Holistic Dog Treatment Essay

Holistic dog treatment needs to be understood as for what it represents. A holistic veterinarian seeks to promote the animals' natural healing capabilities from within as well as through harnessing the energies from the body. They use the least toxic, least invasive and most nurturing path to healing. Holistic medicine is defined as any system that diagnoses and treats a disease in the context of the whole patient.

There are varying descriptions from Holistic Medicine, Alternative Medicine, Natural Medicine to Complementary Medicine. They all embrace the concept of interconnectedness and that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. All aspects from the animal to human bond, environment, and lifestyle are considered when treating the

dog.

Conventional treatment focuses more on isolating the disease, and in the relieving of the signs and symptoms, relying heavily on the use of drugs. While the drugs can be useful and work very quickly, the side effects can far outweigh the benefits over the long term. Conventional methods are more biochemical and scientific.

Ultimately, the best for all animal health care is the integration of the two systems. Not any one form of medicine has the answers to everything. With the primary concern being the welfare and health of our animals, we have to incorporate all forms of treatment into an approach that offers to help the animals in our care. People and their pets are sitting in the waiting rooms looking for answers; they need to know they have choices.

Holistic treatments include the following but are not limited to them. Included are treatments that are being utilized in many mainstream veterinarian practices today.

* Acupuncture and Acupressure has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 4000 years.It is used to treat musculoskeletal disorders, osteoarthritis and to relieve pain.

* Chiropractic care is based upon the relationship of the spinal column to the nervous system and its role in the biomechanics and movement.

* Homeopathy is defined as the treatment of a disease with a substance that has the power to produce, in a healthy body, symptoms similar to those displaced by the patient.

* Western Herbal Medicine dates back more than 5000 years ago. These have been administered by way of teas, capsules, tablets, extracts, poultices and compresses, ointments and in loose form.

* Chinese Herbal Medicine goes back 8000 years to maintain human and animal health in China. Their remedies are carefully balanced mixtures of specifically selected plant parts.

* Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine is an ancient and holistic healing system of India. This medicine is the root of all traditional and modern systems of medicine.

* Bach Flowers remedies complement any form of medicine. The essences exert an influence on the mental, physical and emotional balance of the patient.

* Aromatherapy is the use of volatile essential oils to bring about a physiologic or psychological response.

* Nutraceuticals is the use of nutritional supplements as therapeutic agents.

* Nutrition is used in the treatment as basic, preventative and therapeutic.

* Kinesiology is muscle testing of the dog to get feedback from the body and correct energy imbalances.

* Tellington Touch (TTouch or T Team)is a method that was developed for increasing the awareness between the owner and the pet.

* Magnetic therapy has also been used for centuries as a cure for a variety of ailments. The body is healed by removing inflammation and restoring the circulation.

* Electrical Stimulation dates back to Greek and Roman eras. These electrical stimulators emit a type of energy with wavelengths that are effective in the relief of pain and edema.

* Ultrasound is a heat-producing modality used in treating chronic injuries.

* Heat and Cold Therapy has been used for centuries to manage soft tissue and joint injuries while relieving pain.

* Massage for holistic dog care has been used to increase the circulation, release scar tissue, balance muscle function and relax the dog.

* Aquatic Therapy or Hydrotherapy (dog pool and underwater treadmill)is excellent for improving strength, muscular endurance, cardio, range of motion, agility, psychological well-being and reducing pain.

* Therapeutic Exercise and Stretching is highly valuable in canine physical rehabilitation and holistic care. The choices of exercises vary with each stage of tissue repair and endurance.

The more consumer interest there is in alternative medicine, and the more consumer dissatisfaction with conventional medicine, the more options there will be made available to help our pets.

Holistic treatments for dogs encompass a broad range of modalities from biochemical therapies, lifestyle therapies, biomechanical therapies, and bio-energetic therapies. Veterinary medicine is becoming as specialized as human medicine. The integration of all these modalities into mainstream medicine is inevitable,it is just a matter of

when.