By Rob Shaw

The natural health food industry continues to grow, led by Canadian consumers concerned with safer alternatives to health and wellness. People are turning to preventative measures or supplements, which generally have far less or no side effects at all, as opposed to taking drugs. Many people have learned that their pets’ health needs also cannot be addressed through diet and exercise alone, and that “Fluffy” and “Max” may also benefit from natural health foods and supplements.

In light of the recent pet food tragedy which killed or poisoned dozens of cats and dogs, consumers are now looking at additive- and drug-free foods and nutritional products for their pets. But, because of a lack of availability of nutraceuticals for pets, many health food consumers experiment on their cats, dogs, birds and other pets with human products – often without consulting their pet’s veterinarian. Is it safe to administer human health supplements to pets? What about proper dosage?

Fortunately, research into natural health products for our animal companions is ongoing and shows that many nutritional and herbal products are also helpful and good for pets. In fact, there are a number of therapeutic areas that are well served by nutraceuticals.

A healthy immune system
A healthy functioning immune system is important for your pet’s overall health. In particular, a well-tuned immune system affects their behavior, skin and coat, digestion, heart, breathing, etc., which all help maintain immunities to disease and illness. Many herbs, such as Echinacea angustifolia, Ashwagandha, and Reishi mushroom are helpful in boosting human immune defenses and equally helpful to a cat or dog. Commercial pet foods may provide good nutrition but do not necessarily boost your pet’s immune system, which enables them to fight off common illnesses. Remember, preventing illness is a lot less costly in the long run than treating the symptoms of illness.

Arthritis and hip dysplasia problems
As your pet ages, they may suffer the same complications of repetitive strain and arthritis as humans do, and can lose some of the lubricating fluid (synovial fluid) between joints and vertebrae. Many dogs and some cats (and humans!) also suffer from hip dysplasia, which is the result of abnormal development of the hip joint in a young animal. One or both hips may be involved and occurs when the combination of weak or poorly developed muscles, connective tissues and ligaments is deficient. The term dysplasia refers to the bones surrounding the joint not being held in place properly, allowing them to actually move apart causing instability in the joint. The resultant pain, limping and restricted movement is insufferable. It is important to know that hip dysplasia may begin in animals as young as five months and will only worsen steadily without intervention or treatment. More commonly, hip dysplasia is seen in middle-aged to older animals and is often accompanied by osteoarthritis.

Natural minerals and herbs, such as D-Glucosamine sulphate, Chondroitin sulphate, Methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM), Devil’s Claw and Boswellia serrata – all commonly prescribed for joint, tendons and ligaments, will also work well with your dog or cat. Although many pet owners believe symptoms such as limping, poor gait, decreased physical activity and more, are merely the result of aging, they may be surprised to learn that daily supplementation with these commonly prescribed natural health products can return the animal to more normal and pain-free activities.

Detoxification of major organs
The kidneys and liver of dogs and cats appear to be particularly vulnerable to disease. Perhaps because of modern breeding methods or the prevalence of environmental toxins, chemicals, drugs and so on, feline and canine organ toxicity is fairly common, as these organs are primarily responsible for filtering and cleansing toxins, herbs and drugs from the body. Over time (or very quickly as in the case of the recent pet food contamination) the kidneys and liver can become severely damaged, leading to serious illness or even death. In the same way that most humans will benefit from organ detoxification at least twice per year, your cat or dog may also benefit from detoxifying the kidneys and liver.

Herbs such as Uva ursi, corn silk and horsetail are effective at improving kidney tone. While herbs commonly used by people for thousands of years to detoxify and tone the liver, such as Milk Thistle, Burdock and Dandelion can also be safely ingested by your pet.

The natural health approach to pet care is the same as human health care. Prevent illness and disease BEFORE they occur and don’t just treat the symptoms of illness; get to the source of what may be making your pet ill. Maintenance of good health and prevention of disease will ensure that you and your beloved animal companion will enjoy a higher quality of life together and perhaps for a much longer period of time.

Rob Shaw is a lifelong animal lover and holistic health researcher/educator. He is the Director of Education at Omega Alpha Pharmaceuticals at www.oapharma.com. Contact Rob Shaw at Omega Alpha for a sample of one of their new herbal formulations created specifically for cats and dogs.