Whole health and your pet – with Katja
Whole Health
“The part can never be well unless the whole is well.” Plato
Do you know that niggling feeling that ‘something isn’t quite right’, but you just don’t know how to get to the bottom of it?
Have you ever wondered if there is more that you could do to help your pet thrive?
And how to tell if they are really well?
Over the next few months I’ll share with you lots of information to tackle this.
People often say to me: ‘If he could only talk!’ And, oh yes, that would make it so much easier, wouldn’t it? The thing is, our pets tell us an awful lot about their well being in their own way, through their posture, body language and behaviour; and, really, we are all pretty good at reading those signs.
We tend to know when something isn’t quite right- as long as we believe our gut instinct!
And equally, our pets usually (not always) know what to do to help themselves get better, if only we let them (they starve themselves when their digestive system needs a rest, they lie in front of the fire when they have aching bones etc.).
Physical health is just one part of truly thriving.
Whole health means the whole body, not just the bit that seems to be the biggest problem at the time, and also good nutrition, exercise, companionship, management of stress, reducing exposure to toxins etc.
Does your dog or cat trump a lot, or have a rumbling tummy?
Does their poo always look a bit vile (though it’s not quite diarrhoea)?
Does she have smelly breath despite her teeth looking fine?
Is his fur dull and dry?
Is he less happy and enthusiastic than he used to?
Does he not allow you to touch certain parts of his body?
These are all signs that their health isn’t optimal.
So what now?
Taking ownership
‘Don’t take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop.’ Quentin Regestein
You know your pet best! You are your pet’s guardian and you’re probably the first person to notice when things aren’t quite right.
Obviously, if you are at all concerned about your pet’s health, speak to your vet!
Really, please don’t fall into the common trap of talking to everybody except your vet, only to be even more concerned, or confused, or worst of all: missing something important.
But also, when you look at the above list of things that play a part in whole health, you can see that we as pet owners can take care of most of them ourselves- how great is that?
We can all make sure that our pets get nutritious food, plenty of exercise, plenty of companionship, minimal levels of stress and hopefully minimal levels of toxins as well.
And these things are all important for our own health, too- it’s a win- win situation (talk about pets being good for our health)!
But wait a minute-
How do I know which food is best for my dog?
How am I supposed to reduce toxins in my pet’s life?
Do I really need to give all this medication? I’m not sure anymore.
My dog is getting older, what now?
I’m already doing all of that, but he’s still not quite right!
We’ll talk about all these things and much more in the coming months.
Next month I’m going to talk about vaccinations and titre testing: Why vaccinations are important and how we can make sure our pets are protected, but not over vaccinated.
This is a great passion of mine, and I can’t wait to share some information about it with you!
If you want more information on this, or any of the above topics, sooner, feel free to get in touch and book an appointment for your pet, and let’s discuss their needs and your concerns.
Until then,
Take care,
Katja Londa MRCVS
Did you miss our recent interview with Katja? Read more about her love of animals here.
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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