Holistic Health for Dogs

Learn more about holistic health for dogs from dog expert Wendy Nan Rees.

The Complete Holistic Dog Book

I have just finished reading a wonderful, new book that I feel is great tool for saving money during this time of economic strife. This new book is written by Jan Allegretti and Dr. Katy Sommers, DVM and is called The Complete Holistic Dog Book. The idea behind this book is not only talking about living a holistic lifestyle, but is continuing with our theme of the importance of having our dogs on a whole food, healthy diet. I keep coming back to the importance of "an ounce of prevention" in not only keeping our dogs healthy but, in this economy, saving us money in the long run.

In almost every book I have been reading in the last year and a half, I have been learning about integrated veterinary medicine.

Dr. Shawn Messonnier D.V.M., who practices in Plano, Texas, introduced me for the first time to this new type of veterinary medicine that is a combination of traditional vet medicine and holistic vet medicine combined in the same practice. If every vet across the US was able to practice this, we would be light years ahead, and all of us would be as lucky as the people in Texas.

One of the things Dr. Messonnier taught me three years ago was a new way to look at vaccinating my pets. So now every year, I give them a “titers” blood test. Always consult with your vet first! Dr. Messonnier still believes in vaccinating young puppies, just not as often. Once the dogs have all of their antibodies, they then do the “titers” blood test to check the dogs' antibodies levels. This determines how often to do the boosters instead of just blindly giving dogs yearly boosters. It is a way of saving money and insuring your dog’s health. I found that interesting because in reading The Complete Holistic Dog Book, they talked about this same subject.

Another wonderful thing Jan Allegretti spoke about in her book that I tried this weekend was the “Tao of the Dog”. This is something that you will really have to read about yourself, but to give you a condensed version of it, it is basically “the art of doing nothing” to help give you a better understanding of who your dog really is. The idea being to find a very safe enclosed outdoor area where you and your dog may sit for several hours or as long as you can sit, and just quietly observe your dog at play. You will be amazed at what you discover. Be sure to have a box of Kleenex, a pad, a pen, a camera. I can promise you that you may have left your home that morning with Fido as your best friend, but you will come home knowing Fido is more than a best friend. Fido is your companion, your soul mate, your lifeline and your secret keeper.

Some other simple tips I learned from this book are things that I can keep at home in my little holistic medicine chest, and you can buy these items at any health food store or homeopathic pharmacy. Before changing anything with your dog, you want to check with your homeopathic pharmacy or vet, or be sure to read this book because it really gives you all of the formulas and how to do it. It is in the chapter called “How to Treat Common Illnesses and Injuries without Breaking Your Budget”. It teaches you which foods and herbs will prevent illnesses and help you avoid trips to vet. It teaches you why a healthier diet will be less expensive for you in the long run. Here are some things that you should have in your holistic home medicine chest:

• Dandelion root: Helps to support the liver and detoxifies
• Chamomile tea: Can be very calming
• Echinacea: Supports the immune system
• Arnica

So if you have a bit of time this weekend, I would suggest checking out this very comprehensive book on how to help your dog holistically without making your budget stretch more than it is able.

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