Category Archives: Health

Natural Health for Your Pet – Healthy Bacteria – Probiotics

Posted on by

Does your pet suffer from loss of energy, bad gas, bad breath, itchy skin, constipation, bouts of diarrhea or vomiting, urinary tract problems, or loss of appetite? All of these problems may actually be symptoms of a compromised gastrointestinal tract – too much “bad” bacteria and not enough “good” bacteria.

“Good” bacteria? Never heard of good bacteria you say? Ever heard of “probiotics?” The word “Probiotic” simply means “for life.”

A probiotic is an organism which contributes to the health and balance of the intestinal tract. A probiotic is also referred to as the “friendly”, “beneficial”, or “good” bacteria which when ingested acts to maintain a healthy intestinal tract and help fight illness and disease.

Read more→

Cancer – A Pet Owner’s Nightmare!

Posted on by

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death in pets.

More than 50% of dogs and cats over the age of 10 will develop cancer.

It often doesn’t respond well to the more traditional medical treatments, yet there are a number of at home pet care remedies.

SIGNS
Signs for you to watch for include, a firm lump that grows and does not go away. Some pets have an increased appetite but continue to lose weight. Others have respiratory problems and may show overall weakness if they are becoming anemic.

The most common malignant types of cancer ( cancer that spreads) in dogs are lymphoma and mast cell tumors. The most common malignant type diagnosed in cats is lymphoma, often secondary to Feline Leukemia Virus infection.

Read more→

Arthritis Help for Your Dog, Naturally

Posted on by

Is your beloved canine companion getting a little older, moving a little slower and more painfully? Chances are that they may be suffering from arthritis.

Just like arthritis in humans, your pets can and do suffer from this painful and often degenerative joint disease.

A common type of pet arthritis is osteoarthritis. This disease slowly progresses due to cartilage destruction. As cartilage continues to break down, the bones loses its ability to absorb impact so they start grinding against each other causing the pet pain. The bones will also become inflamed. Osteoarthritis, in both pets and humans, reduces flexibility and mobility.

Another common pet arthritis is degenerative joint disease in pets, which is very similar to osteoarthritis. Pets with this disease suffer from the breakdown of parts of its joint, typically concentrated on the cartilage. The pet may also experience periodic inflammation.

Read more→

Acupressure for Pets?

Posted on by

Acupressure, related to acupuncture, has been used to thousands of years with amazing result on people, so why not on pets? Scientific studies have shown that pressure on specific point of the body release brain chemicals, endorphins that ease pain.

There is actually a mapping of the acupressure point for dogs and cats.  Most acupressure points are located in depressions between muscles and bones. When you pet your cat or dog, feel for depressions in the tissue; this is likely an acupressure point. You may detect subtle changes in temperature over these areas. A hot point often indicates something acute, such as a muscle spasm. Acupressure is very safe! Even if you do not press on the exact point, coming close to it will provide some relief, and definitely you will do no harm.

Read more→

The Recent and Ongoing Pet Food Recalls

Posted on by

Last nite I was talking with a friend and she was mentioned that when she had went grocery shopping earlier that day, the woman who was bagging her groceries made a comment about the quantity of chicken she was buying. My friend went on to explain that ever since the pet food recalls, she had her dog on a home-cooked diet because she no longer trusted commercial foods. No surprises there, since the recalls many people have switched from the commercial pet foods to other alternative such as raw and home cooked. What was so surprising was that this woman, the bagger, said that she didn’t know anything about a pet food recall!! This is someone who works in a grocery store where I would hope they had pulled recalled foods and also owns a dog! It made news headlines worldwide and most any pet owner I know was talking about it very consistently keeping an eye on the ongoing recalls. Very scary if you ask me, that someone, a pet owner, would know nothing about it!

Read more→

For Your Pet’s Sake, Go Natural

Posted on by

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, more than 63 percent of U.S. households have pets; this includes some 73 million dogs and 90 million cats. Americans spend a fortune on their pets, almost $40 billion in 2006 alone, of which more than $9 billion was for veterinary care.

And just how much of that veterinary care was really necessary?

In recent years, natural health care has gained popularity for many reasons, the high cost of medical care and the question of the necessity and effectiveness of many of the treatments and medications being just a couple. So why aren’t more people looking into this venture for their beloved pets? Perhaps because it is so highly discouraged by veterinarians?

Read more→