With so many humans benefiting from a more natural approach, people want their pets to enjoy those benefits, too
For or many of us, we have watched with helplessness and frustration while friends and family members have suffered from a multitude of chronic diseases. We have also seen that Western medicine has done little for them. We have been frustrated while we watched the same things happen to our companion animals. We may know people who have recovered from some debilitating illness after being treated by an Oriental medical doctor, chiropractor, homeopath or naturopath.
After all these wonderful benefits we receive ourselves for this natural life style, we want the same from our companion animals," writes Dave McCluggage, D.V.M., B.S., I.V.A.S., certified veterinary acupuncturist in a foreword in Alicia McWatters' A Guide to a Naturally Healthy Bird.
Nina Anderson and Dr. Howard Peiper in their book, Super-Nutrition For Dogs n' Cats, write, "There are approximately 80 million pet owners in the United States. These animal lovers spend 27 billion dollars on their pets and of that, $11 billion is on food, Advertising in the pet industry is the primary way you hear about their products.
Impact of Commercially Processed Pet Food
Do manufacturers tell you what they put in their cans or boxes? Is it a dead dog or cat?
That may sound harsh, but for some manufacturers, it's true. '4D' is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classification denoting a dead, dying, diseased and disabled meat source. Do they tell you what effect the preservatives and additives may have on your pet's health? Of course not! All you see is happy, healthy animals lapping up their 'yummy' food."
The authors assert that natural pet food manufacturers have a lot more of a conscience. "They have provided us with much of their research into what really should be in pet foods and what shouldn't. We have been made aware of the hazards of toxic additives and the need for specific nutrients.
Unfortunately, even the most trustworthy natural pet food manufacturer must cook or process foods. Therefore, to restore the natural digestibility of the food, supplemental enzymes must be added to the meal."
Pet Health: The Natural Way
In Keep Your Pet Healthy The Natural Way, Pat Lazarus writes that the optimal daily diet for an adult dog contains from one-third to one-half meat with the rest being vegetables, fruits and grains such as raw grated carrot, cooked brown rice, whole grain breads, or chopped nuts.
About one-sixth of the weekly meat ration should be organ meats-heart, kidney, gizzard, spleen, tripe. Some vitamin and mineral supplements that can be given to your dog are vitamin C, vitamin E and a multivitamin and mineral supplement formulated for dogs.
Lazarus recommends making 75% of the adult cat's daily food ration meat with one-sixth of the weekly meat ration being organ meats. Most of the rest of the daily ration should consist of vegetables, fruit and grains. Cats also can benefit from vitamins C and E, and a multi-vitamin and mineral pill formulated for cats.
Natural Pet Care
In The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, C.J. Puotinen writes, "In our age of modern medicine, when illnesses are treated in high-tech hospitals with laser surgery and powerful prescription drugs, it is easy to forget that until the 20th century, plants were the medicines that kept people and their companion animals well.
In fact, most of the prescription drugs in use today were derived from plants, and outside of Canada and the United States, plants remain the world's primary healing agents."
Herbal Health for Pets
Randy Kidd, D.V.M., in "Seven-Step Herbal Health Program For Pets" in the January/February 2002 edition of Herbs For Life, suggests sprinkling the following tonic herbs in your pet's food several times a week:
- alfalfa (Medicago sativa),
- nettle (Urtica dioicd),
- red clover (Trifolium pratense),
- cleavers (Galium aparine),
- and oats (Avena sativa) as an added source of basic nutrients.
The natural pet products available are not limited to food. Anderson and Peiper suggest the use of flower remedies such as aspen to calm the nerves of animals that are easily frightened or clematis for lethargic pets. The use of homeopathic remedies such as: Allium cepa (red onion) for colds, flu, violent sneezing, and sore throat; Nux vomica (poison nut) for upset stomach and constipation; and Calcarea fluorica for joint pain, cysts and lumbago are also recommended.
Some herbal remedies that could be helpful are alfalfa, aloe vera, arnica, barberry, bearberry, black walnut, boswella, buchu, burdock, calendula, Cascara sagrada, catnip, cat's claw, cayenne pepper and chamomile.
Herbs for the Birds
Some remedies that McWatters says are useful to have on hand for your bird include:
Arnica (Mountain daisy), an anti-inflammatory;
euphrasia (eyebright), an astringent that is helpful for eye infections;
calendula (marigold), which heals skin wounds, cuts, abrasions and minor burns;
and hypericum (St. John's wort), which is helpful for injuries and nerve damage of the feet, toes and claws.
References:
Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care by C.J. Puotinen
A Guide to a Naturally Healthy Bird by Alicia McWatters, M.S.
Keep Your Pet Healthy the Natural Way by Pat Lazarus
Super-Nutrition For Dogs n' Cats by Nina Anderson and Dr. Howard Peiper
"Seven-Step Herbal Health Program For Pets" by Randy Kidd, D.V.M, Herbs For
Health, Jan/Feb02
Last Update:: 0000-00-00
