Natural Alternatives for Pets, In Brief

By Marcia Vincent

What does the “natural” in natural pet mean? Well, I will give you my general definition. This word natural would imply wholesome, fresh, pure. Webster’s II dictionary has many meanings for natural and here are a couple, “produced by nature; not treated, altered, or disguised”. That’s what I think when I think about the word natural.

So, not only should we be concerned about what we eat and drink, but what we give our pets to eat. Organic generally means that there are no pesticides or herbicides used in growing vegetables and fruits. And with meats, organic usually means that there are no growth hormones or antibiotics given to the animals. However, each state is different with regard to their definition of organic. So, we must ask and read labels.

Just like we go to the grocery store to buy our food, we do the same for our dog and cat’s food too. Other times we go to special pet or feed stores to get our pets foods, especially for horses and other livestock. But pet food and people food makers commonly put additives in the food that are harmful for both of us. We need to check the ingredients to see what has been added to the food. For instance, meats may contain more chemical contaminants than fruits and vegetables. Dr. Richard Pitcairn, DVM, states in his book Natural Health For Pets, that a study found lead contamination in canned dog and cat food. It showed that only six ounces of this food could be more than the dose of lead we consider potentially toxic for our children. Bone meal is often the cause of lead contamination. The bones of cattle contain lead from the pollution they absorb. Makes a good case for home cooked food. One answer to healthy food is growing it ourselves and home cooking our pet food. Yes, this does take some time. But I will bring you recipes for home cooking that you can try. You really don’t need anything fancy and you may find it’s cheaper than buying store bought food. Also, there are store bought foods that are cleaner than others and I will explore that with you too. One additive to watch for is ethoxyquin. It is a common preservative that can cause severe health problems in dogs.

Vaccines are another topic of debate when we talk about healthy natural pets. Should you give them or not? Most areas of the country have rules around vaccinations. You have to have them! But at what cost to your pet. Vaccines have side effects. Have you ever heard of nosodes? These are a much safer way to vaccinate you pets. You must get them from a veterinarian just like the old type of vaccinations. You can find a holistic veterinarian by going to the link section or click on American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.

Well, this is just an idea of what I mean by “natural”. There are many aspects of raising ourselves and our pets naturally. I know I want to live the most healthy and natural life I can. I will look forward to bringing you many topics that I hope will enrich you and your pet’s life.

About the Author:

I own a heritage livestock farm in Michigan. These are old and some endangered breeds of farm livestock. The breeds incluse Delaware chickens, which are a dual purpose bird that lay brown eggs. The horses are American Bashkir Curly and Appaloosa. Natural living is something I believe in and practice.

The Jacob and Shetland sheep give us natural color wool for spinning, knitting, weaving, quilt batts and the like. Natural living is so important to us people, the planet, and the animals. I have had many experienced in natural living and would like more people to know about it.

My study of human massage was really an avenue to practicing animal massage. I then took intensive courses of study in equine, canine, and massage. Those are my areas of specialty

Other study areas I've been involved in are aromatherapy, herbology, flower essence, polarity, crystals, visual creativity, animal communication, chair massage, cranial sacral therapy, accupressure, hands on healing, touch for health.

I teach classes at the farm and enjoy very much seeing people open up to new alternatives. In college, I studied psychology. We produce handmade soaps, aromatherapy products, herbs, healing salves and other skin products for people and animals.

Article courtesy of Suite101.com.