Tag: veterinary care

How to Support an Animal After It Has Had Surgery

October 2, 2015

Veterinarian hands examining kitten --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

It can be hard watching a pet suffer after a surgery. They can’t communicate like a human can, so oftentimes we can feel helpless as we set our pets off on a journey of healing. However, there are some things you can do to help guide your pet on this journey. You should absolutely check with your veterinarian before trying any of these suggestions–some supplements can interact negatively with prescription medication.

1. Feed a good diet

Technically, this occurs before surgery, but the benefits will last far into the healing process. Keep away from junky, sugary people food (although garlic is okay), and focus on things that are good for gut health. If it suits your animal’s diet, give it a dollop of yogurt on top of dinner. The good bacteria in yogurt will replenish any natural gut bacteria that gets wiped out during surgery. If dairy tends to have unfavorable consequences for your animal or if you have a picky eater, a tablet of acidophilus will do the same thing.

2. Support the liver

The chances are that your animal will have to undergo some sort of anesthesia. Once the surgery is over, detoxifying the body of this anesthetic can be quite the task! Your pet will need some extra support. Milk thistle supplements will do just the trick. A flavonoid in the supplement specifically works to protect the liver from toxins. Other components stimulate regeneration within the liver, to repair and replace dead and dying cells. Give your pet’s body what it needs so it can heal itself.

3. Relieve pain

Pain is an unfortunate, but almost definite side effect of any surgery. It can be hard to judge how much pain a pet might be in, but my philosophy tends to be “Better safe than sorry!” I would absolutely rather give a little pain medication when it is not needed than have my pet suffering in silence. All natural pain relievers come in handy here, as they don’t make me worry about unintentionally hurting my pet’s liver with other pain killers (though, if your vet prescribes some pain pills, you should definitely make use of them). There are certainly many all natural pain relievers on the market, but Tasha’s Herbs Herbspirin is a good place to start.

4. Use Bach Flower Remedies

Surgery can be a scary, confusing time for any pet. Just as with pain, because our pets cannot communicate with us, we have no idea of their emotional inner workings–but I’m sure they’re there. They don’t have any idea that the doctors poking and prodding them are here to help, and waking up in pain or still partially under anesthetic can be a traumatizing thing. Bach Flower Remedies are designed specifically to deal with situations just like these. They soothe emotional trauma so your pet can focus all of its energy on healing, rather than stress. Add a few drops of Rescue Remedy to a pet’s drinking water or on top of food to help support your pet through this difficult time.

5. Make an appointment for Mud Packing

During a surgery, the biofield in the body gets “kinked” or blocked. Mud packing is a technique that allows the innate energetic flow to be restored, allowing the body to access more of its ability to do what it does naturally–heal! If your pet has a surgery coming up soon and you want more information about how mud packing can help, get into contact with me. Leave a comment or sign up for a free phone consultation. Let’s give your pet all the support it needs.

Why I Feed My Dogs Garlic

October 2, 2015

Source: Dubravko Sorić

It has come to my attention that the decision of whether or not one should feed dogs garlic is a controversial one. One side of the argument claims that garlic is poisonous to dogs, and the other says that it is a safe and natural way to support a dog’s health. I guess by the title of this post you can see which side I’m on.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is the first organization that warned about the dangers of garlic. They recommend allowing no garlic in a dog’s diet. Their reasoning is that garlic contains thiosulphate, too much of which causes anemia in dogs which can lead to further complications and even death. I will concede that, yes, it is poisonous for a dog to eat too much garlic, but the same could be said for water or, really, any other substance. Plus, topical ointments and acetaminophen are more likely to cause anemia in your dog than a clove of garlic. The truth is that garlic is safe and even beneficial in moderation. And may I remind you that AVMA is also recommends giving a dog a processed, chemical laden diet over a raw, all natural one?

The benefits of garlic have been proven over and over again. My favorite perk is that it is a natural way to keep fleas away. Chemical anti-flea medication can seem almost barbaric. Drip poison where my dog can’t reach it so it will get into his blood stream and kill any flea that dares to drink his poisoned blood? No thanks! Plus, this way I don’t have to spray my backyard–where the kids play–with insecticides. It’s a win-win. Here are a few more benefits:

  • Garlic is an anti parasitic. It helps to eliminate worms, strengthens digestion and stimulates the intestinal tract (in a good way) and generally supports intestinal health.
  • Garlic is a potent anti-fungal, anti-viral, and antibiotic. It won’t affect the good bacteria in the gut which play an important role in digestion and immune health.
  • For helping to clear up cases of hay fever, seasonal allergies, kennel cough or other respiratory ailments, Garlic is useful due to its action as a strong expectorant, which helps to clear the lungs.
  • In studies, garlic has been shown to reduce blood-sugar levels in diabetic dogs and humans.
  • Garlic supports the production of white blood cells, strengthening your dog’s resistance to infections of all kinds.

 

Because I don’t always have time to chop fresh garlic, I tend to just sprinkle a thin, even layer of garlic powder over my dog’s food, but if you want the best results use fresh garlic always. You can safely give a 1/2 clove per ten pounds of body weight each day. Don’t give to a puppy under 8 weeks, and don’t give any dog more than two cloves per day. If you have a cat, they can benefit from garlic, too. They take 1/4 clove daily.

I would love to hear what you have to think about supplementing a pet’s diet with garlic. Do you do it? Why or why not?