Dog Health and Cat Health

Holistic comes from the word ‘holism’ meaning that whole entities have an existence other than the mere sum of their parts.

Webster’s dictionary goes on to say that ‘holistic’ “involves the principle of holism in a system of therapeutics mainly nutritional”.

Holistic practitioners have always seen improvements in health when proper pet nutrition is used.

This is not a new concept, in fact the principles of natural health and diet are a revival of ancient ones only recently recognized in mainstream medicine.

The homeopathic practitioner for example only recognizes one disease, disturbance of the vital force. They see the body as being like still water in a pond and disease being a ripple on the surface when a stone is thrown in. The symptoms and their severity are indicators of the level of disturbance to the vital force.

So one may ask why is natural pet food and nutrition is so important?

The answer lies simply in experience and observation. It was not by accident that Hippocrates, the founding father of medicine coined the phrase “we are what we eat”. It is as obvious as swallowing cyanide; our body stops working altogether.

In terms of holistic pet nutrition one may well raise the question of what is a good healthy dog diet?

Surely a good dog or cat diet is one that helps the body and mind function in a normal healthy way. When fed in the correct proportions of course.

Medicinal Herbs and Homeopathy are a focused form of intervention that counter and correct individual imbalances. Diet will achieve the same result but be slower acting. This is why prevention is much better than cure.

Article summarised from Burns Pet Health - read complete article.

As loving, caring pet owners we are responsible for the health and well being of our pets. After all, they are harmless animals and are completely dependent upon us for their food, shelter, warmth and protection.

There are lots of ways that we can reciprocate with our pets and give them something in return for the love, trust, obedience and affection that they give us.

One of the best ways to show someone we love them is by offering them nice food. This is true among humans and animals alike.

So, as the owners and guardians of our pets we surely would want to give them the best diet possible; both for good health and also to satisfy taste.

Not only that but we also want to give our pets regular exercise, the occasional treat and also of course some kind words. We know that hearing kind, encouraging words can lift our mood and the same applies to our pets.

Of course they can sometimes mis-behave and require some correction but in general they will be happier pets when spoken to favourably, given regular exercise and a healthy, wholesome, holistic diet.

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There is a lot of speculation on what causes animal to eat their own poop. Disgusting as it sounds to us humans, many animal species indulge in this it isn’t always something to be concerned about – at least as far as our animal companions’ health is concerned. You need to check out other  medical conditions such as Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI, to ensure that copraphagia isn’t the result of something that requires medical intervention.

To our pets, we presume that  eating their own poop isn’t too different from any other sort of scavenging that is part of their natural instinct.  Some consider that consumption of dung from cows, horses and sheep may actually be beneficial for dogs, and provides a rich source of good bacteria and other nutrients. The risks however are high of consuming worm infested dung and /or  medications and such like with which these herbivores may have been treated with.

As humans we find the practice disgusting and certainly those of us with small children certainly don’t want kisses from an animal family member who has consumed dung of any kind. There are some things that can be done to manage and prevent the problem, from a holistic perspective – which means taking all aspects of the issue into consideration and treating the being ‘as a whole’.

The Nutritional Element
Many experts agree that animals on a poor quality diet may be more susceptible to picking up the poop-eating habit. In many cases, changing to a fresh, whole-foods diet with lots of vegetables and minimally processed ingredients will help with the problem. Food allergies and mal-absorption issues can also be a factor.
Supplementation  in the form of kelp, spirulina, alfalfa or other high-nutrient foods is recommended. Digestive enzyme supplementation is also a good idea to help improve absorption and assimilation of the nutrients in your dogs food making it less attractive and decreasing the need. 

Management

Training your dog is a vital component of  the holistic approach to prevent copraphagia. Management begins with prompt cleanup of the yard to remove temptation, and use of a leash to prevent access to or contact with faeces that might have gone undetected, out on walks.

Teaching the command ‘Leave it!’ is also immensely helpful. Start on a leash, and reward with a well-timed click, treats and lots of praise each time you successfully call your pup away. Don’t reward for coming away after eating poop – the reward should only come for successfully averting the undesired behaviour.

One other approach is to supplement your dogs diet with pineapple chunks for a about a week making sure that you strictly control  access to any faeces during this period. I cannot vouch for it personally but it has been suggested that the pineapple chunks will eventually impart an undesirable taste to the faeces. After a week of feeding the pineapple you allow the dog to take its own faeces in the hope and expectation that it will put the dog off.

Some pet owners report success with the application of hot sauce or chilli powder to stools, to provide a negative experience when they are consumed but in the time it takes to apply these seasoning’s, it’s more efficient to actually pick up and remove temptation.  The use of punishment for stool eating is not recommended

Behavioural Issues
Some cases of copraphagia result form a learned behaviour – the mother cleaning up after her pups or  copying and  joining in with other dogs’  at the dog park.  Copraphagia does seem to be more common in dogs who live  with cats. They start off unable to resist the high-protein left over’s in the litter tray and move on to other types of faeces later on.

In other instances, stool eating can begin in an animal’s attempt to alleviate boredom, loneliness, anxiety, which results from being left alone for long periods of time, or other stressful situations. Stuffed Kong’s, raw meaty bones and other ‘interactive’ puzzle toys filled with treats can provide a useful management tool to address the emotional causes.

Whatever the cause, a multi-pronged approach that takes into account all aspects of copraphagia is more likely to yield success than focusing on one factor alone.

Use a high quality digestive tonic or support to strengthen the digestive system.  Undigested food could be contributing to the problem and the long term use of highly processed, poor quality dog foods can result in a weak digestive system -

Choosing what to feed your dog or cat

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Eating food  is more than  just ‘fuel’. It is a source (or not) of many vital compounds that can represent the difference between top health and disease or symptoms. Food is the major factor in our pets total well-being and while investing in a good quality cat or dog food  may seem costly,  compared to many of the budget pet foods and generic brands available, a wholesome diet can help to reduce or eliminate many of the unnecessary vet bills that are incurred when nutrition is poor.

Consider the needs of the individual dog or cat
Age, activity level, breed and health history of your pet,  as well as food intolerances or allergies, are all very important factors to consider when selecting a diet for your pup or kitten.  There are many  gimmicky diets for our dogs and cats being introduced to the market each year, designed for specific dog breeds, sizes, life stages and so on – but in actual fact, the nutritional needs of a dog or cat  should be based on his or her particular requirements, rather than a ‘category’ that he or she falls into.

Beware generic dog foods and cat foods

We are seeing more and more ‘generic’ pet foods coming on to the market each year. In fact there is one pet food manufacturer in the midlands who has a telephone message while your waiting,  advocating that you can arrive in the morning and leave with your brand in the evening. You don’t need to have knowledge of food, nutrition, diet or anything else for that matter. The company offers you a product it is turning out hundreds of tonnes a year  and only stopping to put it in different customers  brand bags. The customer only needs to add their own ‘bells and whistles’ as the pet food manufacturer claims.

What are the downsides of a poor quality pet food ?

It has been suggested that there is a direct correlation between chronic diseases such as cancer, kidney failure, diabetes and other degenerative disease and  poor quality food in humans. In fact the NHS is overrun now with degenerative disease and the advent of the industrial revolution and food processing has been blamed in many quarters . The same for our dog foods and cat foods. Of course other factors like vaccines and genetics also predispose pets to disease, but the incidence of these disorders has increased dramatically in the western world since the introduction of commercial, highly processed pet food in 1950’s.

The long term effects of feeding a highly processed diet can also lead to a compromised immune system and in turn hypersensitivity to the environment. Dogs who enjoy a high quality, fresh and varied diet are often noted to be far less bothered by seasonal allergies and fleas, than their junk-food fed counterparts.

Where does nutrition fit into Holistic Health Care?

Nutrition simply means providing the nutrients to sustain life - Health is something completely different -Dies is  the fundamental cornerstone to total health. But simply feeding a natural, raw or home made diet, or adding supplements to your pooch’s bowl does not constitute ‘holistic health care’ in the true sense of the term. Other decisions like vaccinations, veterinary choices, environment & lifestyle are also important to consider when giving your dog or cat  the best chance at good  health. Remember your  vet only receives training in diet and nutrition from the pet food companies who’s food they are selling. They have no specialised knowledge as a rule. Always ask your vet how much training they had in nutrition and who provided it!