NATIONAL HOLISTIC PET DAY
It’s National Holistic Pet Day! As one of the few holistic health coaches out there for dogs, I have a lot to say on the subject. I’m glad there’s this new made-up holiday, for one.
What is holistic health?
Holistic health is an integrated approach to health that sees the whole being - mind, body, spirit - not just symptoms and physical disease. We are multi-dimensional individuals who have more vitality when in balance. We often do best with personalized health care that addresses physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health as well as our environment and lifestyle.
So, what is holistic health for dogs?
Just as a holistic approach to wellness applies to people, so, too, does it apply to dogs. They’re also multi-dimensional beings. Their environment can have many stressors and toxins. Their history may involve trauma. Their diet may be sub-optimal. Food can be medicine, but also poison affecting gut health, immunity, skin, energy, mood, mobility and more. They may need pain management that isn’t being recognized especially since they can’t talk. Assessing a dog’s diet, lifestyle and environment for possible improvements is always a good idea.
What kinds of things can a holistic approach help people and dogs with?
· reducing risk of chronic disease,
· managing arthritis, pain, obesity, cognitive decline, anxiety and even cancer,
· upgrading diet and fixing digestive issues,
· reducing toxic load and inflammation,
· forming healthy habits and making sustainable shifts in lifestyle
· working on the human-animal bond and self-care.
In a nutshell, holistic health is harmony between mind, body and spirit. It’s thriving with balance. It involves customization of care due to bio-individuality. It’s proactively strategizing to prevent chronic illness rather than hope for the best and wait til disease shows up to get care.
It involves pet parents reflecting their own health principles onto their animals so they maximize health spans. Sometimes it means people get motivated to up-level their own health for the sake of their dogs or learn about wellness for themselves as a byproduct of upgrading their dogs’ well-being.
Pet parents have access to far more information than in the past and not just allopathic either. Sometimes there seems to be too much information and tons of conflicting data - but there are also many healing modalities and actions we can take to improve health outcomes even with the big C – and that’s empowering.
Dog parents are driving the market to optimize well-being. Dog parenting is no longer just an annual visit to the vet, kibble every meal, three 20-minute walks of “the dog” in the same 5 square block radius or yard time only. Now it involves more respect for animals as multi-dimensional beings who need their basic needs met, but also their emotional state recognized with anxiety managed, mental stimulation, customized diet, filtered water and tailored exercise. Add to that – community, social time, sense of purpose, and more observation from us parents/guardians, especially for senior care.
There has never been a more important time to take extra care of yourself and your animals. Reaching optimal well-being has never been more challenging. But there is help out there like from us health coaches. Take it one step at a time and see the fruits of your labor week by week and month by month. Reach out if you need help.