Holistic Pet Care: 3 Tips Your Animal Will Thank You For

Unfortunately, sometimes animals aren’t often cared for in the same way humans are. This doesn’t necessarily come from a place of disregard. It comes from the fact that animals aren’t easily able to articulate their needs. They can’t tell you what they’re thinking, what they want, how they’re feeling, and what works best for them. It takes a little observation and intuition to tune into a pet’s nonverbal cues.

What is Holistic Pet Care?

Holistic pet care addresses the health of your animal from all aspects. It’s possible to do, although it may take a little more observation and work to establish a holistic pet care routine. If you want the very best for your four legged family members, it’s worth changing your approaches to many aspects of pet care until you find perfect harmony.

Holistic care involves considering more than your pet’s basic needs. Yes, your pet needs to go potty. Your pet needs a full food dish and access to clean water. Your pet needs some socialization and companionship, and exercise, and playtime. 

Holistic care involves changing your approach to maximize the benefits of everything your pet does for their overall wellbeing.

Here’s three tips for holistic pet care that your pet will be sure to thank you for!

1. Take a New Approach to Your Pet’s Diet

Although it may seem like it, not all pet food is the same. All kibble may all be the same tannish brown or reddish brown color with little red, green, or orange pieces, but there’s so much more to the story. Cheaper kibble is typically formulated to address the most basic needs of the average animal’s standard diet. It’s the equivalent of a person switching all of their meals to meal replacement shakes and calling it sufficient.

For some families, these dry foods are all that fit within their budget. Talk to your pet’s veterinarian about specially formulated dry foods that will properly address your pet’s unique needs. 

If you have a little wiggle room, consider fresh refrigerated dog food. 

Fresh prepared pet foods are much closer to what they would eat in the wild and are often more nutritionally complete than processed kibble. They’re more intuitive for your pet’s body to digest.

Another valuable alternative is dehydrated pet food. Some companies take balanced or cooked ingredients, dehydrate them, and package them. You bring them home and add a specific amount of water to rehydrate them. They’re the compromise between refrigerated fresh food and processed crunchy nuggets. 

They also taste better. You’ll often find seasonings, herbs, and dehydrated broths in the ingredients. Your family could technically bake dehydrated dog food and eat it like a casserole (but that doesn’t mean you should). The ingredients will look like your shopping list for a nice dinner at home.

If your pet eats meals that are designed to work with their body intuitively and those meals taste good, they’re going to feel better both physically and emotionally. Their diet will address her nutritional needs, and they’ll enjoy the flavor. 

Consider the look on your dog or cat’s face when you give them a little bit of plain scrambled egg, versus the look on their face when you refill her bowl. These foods will allow them to experience that happiness and enjoyment every time they eat.

Other Dietary Considerations

Some pets may benefit from the use of probiotic or prebiotic supplements to promote gut health. Animals with mild digestive issues often benefit from the additional support that these supplements provide. You don’t need to administer them to your pet if your veterinarian feels that your pet has a well-balanced gut biome. 

2. Be Aware of Your Pet’s Emotions

How you feel emotionally will always impact how you feel physically. Depression makes you feel lethargic. Anxiety makes your heart race. Environmental stress makes you generally uncomfortable or edgy. Happiness floods you with endorphins. It’s a purely natural response. Your pet has the same range of emotional feelings that you do, and these feelings can seriously impact their overall wellbeing. 

You need to ensure your pet doesn’t experience separation anxiety or depression. If your pet is lonely for most of the day, both scenarios are common. If your pet doesn’t have a playmate, it may be time to introduce them to one. 

Your cat is likely sleeping while you’re at work, so anxiety or lack of companionship throughout that time is unlikely to be a problem. If your dog is lonely while you’re at work, have a trusted friend, neighbor, or professional dog walker come by to take your dog out. The friendly interaction and little bit of exercise can help to perk your dog up. 

Exercise and play are crucial for the health of all pets. They need to be able to roam around. They need fresh air and toys. If they’re cooped up all the time, they’re going to feel isolated and sad. 

Adding some excitement to their lives and allowing them to explore will benefit them physically and mentally. Keep in mind that they make cat harnesses — Fluffy can go on a walk just as easily as Fido. 

Many pet owners find that CBD extract can help to calm and relax their pets. If your pet is in an unavoidable situation where they aren’t responding well (like the fear of the sound of fireworks or stress when you leave the house), administering some CBD can help your pet relax.

3. Treating Pain, Mobility Issues, and Discomfort Naturally

Exercise, a healthy diet, and attention to your pet’s emotional state will help them to function optimally. Sometimes, aches, pains, discomfort, and mobility issues will still occur. They’re especially common in older pets, and cats and dogs are equally as susceptible. 

Many senior animals can still enjoy their lives if these discomforts and mobility issues are properly addressed. Some people find that massage helps their pets, and once their pet realizes how good massage feels, it’s never a struggle to get them to comply. 

CBD extract specifically formulated for pets may help to support joint mobility in pets, especially when used in conjunction with a comprehensive vet-recommended treatment plan. Massage and regular exercise, especially things like water aerobics for dogs, may also help to improve your pet’s ability to move around. 

The Holistic Way is the Best Way

We’re big believers in holistic supplementation for pets here at VETCBD. Our experienced veterinary team encourages pet owners to take a holistic approach to utilize the therapeutic benefits of CBD in their pet’s wellness plan. Our CBD is triple lab tested for safety and purity — we know you want the best for your pets, and we’d never settle for less. 

Sources

Fresh vs Raw Dog Food vs Kibble: Which Diet Is Best For Your Dog? | American Kennel Club

The Science of Mood in Animals: Can Pets Be Depressed? | Brain Pickings

11 Benefits of Animal Massage | Institute for Integrative Healthcare