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Alternative Medicine for Dogs

Could Alternative Medicine For Dogs Work?

For years now, the alternative medicine market for humans has been booming, so what about alternative medicine for dogs? Is it possible that the same non-mainstream drugs and techniques could work on your pet?

The answer is, as with most things, yes and no. First, dogs have a different biology and therefore very different chemistry from humans, down to the vitamins. This means that what worked great for you could sicken your dog, and even kill him. Second, the best first treatment for dogs, as any veterinarian will tell you, is a change in diet and exercise. With that in mind, there are a few alternative medicines for pets that may well make your dog feel better.

Alternative Medicine For Dogs That Works

Don't count on homeopathic medications to work. While some humans are helped by homeopathic meds, it may be the placebo effect and is not likey to work on dogs.

There are, however, a number of alternative treatments that will work for dogs.

Diet and Exercise: These two elements are always the most important part of getting your dog better. Few dogs really eat a proper diet; many overeat with inadequate exercise, which means they get fat, which puts far too much stress on their joints, which leads to arthritis, then less exercise, then cardiovascular disease. As you can see, this is a vicious cycle. Even if dogs aren't overweight, diet can lead to food allergies, which lead to other poor health effects. Assess your dog's diet and exercise before anything else. Organic pet foods might be something to try, in order to avoid the increasingly toxic chemical content in pet foods, or you can learn how to make your dog's food yourself, adding vitamins and other supplements right to the recipe if you like.

Once this has been addressed, you can move on to trying other treatments.

Acupuncture is often effective in treating pain and certain chronic diseases, though no one quite understands how it works
Chiropractic care from pet practitioners
Herbal remedies of many sorts (ever see your dog eat grass when he ate too much?)
Massage, related to chiropractics, often eases pain and boosts the immune system, but it also gets your pet valuable hands-on contact that he needs. If you learn how to do it from a pet massage therapist, the results will be even better.
Nutritional supplements, like vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. Dogs and other pets require different vitamins from us, remember, so you'll have to get dog-specific vitamins.

A few supplements have been proven to work in dogs; glucosamine chondroitin with MSM, for example, works great for arthritic dogs, and better with exercise added. Just make sure you tell your veterinarian before trying any natural pet care or other alternative medicines with your dog.

If your vet doesn't like alternative medicine for dogs, you may have a little trouble getting them to work with you. In this case, ask other dog owners you know for advice, or contact agencies like the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association or the Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association, or talk to some of the experts at your local pet store.

Alternative Medicine for Dogs

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