Animals also suffer from disease and sickness just as humans do. Veterinary medicine approaches animal health care with vaccines and medicines that treat symptoms of a health problem. Holistic health care, on the other hand, is an alternative approach which treats the whole animal and not just symptoms of a disease using changes in nutrition, vitamins and minerals and homeopathy remedies.
Causes of animal health problems
Knowing the real cause of an animal's pain, disease or sickness can help you determine the appropriate treatment or therapy for it. The following are some of the common causes of animal health problems:
Heredity
Impaired organ function, immune responses or an animal's poor coping skills may be the result of a defective genetic code obtained from its parents.
Environmental toxins
Chemicals found in food, water and air may affect the animal's metabolism causing illness or disease.
Physical trauma
Trauma to any part of the body, especially the head, affects the natural flow of chi or life force, which deprives the body of much needed energy for good health.
Chronic stress
Animals also suffer from stress just as humans do. Chronic stress may arise from constant exposure to emotional and physical illness, and toxins.
Natural treatment methods
Holistic health care avoids the use of vaccines and processed pet food which contain toxins and other substances that cause more harm than good to an animal. In case of pain, sickness or disease, an animal may be treated using any of the following methods:
- Homeopathy
- Herbal treatments
- Flower essences
- Physical therapy
- Equine tactile therapy
- Bowen therapy
- Acupressure point massage
- Chiropractic therapy
- Colour and music
- Radio broadcasting therapy
- Quartz crystals
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is an essential part of holistic health care for animals. It is based on the Law of Similars where "like cures like". The principle behind homeopathy is that a medicine can cure a sick animal only if it can cause a similar sickness in a healthy animal. This type of treatment uses very small doses of medicines or remedies obtained from substances found in nature such as animal, vegetable and mineral sources.
Application of holistic health care for animals
Holistic animal therapy is used to treat and prevent the following diseases and health problems in domestic animals:
- Dogs: distemper, heartworm, Parvo virus, Hydatid disease
- Cats: ringworm, Feline AIDS, Feline immunodeficiency virus, hairballs, feline herpes virus or cat flu.
- Rodents: respiratory problems and mycoplasma as well as abscesses.
- Reptiles: mouth rot or Canker, cytoparasites, and pneumonia.
What to expect from holistic health care
Holistic health care for animals involves:
- evaluation of symptoms of illness or disease displayed by the animal
- determination of the problem
- choosing the natural treatment
- developing a management plan for the owner of the animal to follow to help treat the problem and relieve the pain and discomfort associated with the illness.
Holistic health care is preferred by many because it treats and prevents animal disease by boosting immune function, maintaining proper nutrition and using natural therapies.
Originally published on Sep 30, 2009
