How to Give Your Dog Holistic Care

The holistic philosophy, whether it is referring to health, the spiritual nature, the environment (the Gaia theory is an example), science or philosophy is based on the precept that all the components that make up a Whole, or a system, are inextricably interconnected and that what affects one part will, in some way, affect all the other parts of the Whole; that no one unique part or element of the whole exists exclusive of any of the other parts.

In other words, it's all relative.

A holistic approach is also a cornerstone of preventative veterinary care, a concept that is being more widely embraced, not only by concerned and aware pet owners, but by the veterinary community. Traditional veterinarians are expanding their own practices and augmenting their education with training in “alternative” disciplines that stress wellness and overall health maintenance and improvement. Some practices are expanding and adding non-traditional practitioners, nutritionists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, herbalists, ayurvedic specialists and experts in other disciplines as associates and even partners in order to better serve a clientele that is becoming more educated and more aware of the long term benefits, both regarding their pets' longevity and quality of life and the positive economic impact keeping a pet healthy can have versus dealing with a catastrophic illness that might have been avoided with a program of sound health maintenance.

Probably the most basic of the precepts of holistic care for your pet is nutrition. Simply stated, “garbage in, garbage out,” although, unfortunately, some of that garbage can collect in major organs like the liver and kidneys and set our pets up for chronic and debilitating diseases later on in life. Poor food choices stress the system; undigestible components of inferior food formulations and chemical and toxin laden “nutrient” sources do the same thing to our pets that they do to us. Dogs may be built to throw off some of the diseases that affect us, but they aren't designed to cope with build ups of mold and bacterial toxins or chemical poisons.

Another part of the “whole” is emotional stress. Our pets are vulnerable to their own sets of emotional stressors and need outlets and firewalls just as we do. And, like us, when their emotional stress levels are low it affects physical and mental stress levels as well, lowering them also -- holistically.

A dog whose body is relatively free of physical stressors is typically more receptive to training. Some trainers and behaviorists take this holistic approach and begin their assessments of dogs with behavior problems by examining the dog's diet. There have been cases of “aggressive” dogs who became amenable to training and learned to be good companions -- after being taken off of low quality, nutrient shallow, toxin dense foods and put on a balanced raw diet.

The nervous system plays its part in the health of the whole animal. Acupuncture and acupressure, as well as therapeutic massage techniques like the Tellington T-Touch work by opening the free flow of energy through these nerve passageways. Modern western science hasn't found a satisfactory explanation for why it works yet, but relieved pet owners of a variety of different animals, from the smallest pet rodent to skittish horses and even zoo keepers will attest that something happens, and caring veterinarians are often willing to set their skepticism and need for scientific explanation aside when they see something that works to the betterment of their patients, especially when the therapy has no deleterious side effects.

Sensory therapies like aroma therapy can be extraordinarily effective when working with animals; their sense of smell is so much more acute than the human olfactory process.

Acupuncture, acupressure and massage join chiropractic therapies gaining popularity with clients whose dogs are involved in sports. Aligning the skeletal system to provide the proper framework for the muscular physiology of the canine athlete, as well as facilitating the flow of impulses through the neural network can help keep a dog fit and protect it from injury.

Of course, part of a holistic wellness plan for your pet involves appropriate amounts and types of exercise, not only for efficient body functions, but -- again holistically -- emotional and mental stress.

One thing to keep in mind: when your pet is healthy and has a sense of well being, it contributes to your own, because when our pets aren't happy and healthy, we worry.

Worry is stress. Stress causes disease. And back to that holistic concept we go . . .

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