The Dog Days of Holistic Pet Medicine are Here
Let's face it. Americans are obsessed with their pets. If you don't believe this, then you must have never heard of the pet stroller. For $128.99, you can buy a Fresh Air stroller for your cat, dog, rabbit, or any other furry creature with four legs under 27 pounds. If you still don't believe that our reverence for our pets runs deep, consider that the city of Chicago recently held a Halloween parade in their honor. Seeing a whiskered Snow White bite Superman's tail was a bit surreal, to say the least. Although some new pet products verge on the superfluous, the growing fondness for animal companions has helped spark some very beneficial animal services. One emerging service trend that makes a lot of sense is holistic health care for pets.
What's Good for the Goose...
Many humans have embraced holistic health care for quite some time. Some of us have even taken courses at natural health schools or received other natural medicine training. Armed with the knowledge of how to prevent certain illness and disease through exercise and healthy eating habits, we often reach for herbal medications instead of prescription pills when experiencing aches and pains. Covering up health problems with painkillers and other medications isn't as effective as dealing with underlying lifestyle choices that encourage illness. It seems reasonable that if we embrace natural medicine in keeping ourselves healthy, we might as well pass these healthy habits along to our pets. Why wouldn't herbal medications, vitamins, massage, and other holistic treatments help them as much as they help us? Many natural health clinics and new-age veterinary practices have connected the dots between our quest for holistic health and our love of pets to create holistic health care practices for pets.
Proper nutrition is usually not an issue among pets because commercial pet foods are generally made with the vitamin supplements that pets need. Traditional vets usually tell pet owners to wait until a pet displays a vitamin deficiency before adding supplements to their diet. Many of these new holistic health care pet clinics take a different view. They believe that pet owners shouldn't wait until they see their pets suffering before taking steps to help them. Many published literature recommends nutritional supplements and herbal remedies for common pet problems. They suggest vitamin A for healthy tissue, vitamin B for help in growth and healing, and vitamin E for circulation problems. Echinacea is recommended for the common cold, and ginseng is supposed to be a natural cure for lethargy. Astragalus, a root native to China, is sold to pet owners in the event of a pet injury. It supposedly has an antiviral effect and boosts the immune system. For those pets with digestive problems, yogurt is a suggested remedy. Its active cultures, if given to pets no more than seven times a week, have been shown to rehabilitate a pet's digestive tract.
Pamper Your Pet with a Massage
Alternative medicines in the form of massage and chiropractic treatments are also beneficial to pets. Because of the obvious communication barriers we have with barking and purring animals, massage can be used as a diagnostic tool to see where pets have aches and pains, and as a way to find unhealthy skin irritations. More intense massage can help prevent and treat typical muscle ailments such as hip dysplasia. A pet chiropractor can look at an animal's gait and predict what muscles and joints need to be adjusted to help it age more gracefully. These treatments are good for pets both physically and emotionally, since they can display signs of stress and worry just like humans. A good massage can calm a pet and give it a better disposition over time. If people are willing to buy their pets a Halloween costume, they would most likely also be willing to pay for a relaxing massage.
Therapy Given is Therapy Received
Those of you who are really passionate about natural health probably spend a good deal of time practicing yoga, looking for herbal medications, and generally immersing yourself in the field. If you spend so much time studying health anyway, why not round out your natural medicine training by earning a degree? The natural health profession is growing, and clinics are looking for new practitioners all the time. Now is the time to make a career change if you think you've hit a dead end at your current job, or want to spend less time working and more time with your family. In addition to enhancing your lifestyle, it can be fulfilling to help other people realize the benefits of holistic therapy as opposed to relying solely on prescription medication.
Extra from Lassie
Take a look at different natural health schools. During your school search, look at natural health schools that offer holistic pet care training as well as more traditional natural medicine training. With holistic health care for pets becoming more popular every day, the demand for pet services is on the rise. It makes good business sense for you to take the small steps necessary to include holistic pet care training into your entire course of study.
Pet lovers are here to stay. As odd as they seem to those who have yet to experience the joys of owning a pet, their numbers are growing, and their methods of pet pampering are getting more sophisticated. While dressing a Chihuahua in a baby bonnet may lift a few eyebrows, keeping it healthy with proper nutrition and natural therapies makes a lot of sense. If you plan starting a career in the natural health field, take advantage of the growing market for holistic health care for pets and learn how you can provide services for both Sparky and his parents.
About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is an artist manager and singer working in Chicago, IL. His previous experience includes consulting for technology companies in the Silicon Valley and serving as a field director and publicist for a statewide political campaign. Kirk holds a B.A. in government from Harvard University.
