We often think of veterinary care only when our animal friends' become obviously sick. Thankfully, there are many ways in which we can support and nourish our pets that help to prevent illness while maximizing longevity and enjoyment. 

Anti-inflammatory diets and functional nutrition are powerful ways of supporting a healthy immune system and normal functioning your animal friends' organs (think “bowls over knives”). In addition to choosing a diet that is balanced and supportive in regard to vitamins and minerals, using food therapy to balance your pets' food in regard to food actions further improves its therapeutic functions. Some foods are warming, others cooling, some moistening, some tonifying, and others moving. 

When we examine your pet, we can discover any tendencies your pet may have and teach you how to use food to help them stay in better balance and overall health. We have laminated veterinary food therapy charts (easy to clean for the pet chefs like myself) that help you pick foods that will help to rebalance the tendencies we diagnose in your pet.

For patients that already have signs of organ weakness and/or during times of stress, additional supplements will likely be required to help restore normal function.  When organs are strained or inflamed, their cells use up certain nutrients more quickly than normal.  Although pets get these nutrients in their food, they may not have enough for these times of increased demand. 

By knowing which nutrients are most heavily used by which organ or dysfunction, we can help to turn the tide in your pets’ favor during these situations. In general, by feeding appropriate nutritional supplements, the beneficial effects of a healthy diet are increased. Certain nutritional supplements can also be used to support more efficient detoxification.  These are used at times when vaccines or chemical parasite treatments are administered.

Herbs and acupuncture were developed specifically to keep patients in good health.
In Ancient China, patients paid their doctors when they were healthy and did not pay when they got sick. It was considered the doctor's duty to keep the patient well.  As such, this form of medicine developed techniques to determine very early states of imbalance in patients. Veterinarians have learned to treat animals in a similar preventive fashion.  Although many clients do not hear about these techniques until their pet has more advanced disease, herbs and acupuncture are most effective at treating the more subtle initial stages of illness.
 
We recommend a holistic exam, chiropractic evaluation and “tune-up” every 6 months for most patients. For older animals and those with pre-existing conditions, we recommend every 3-4 months. During seasonal weather changes is a great time for these appointments as our pets’ bodies are under more strain as the weather shifts (from cold to hot and vice versa).

Request an appointment today using the following link:
 
https://animalhealingarts.net/collections/appointments

Pup-sicles For Your Pup

Who doesn't love a cool, refreshing popsicle on a hot summer day? Pupsicles—popsicles for dogs—are easy to make and fun for your pup! 

Barkley's Beef Pup-sicle

1 lb. cooked ground beef
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
5 cups of water

Blend ingredients in a food processor and pour into freezable containers, cupcake tins, or ice cube trays—depending on your dog's size. You can also freeze the mixture in a Kong toy. 

Fido's Frozen Fruit Pup-sicle

1 cup fruit, cut into bite sized pieces
4 cups water (or 3 cups water + 1 cup coconut water to provide electrolytes)

Remove skins and seeds.
Mix in a large bowl, pour in containers, and freeze.
Fruits that work well are blueberries, strawberries, apples, bananas, and watermelon but use your pup's favorite fruits to create the perfect cool treat!