New years is always a time to start fresh, focusing on restoring and prioritising health your health, and the health of your pet! Even if you don’t have a health concern to address, it can be nice to refresh the system...
This can be a good time to also reassess your pets health and refresh their health. Look at their diet and see where you can start adding in some freshness and phytonutrients and having a critical look at your pet and seeing if they would benefit from some extra exercise to tone up or loose a little weight that has crept on.
Good robust health is a joy. The immune system is strong and easily overcomes any infections, the body is less prone to injury and can also have a more balanced nervous system which can help mean they have a level of resilience to cope with the day to day stresses of life.
Good health comes from a balance and harmony between the endocrine organs, nervous system and digestion. Good nutrition is essential for maintaining the biochemical pathways for daily functioning.
When a dog is robust and healthy they don’t need to use herbs in a therapeutic way to resolve an issue. However they can still benefit from herbs that can help to maintain this function and balance, which can help to slow aging related deterioration.
Antioxidants are important for the maintenance tissue health by reducing the effects of free radicals. These can help to reduce the oxidative effects of aging on the cells, and also help to maintain the integrity and strength of the tissues.
An annual health tune up can help slow health deterioration and development of chronic health conditions
Maritime pine bark and rosehips
Maritime pine bark is one of my main go-to antioxidant and tissue protectant herbs. This can help to support the cardiovascular system and can even help to improve the action of vitamin C within the tissues. It has anti-inflammatory and antiallergic actions which can help reduce the systemic inflammation so commonly implicated in chronic illness. Rosehip complements this wonderfully, providing more vitamin c and tissue protection antioxidants. Rosehips are rich in nutrients and can help to support the joints and connective tissues within the body. These herbs help to support the cardiovascular system and the health and integrity of the microcirculation.
Conditioning mix
This can be used for dogs that are experiencing health concerns as part of a treatment program, however I also find this useful for supporting general health and function of the system of healthy dogs. Helping to bring the system back into balance and gives the liver and kidneys a little support to ensure things are working optimally.
The conditioning mix is a combination of herbs to help support all body functions, including supporting the organs of elimination to help restore equilibrium within the system.
Dogestive
The digestive system plays an integral role in digestion and assimilation, and also in the immune system and nervous system. Subtle changes and decline in the health of the digestive system can be hard to identify. This is often one of the first areas of health to start to deteriorate. Without a strong healthy gut, all other aspects of health start to decline.
The dogestive helps to soothe and support the protective mucosal layer of the digestive system, whilst also helping to improve digestive function. Enhancing digestive juice secretion, enzyme production and peristaltic movement.
A powerful healing tool for dogs can be fasting. A dogs digestive system evolved around periods of fasting between meals. By allowing a period of time where your dogs digestive system has time to rest, this can help to boost healing and restoration of the system.
A basic form of fasting can be achieved with a single feed per day. This allows for 12 hours of the digestive system resting. Some dogs can cope with a longer period of fasting. This can be where they are given a full day of no food. This can be very difficult for some dogs, and some can experience nausea and vomiting if fasted for more than 8 hours. This can cause vomiting. For these dogs, you can give a small meal of slippery elm and broth. Adding in some protein if your dog requires something more substantial.
If your dog requires medication that are to be given with food, or they are growing or have metabolic issues it is best to get further advice prior to fasting them, as this may not be appropriate for them.
Start your dog on the health tune up with for the new years. Share your dogs experiences with us.
