, if your aging dog or cat is having trouble living his or her best life in their later years, holistic care can be the life-changing choice that offers comfort and healing.
The following are just some of the ways that a holistic approach to overall health and wellness can give your senior dog or cat a new lease on life.
Changing Diet
When you change your aging pet’s food to focus on providing a fully holistic diet, the process should be deliberate for best results. Switching to holistic food offers an all-natural and healthier alternative to conventional diets that incorporate too many artificial ingredients, fillers that offer little in the way of nutritional value, and fail to support your pet’s dietary needs as they get older.
Holistic food is designed to give aging animals a diet that meets their dietary requirements, which can often change as they get older. Only natural, clean, simple ingredients are used in holistic pet foods, formulated to provide a raw diet that is more akin to the type of diet your pet would eat in the wild.
High in protein, with quality carbohydrates instead of empty starches often found in the filler that many conventional foods contain, and free from additives, preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors. A raw food diet is ideal, as that is certainly the most holistic food that pets can eat.
Think about it, you need food for energy. Good nutrition helps your body's many essential systems work properly. As we age, our bodies break down and it's no different for our pets. Nutrients trigger natural healing processes and help us recover faster from the wear and tear that comes from age.
Changing your pet's food to support a holistic diet is an important step in caring for senior dogs and cats and it can have a tremendous impact on maintaining their overall health and general well being.
Routine Veterinary Care
As pets age, more visits to the veterinarian are a must. Routine checkups can be crucial for diagnosing illnesses early, before they can limit your aging pets' mobility or impact their quality of life. But taking a holistic approach to senior dog care and cat wellness means visiting a holistic veterinarian who can diagnose a health issue by looking at health from a variety of potential causes behind your pet's symptoms.
Conventional pet care is too quick to rely on pharmaceuticals for the solution to many illnesses and diseases that cause older pets pain, discomfort, and impact their quality of life. Taking a holistic approach to maintaining your senior pet's health and wellness is best achieved with the help of a holistic veterinarian that incorporates natural alternative treatments and therapies to prevent and address the types of illnesses and discomfort that aging pets face.
Your senior pet may be trying to tell you something with the changes in his or her behavior. Routines and patterns that were once normal for your pet may no longer be part of their everyday and it could be due to any number of reasons. If your pet is showing a lack of interest in otherwise typical physical activities, it could be due to a significant change in the body's natural state and the pain and discomfort that has become apparent as a result could be caused by something that a conventional veterinarian may not catch or might rule out.
Avoid a Healing Crisis with Natural Remedies
Taking the holistic approach to healing what ails your aging pets doesn't entirely discount the use of conventional medications and pharmaceuticals to ease pain and help with healing. But they are used in low doses in combination with alternative therapeutics that are often associated with traditional chinese medicine, like aromatherapy, acupuncture, other natural alternatives that work to help your pet heal from illness, reduce pain and discomfort, and aid in the recovery process after treatment has been administered, conventional or traditional.
Acupuncture Treatment
The practice of using small needles to reduce pain and inflammation through manipulating the flow of energy in targeted areas of the body has long been an effective method of treatment for humans and it works just as well in helping senior dogs and cats overcome hip dysplasia, spinal issues, arthritis, and even other ailments that affect the digestive system. This can be useful for reducing post-surgery discomfort when painkillers are insufficient or too caustic for the pet's well-being and chronic pain that needs to be managed without the use of pharmaceuticals that offer anti-inflammatory properties.
Chiropractic Treatment
An older dog or aging cat may benefit from chiropractic care to help realign the spine and redirect your pet's bioenergies to the places where they can be of the most benefit. Improper body alignment can cause all kinds of issues from sore muscles to poor nerve function and an alternative treatment like chiropractic care can offer the type of relief that humans enjoy from this form of care.
Aromatherapy Treatment
The use of scents from essential oils can do wonders for improving your senior pet's mood and help to preserve their physical and emotional wellness. Each type of essential oil can have a different effect on your pet and using these natural therapies as a way to treat cognitive decline, regain a lack of interest in exercise, and to assist in reducing anxiety in your pet can be extremely beneficial.
Bioresonance Energy Products
Products that rely on the European healthcare approach of bioresonance energy also offer an excellent holistic approach to maintaining your senior pet’s health. BioPower Pet offers a Going Strong tag and spray which support your aging dog or cat from both a physical and mental perspective. Their Mobility Magic tag and spray are also ideal for pets suffering from joint pain, inflammation, and other mobility issues.
Embracing Holistic Medicine for Older Dogs and Cats
Veterinary care is absolutely critical for aging pets, but some pet parents may be reluctant to turn to holistic remedies for pain relief or treatment of common illnesses associated with aging because they may not be as easy. That's okay, the holistic approach calls for a deliberate strategy towards treating senior pets to help preserve their optimal health.
Take it slow, if your pet is having an issue that your conventional veterinarian has not been able to properly diagnose, give holistic therapies a try. These alternatives can often bring a fresh perspective to a health concern that hasn't yet been diagnosed.
An aging pet with medical problems may not have a weak or compromised immune system, the problem could be rooted in your pet's psychological well being or there is an emotional issue that is contributing to the difficulties your pet is experiencing.
Old age doesn't have to hurt. It doesn't need to mean a lower quality of life or denying your pet the things he or she used to love. We all need a little help from time to time and holistic medicine can offer your beloved pet an alternative to the pain, discomfort, and limitations that are keeping them from a full and active life.