Similar to people, our pets suffer from ailments that are the result of the way we live.   Dietary problems, nutritional deficiencies, anxiety, stress and a lack of exercise can all lead to diseases that resemble those found in their human companions.

Also like people, companion pets can benefit from changes in activity levels, diet and exercise that together lead to a healthy lifestyle.

The Role of Conventional Pet Health Care

Conventional medications are used to treat a specific diagnosed ailment. They are FDA approved to address the illness itself.  What they don’t often address is the cause. For example, a urinary tract infection is cured with antibiotics, but the medications themselves will not prevent future instances of the disease. Other factors need to change in the pet’s life in order to stay healthy such as supplements, natural or homeoapthic products, vitamins, exercise and dietary change.

Holistic veterinarians and many pet health experts believe that using supplements and products which strengthen the body’s own immune system and function, such as for Dog Skin can help conventional treatments work faster, reduce the impact of any symptoms, and help to prevent future disease.

Many also believe that pet health problems are caused by additives in commercial food and the impact of vaccinations, while having many positive attributes, could also be contributing factors  to pet health problems. For example, the pet health expert Juliette Levy, a well known writer and breeder, indicates that vaccination and the common use of antibiotics may be contributing to pets contracting many diseases and conditions.

While the science behind these conclusions is not always as clear as the research behind conventional medications, these supportive therapies often have a long history of use. They also are made from natural substances at fairly low levels, minimizing any safety risk. With little risk and possible benefit, as often represented in the healthy physiology of your pet, many owners (and humans for themselves), provide their pets with a combination of conventional treatment, homeopathic support and any required dietary change.

One of our guidelines at the Pet Health Guide is to do for pets as you do for yourself. If you take a supplements for good health, then your pet would probably benefit from the same approach. This includes the basics such as providing a quality diet, bottled instead of tap water, and the use of select supplements.

What is the Thinking Behind Natural Homeopathic Remedies in Particular?

Our editors are fans of homeopathic supplements for pets as a supportive approach along with the use of conventional medicine. If you think about it, your pet only eats one food everyday. Now compare this to what happens with animals that live in the wild. When animals select their own foods and herbs, they instinctively know what to eat. When sick, they know to eat certain herbs that could help them recover from the condition.

The thinking behind homeopathic remedies is to make these herbs available to them, when they are needed. In fact, the ancient Greeks wrote about how dogs seek out medicinal herbs when in the wild. This same instinct is also found in cats.

Natural Pet Remedies and Conventional Medicine

Your veterinarian is your partner in determining what foods and supplements are right for your pet. The role of conventional medications is to treat and cure health problems based on the specific recommendation of a veterinarian. Homeopathic products formulated to help with a specific dog health problem, cat health problem, or horse health problem etc. can work to minimize the impact of symptoms that your pet is suffering from and accelerate the time needed to heal. Long term use of these products can work to help the body protect itself, by strengthening the immune system, and the part of the body being treated. In others works these products help to protect against common canine, feline, equine and other diseases and conditions.

While the route cause of many illnesses are unknown, problems are often due to genetics, a poorly functioning immune system, or some type of toxicity buildup in the organs, particularly the liver. The liver is the main organ for cleansing the body. When it isn’t functioning properly, it isn’t screening out those microbes and toxins that can cause illness.

Lastly, we recommend that every pet owner consider purchasing a low cost pet insurance policy to cover large unexpected health expenses. Why? Because pet anatomy is very similar to humans. The same expensive technologies that help people, can be used to help your pet. The #1 problem from people that write to us is that they can’t afford health care for their pet.

Thank you for visiting the Pet Health Guide. If you can’t find the information you are looking for, we recommend that you visit the Dog Health Handbook or the Cat Health Guide.

All the best to you and your pets health,

The Editorial Team at the Pet Health Guide