Increase the Longevity of Your Pets’ Lives By Doing Natural Preventative Care
What does “natural preventative care” mean? I always thought vaccinating, preventative medicines, and “premium kibble” were forms of natural preventative care. Hardly.
Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical companies and the pet food industry have really pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes—but the wool is coming off! People are frustrated with how traditional care has let them down and are seeking alternatives. These alternatives not only aim to give pets a higher quality of life but also a longer one. It seems we barely get our pets to a settled place in our lives before they’re gone. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Please don’t misunderstand me—mainstream care does have its place, but it should not be the only option for people and their pets. In fact, I believe the heavy reliance on allopathic medicine, without integrating homeopathic, naturopathic, and alternative therapies, is a big part of the problem. At some point, we must ask: What happened to the principle of “first, do no harm”?
How to Implement Natural Preventative Care for Your Pet
Let’s start by defining what “preventative, natural, holistic care” really means. Here are the definitions of “holistic,” “preventative,” and “natural” from my American Heritage Dictionary:
Holistic: emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts.
Natural: present in or produced by nature; not artificial or man-made.
Preventive: designed or used to prevent or hinder; acting as an obstacle; precautionary.
When we combine these definitions, we see that natural pet care means the whole (your pet) working interdependently, without artificial ingredients or synthetics, and in the natural order of things. This approach helps ward off illness and disease! Now that we understand the definition of natural pet care, let’s explore how to implement it. Not only will this lower the costs of your pet care, but it will also increase the longevity of your pet’s life.
Start with Nutrition
The first place to always start is with nutrition—and that begins with what you’re feeding your pets. My recommendation is to feed them as species-specifically as possible. For dogs and cats, this means meat should be the primary ingredient in their food. Not kibble. Kibble isn’t fit for anyone or anything to eat.
There are a couple of options I recommend for reluctant pet owners who can’t stomach the idea of feeding raw meat to their dog or cat. However, I will say this: as long as you stick to kibble, your pets will experience problems associated with food that their bodies were never designed to digest.
There are many ways to feed naturally. For example, dogs can thrive on a B.A.R.F. diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), which includes raw meats, vegetables, dairy products, and nuts. Some people adhere to strictly raw meat, while others prefer a cooked meat and vegetable diet. You need to decide what works for your household. Even a cooked diet is far better than any form of kibble. Think about animals in the wild—do they eat kibble or pellets? Of course not. Our domestic pets don’t need those things either!
I feed my dog a cooked meat diet along with a natural whole food liquid supplement. I also use essential oils to prevent parasites and help with the pain in his forelegs. He came to us as a severely abused, starved, and neglected 5-month-old puppy. Through trial and error, we found what keeps him healthy, strong, and happy—and he is completely natural. For heartworm prevention, we use homeopathy. He even runs with me, and traditionally his breed isn’t known for running!
For horses, you always need to consider worms, but there are natural ways to address this, such as using food-grade diatomaceous earth (only food grade). This also works well in cats, dogs, and other warm-blooded animals, though I personally prefer essential oils for my dog.
Rethinking Vaccinations
Next, let’s address why vaccinating seems to be so important to your pet’s health. Here are just a few examples of why vaccinations might be harming your pets, rather than helping them (information sourced from Shirley’s Wellness Cafe):
Donna Starita Mehan, DVM: “Routine vaccination has adverse side effects, either short or long-term. With vaccines that are repeated year after year, the frequency and severity of these side effects in our pets have increased dramatically. Most problems involve the immune system, as that is what vaccines are designed to stimulate. However, they do so in an unnatural way that can overwhelm and confuse the immune system.”
Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, Ph.D.: “Annual revaccination provides no benefit and may increase the risk for adverse reactions. In our study, the percentage of vaccinated animals protected from diseases like canine distemper, parvovirus, and adenovirus was greater than 95%—and their immunity lasted a minimum of 5 years, with most lasting 7-15 years!” (Source: Current & Future Canine and Feline Vaccination Programs).
Don Hamilton, DVM: “Yearly boosters are unnecessary. They provide no benefit and will not increase immunity. Boosters are either a legal issue (Rabies) or a manipulation issue (inducing clients to come in for an examination).”
Charles E. Loops, DVM: “Homeopathic veterinarians and other holistic practitioners have maintained that vaccinations do more harm than they do good. Vaccines represent a major assault on the body’s immune system, and vaccine-induced chronic diseases can range from life-threatening conditions to conditions that destroy an animal’s quality of life, such as chronic skin allergies.”
These are just a few examples from veterinarians who are now speaking out against over-vaccination, which is a significant part of their business. Interestingly, many holistic and homeopathic vets started in traditional medicine but moved to alternative care because they wanted to do more for their patients.
Holistic Care and Mental Stimulation
Another essential aspect of holistic care is keeping your pets mentally stimulated through exercise, play, and training. Animals love to have a job and be useful. The key to good interaction is training in a way that aligns with the natural behavior of the animal you own. What does this mean? For dogs, it means using a “pack mentality” in training. For horses, it means approaching them as another horse would.
It’s all common sense really. When you treat the whole animal—without relying on synthetics—and ensure that all parts work together, you don’t just treat the symptoms. You treat the pet. As Dr. Shawn Messonnier said, “I don’t treat crystals in the urine, I treat the pet.” That’s what holistic care means: all parts working interdependently. By taking care of the entire animal, you can lower your veterinarian costs and increase the longevity of your pet’s life.
About the Author:
Kim Bloomer is a natural pet care educator, host of the online radio show “Animal Talk Naturally,” and a proficient blogger and writer on natural pet health. Kim is also co-author of the book Whole Health for Happy Dogs. She worked in the veterinary field for many years and continues to do extensive research into natural health care for dogs and cats. She is also the co-founder of the new online continuing education program, Natural Animal World. Kim is currently enrolled in the Clayton College of Natural Health, studying for a Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nutrition and a Doctor of Naturopathy. Kim is a member of the American Veterinary Naturopathic Association.
Website: https://www.aspenbloompetcare.com
