From the top of his huggable head to the tip of his furry tail, your dog needs you to keep him healthy. While he has no trouble figuring out creative ways to bring you tulips from the garden or unhinge the trash can lid, there's no way he can live strong without your assistance. You are his cook, chauffeur, barber, nurse, personal trainer, activities director, and pest control specialist. And when you walk through the door with a bagful of new toys, you are his main squeeze.
That you've made the decision to help your dog live a natural lifestyle is a credit to how much you care about her. Maybe you've been thinking for a while that the way your parents or grandparents raised their dogs is outdated, and that the days of feeding your canine whatever bag of dog food is on sale at the supermarket, buying her only one toy every five years, and leaving him alone in the yard 24/7 are over. You want more for your dog and she's only too happy to oblige you spoiling rights.
Today, people treat their dogs like treasured members of the family and they want to give them the healthiest and longest lives possible. Many folks are opting to make their own dog food, and when you combine this with other alternative therapies and the many new advances in veterinary medicine, it's no wonder that dogs are living better lives a whole lot longer.
Going holistic (or integrative or complementary) with your four-footed friend is the big buzz these days. This means taking advantage of all forms of veterinary medicine — alternative techniques as well as conventional methods. More veterinarians are incorporating the old, natural ways of treating their patients and using the least invasive and the least harmful cures.
Acupuncture, for example, has been used in China for 3,500 years and is the main treatment for a quarter of the world's human population. Veterinarians are using it today for a wide variety of canine ailments, including arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory problems, and allergies. The holistic veterinarian considers all aspects of canine life before making a diagnosis and looks at the cause rather than just the symptom.
The key to having a healthy dog the holistic way isn't anything fancy, and not that much different than maintaining your own good health. It all comes down to eating a well-balanced, and fresh diet, getting plenty of exercise, being happy, and staying stress-free.
The Everything® Natural Health for Dogs Book will help you understand what holistic (or integrative or complementary) health care for your dog is all about. Here you'll discover the healthiest ways to feed your dog; the latest developments in major health issues, such as allergies, arthritis, cancer, and epilepsy; and new ways to use some old therapies like homeopathy, herbs, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and massage. The question of whether or not to vaccinate your dog will be answered, and you'll discover some easy ways to keep your dog allergy-and parasite-free and find out why brushing his teeth may very well save his life.
The goal of this book is not to overwhelm you with a lot of high-tech medical jargon and time-consuming therapies to use on your dog. Instead, it should empower you with the basic knowledge that will allow you to enrich your dog's health and make your lives as meaningful as possible.