by hto2008
Are Natural Pet Remedies An Effective Alternative Treatment Method?
On a recent trip to the vet for my pets annual checkup I brought up the idea of a natural pet remedy alternative for a chronic problem we have been dealing with. To my surprise my normally mild mannered vet became angry and a little bit flustered. I was surprised since the approach we had been using seemed to only be masking the symptoms rather than getting to root cause of the problem.
I suspect that my experience was a common one, especially in countries where conventional western medicine dominates the conversation. Don’t get me wrong modern western medicine is amazing and has saved many lives both with advanced surgical procedures and medications such as antibiotics but the idea that a natural pet remedy should be ruled out just because it is so called “natural” seems closed minded to me.
The natural pet remedies most often talked about are herbal products or nutritional supplements but natural pet remedies can also include acupuncture, hydrotherapy, diet and behavioral modification, and believe it or not some chiropractors are now offering adjustments for pets. As you can see this covers a broad range of potential therapies.
In addition to promoting good general health, herbal products and nutritional supplements are often used as a direct substitute for prescription pet medications. Nevertheless, it is important to look at this form of treatment in the correct light: in the vast majority of instances, these natural medicines promote the healing process, rather than suppressing the symptoms.
There are many examples where natural pet remedies are very effective alternative treatments. Perhaps the best example is in the treatment of pet or animal osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a gradual wearing away of cartilage, which is a gel like substance that serves as a shock absorber. When cartilage wears away, it causes inflammation, pain, deformity, and limitation of motion in the joint.
The primary drugs used to treat this type of ailment are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). While they are excellent at reducing the pain they actually accelerate the rate of joint destruction and cause more problems down the road.
Compare that to the natural pet remedy approach which uses a combination of vitamins, minerals, and a substance called glucosamine sulfate (often combined with chondroitin) which supports the body’s own healing process to restore lost cartilage. By getting to the root of the problem, glucosamine sulfate not only reduces the symptoms, but also is very effective at repairing damaged joints.
The use of natural pet remedies to treat osteoarthritis is just one of many examples where a natural approach produces better results without side effects. There are many other examples including behavioral issues and a damaged or weakened immune system.
In summary, a natural pet remedy can be an effective alternative that can be used both as a stand alone treatment or as a complementary addition to conventional therapy. Nevertheless, when swift action is needed such as in the case of urinary blockage or other life threatening conditions one should not hesitate to take of advantage of the life saving skills of your veterinary doctor.
Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health products and natural living with over 10 years
experience in the field.
Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at
Purchase Remedies.com
Article from articlesbase.com
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