Sick Dog...Sick Cat...Pets get sick too...Why?Sick dog, sick cat...no matter what kind of pet you have, there is a possibility that they can get sick. The question is why. Have you ever heard the expression “sick as a dog?” I do not know exactly what the phrase means, but having owned dogs for a long time I have an idea. I remember once when my sick dog, Toby, was making this horrible noise like a dry heaving sound, his head hung low, his stomach inflating and deflating and he would not move. I felt helpless because I wanted to help him, but did not know how. As I was trying to figure out what to do to help my poor sick dog, he vomited all over the floor. It was not fun cleaning! When we see our fur kids feeling sick, like my sick dog Toby, our first reaction is to try to fix their illness. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. The good news, though, is that their body is equipped to fight illness. It is important to have a strong immune system to combat the illnesses our pets are exposed to. A weak immune system leaves them vulnerable to disease. To find out why our pets get sick, we need to dig a little deeper than their symptoms. We need to find the core force that is hindering their body's immune system. There are so many elements that can affect our pets immune system, like germs, bacteria and even invisible organisms. Aside from these, diet, state of mind and exercise has a huge impact on their health. Diet Just as processed food is not good for humans, the same goes for our pets. Most commercial pet foods contain artificial preservatives, additives and chemicals, which is hard for their body to handle. The process of breaking down food additives and chemicals is a burden on the body. It also overworks the liver and kidneys, since these organs purify the body of toxins. Emotions If you are stressed, more than likely your pet is, too. They pick up on our emotions more than we think. Stress can suppress the immune system making your pet more susceptible to getting sick. A few years ago, I volunteered in the cat room at an animal shelter. There were times many of the cats ended up in the vet clinic because of an illness due to stress caused by being in a cage surrounded by cats. Emotions are read in our pet’s body language, temperament and demeanor. When a holistic veterinarian examines the emotional health of a pet, you may be asked the following questions:
Negative emotions can lower body strength making it easier to get sick, so it is important to understand your pet's emotional health. Exercise Our pets need more exercise then just walking to their food dish, especially dogs. The lack of exercise largely contributes to the wide range of dog health problems, which can range from emotional to physical to social. Inactive pets can encounter anxiety, behavior problems, depression or weight gain. These can lead to more serious problems, such as aggression, weakened muscles or arthritis. The health issues I listed above are just a few and can happen to any pet. Please do not wait for one of these or others to become visible in your pet before you start exercising them on a regular basis. There is one thing that is for certain and that is exercise is good for all. Click here to return Home from Sick Dog
|
