Natural remedies for pets

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Pets also get stressed: watch out for tell-tale signs

August 30, 2012 in Cat care, Dog care, Environment, Natural remedies for pets, Pet care, Separation anxiety cats, Separation anxiety dogs by admin | No comments

We’ve all experienced stress at some time. The reality is, the pressures of modern life impact on our bodies, particularly city life.

 But have you ever thought about how your lifestyle might impact on your pet and how to recognise the signals?

 What makes cats stressed?

Cats are pretty self-sufficient creatures that like to be able to roam around, explore, avoid problem situations and help themselves to food and water. They like privacy and a quiet environment. They do not like change, so moving house, or the arrival of a new pet or a baby can disorientate and depress and stress a cat.

 In today’s domestic situations, cats often have to live in confined spaces in units and are restricted to indoors. Their owners justifiably fear for their safety on busy streets, so are not comfortable with giving them access to outdoor areas and even if they do have a protected area, it is often very limited. Some cats have to share space with other pets.

 Since cats are more reserved than dogs, you have to look carefully signs of stress. Behaviours to look for are:

  • Scratching
  • aggression towards other pets
  • loss of appetite
  • over grooming
  • urinating and soiling
  • listlessness and general withdrawal
  • decreased level of activity.

What makes dogs stressed?

Dogs are more outgoing than cats and in many ways better at communicating stress and unhappiness. They can’t tell you what is causing it, but they can certainly let you know that things are not the way they would like them to be. The easiest one to identify is separation anxiety when a puppy is introduced to a new home and new people. Even a more mature dog may react adversely to a change of environment.

 Puppies are like children. Early experiences will impact on future behavior. Socialisation is very important to dogs. Unlike cats they are not loners and crave companionship and happy interaction with humans and other pets. Scary encounters can result in nervous behavior and aggression. So it is very important that early experience is positive and that a benign environment is maintained.

Dogs in confined spaces will experience similar problems as cats. While cats will exercise themselves given enough space, dogs need more activity. Some dogs will exhibit signs of stress after a spell in a boarding kennel. There are also fear reactions – thunder, lightning, fireworks that can set a dog off. Illness, hospitalisation and ageing can all produce behavioural changes. Most of all, dogs need attention and lots of love, Deny them this and you’ll end up with an unhappy pet.

What to do about pet stress

If your pet exhibits signs of stress you need to remedy it as best you can. Your vet can recommend remedial systems and preparations. If you or a member of your family is suffering stress, you would not hesitate to seek medical help. Your pet is not ‘just a cat, or just a dog’. They are part of your family and deserve the same consideration as the other members of your household. So consult your vet about pet stress.

Tags: Care for your cat, Care for your dog, Ethics of pet ownership, Responsible pet ownership, Separation anxiety dogs and cats, Taking care of pets

What to do when your pet gets old

January 26, 2012 in Ageing pets, Aging cats, Aging dogs, Cat care, Dog care, Natural remedies for pets, Pet care by admin | No comments

There is much written about our ‘ageing’ population. But what about domestic pets? Your pet is also going to get old, and chances are, sooner that you will!

While we generally talk about a human year being equivalent to seven dog years, a lot depends on the breed. While large dogs will age more quickly than small breeds, it’s fairly safe to say that by the time your dog is seven or eight years old, you can consider it to be at some point in middle age.

As far as cats are concerned, they appear to have a slightly longer life span than dogs, so let’s say a 10 year old would equate to a human in their late 50’s.

What are the signs of ageing in pets?

Many of the symptoms observed in humans apply to dogs and cats. As we get older we tend to slow down and experience some stiffness in getting up, climbing stairs and so on. Many humans also suffer from age-related arthritis and other conditions, such as diabetes and thyroid problems. Dogs in particular can develop hypothyroidism.

Like humans, dogs start to go grey around the face. Cats, on the other hand, don’t show a greying tendency, although here and there you may see a few white hairs sneaking through. They are more likely to show a dulling of their coat, rather than greying.

Again, many humans experience some hearing loss and/or impaired vision, including cataracts, anytime from age 60 onwards.  Dogs and cats can also become deaf when grow old, but you’ll notice it more easily in dogs, largely because they are generally more overtly responsive than cats. In cats hearing loss is more gradual and subtle and seems to take longer to develop into a severe deficiency.

What can you do about it?

Stiffness: it’s best to consult your vet and if arthritis is the cause there are many medications available with which to manage the condition

Hypothyroidism: the symptoms are general slowing down, weight gain and deterioration in your dog’s coat due to hair loss. They may even develop bald patches. To obtain an accurate diagnosis your vet will run a test and if positive then will prescribe appropriate medication to balance the hormones.

Diabetes: Both dogs and cats will demonstrate severe weight loss or gain as well as excessive drinking and frequent urination. Cats tend to get urinary tract infections and weakness in the hind legs, while dogs often develop cataracts and may go blind. A blood test is recommended to establish the blood sugar levels.

Hearing and vision: if your pet is hard to wake up or seems to be startled if you approach from behind, it may be getting deaf. Best to have your vet examine the ears to ensure that there is no infection, or foreign object in the ear. Otherwise, not much you can do. Humans have the advantage of being able to use hearing aids. Unfortunately at this stage this is not possible for animals. So be extra careful with traffic and boisterous kids. If you notice that your pet’s vision is impaired, check with your vet in case this is caused by cataracts.

Remember, just like the elderly members of the community, your loyal pet deserves loving care as it grows old.  It’s time for us to give back to them what they have given to us over the years.  Love and loyalty.

Written by Marcelle Grolman

Tags: Care for your cat, Care for your dog, Ethics of pet ownership, Natural remedies for osteoarthritis in dogs, Responsible pet ownership, Taking care of pets

Natural remedies can help your dog with osteoarthritis

December 30, 2011 in Dog care, Dog cover, Natural remedies for pets, Pet care, Pet insurance by admin | 1 comment

As with us humans, osteoarthritis is one of the most common ailments affecting dogs as they age, and also as with humans, natural therapies can help with management of this condition.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease which involves the slow erosion of joint cartilage  causing the bones to rub together, which as you can imagine would be very painful and debilitating for your pet.  Osteoarthritis can be genetic (eg hip dysplasia), part of the ageing process, or the result of an injury.  Fortunately there are a few treatments which can help including anti inflammatories, nutrition and dietary supplements and an exercise regime.  Natural therapies can be an alternative for those of us who want to manage paid without the use of chemically based drugs.  Just like humans, remedies include acupuncture, chiro, massage, stretching and special exercises.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the insertion of fine needles into specific points that release energy.  Whilst it doesn’t sound very pleasant, in fact it can be very relaxing and many dogs fall asleep whilst being treated!  Acupuncture is based on energy flowing through meridians and the needles affect the flow of energy.  The results can be a reduction in pain and inflammation, increased mobility, and generally improvement in wellbeing and quality of life.  One the advantages of acupuncture is that there are no side effects to worry about which means the dog can undergo treatment for many years without concern.

Trigger point therapy

Trigger points are spots in muscles that form after injury or misuse.  Trigger point therapy releases the trigger point to help with the pain.  The first step with trigger point therapy is to deactivate the trigger point with acupuncture and then stimulate the painful point itself.  Then a strong massage to stretch out the point for a good minute.  Whilst it can be uncomfortable for your pet, it does help to improve mobility.

Chiropractic adjustment

An animal with sore hips will automatically shift their weight to compensate, which in turn can put stress on their back which results in muscular tension.  This can cause back pain and creates difficulty with walking.  A simple back massage and stretching exercises at home can help in between adjustment sessions with the chiropractor.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy aims to rehabilitate and improve musculoskeletal disorders through a variety of techniques.  Some techniques include using machines, bandaging or strapping to treat swelling and support joints, warmth and ice for pain, swelling or spasm control and hands on massage, manipulation and joint mobilisation.  Physiotherapy can be good for looking after joint health and keeping a range of movement, but it is also good to get assistance with joint nutrition.  Walking is generally good, but dogs with arthritis may need more frequent shorter walks, rather than long walks.  Treadmills offering a range of speed and training modes can also be of assistance.  But this needs to be done with a professional as it is important to be gently so that there is not extra strain on the body.  Good thing is that come rain or shine, conditions are always right!

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is exercise, treatment or rehabilitation in water, generally heated pools or underwater treadmills, or both.  Hydrotherapy builds up muscles without putting strain on painful joints.  Swimming is of course also great for general fitness, but if a dog as had cruciate ligament surgery or hind limb problems it does better with walking as it needs to bear some weight.  Also bear in mind that dogs can cheat – they use their front legs instead of their hind legs, so you need to watch them to make sure you know what they are up to!

Most pet insurance policies unfortunately do not cover alternative therapies, however with Petsecure wellness care option you can claim $50 per year for one item which includes acupuncture, hydrotherapy and massage.

Ask your vet for a referral or for more information on natural therapies visit www.acupet.com.au or www.naturalvet.com.au or www.sydneyanimalphysiotherapy.com.au  or www.allnaturaldog.com.au

Tags: Care for your cat, Care for your dog, Natural remedies for osteoarthritis in dogs, Responsible pet ownership, Taking care of pets

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