Pet Wellness: Tackling Health Hurdles with a Paw-sitive Spin

Don't you feel like your pets are members of your family? They bring so much joy and comfort into our lives. They eagerly await our return and cherish every moment spent with us. When humans and animals live together, research says it can significantly boost our emotional, social, and physical well-being.

I believe that our pets deserve the very best care we can afford to give them. We should aim to decrease their exposure to disease-causing chemicals just like we do for ourselves. Pet wellness is something that has become a front-and-center topic in my mind.

In those moments when we're stumped on how to care for our furry sidekicks and no solutions seem to work, it might be time to get a bit creative. Consider natural pet wellness options, like chiropractic pet care and using diluted, certified, pure essential oils to tackle lingering pet health issues. The two approaches complement each other quite well.

Chiropractic Pet Wellness

Unlike superheroes, aging pets might face mobility challenges, similar to those of mere mortals.

Did you know that a dog's mobility can be superhero-level confirmed by acing the "cookie test," where they twist their way to sneak their nose close to the rib cage?

Drugless and non-surgical, spinal and neck adjustments can improve animal mobility, digestion, temperament, pain and performance.

I highly recommend Seattle-based Dr. Kendall Sweeney, an AVCA Certified Animal Chiropractor who is specially trained to work with small and large (including horses) animals.

If you live outside the Seattle-metro area, search for an AVCA certified animal chiropractor near you here.

Essential Oils for Pet Wellness

"Essential Oils for Pets Guide Book" written by Veterinarian Dr. Janet Roark is a must-have resource for D.I.Y. dilution recipes & therapeutic-grade essential oil treatments for common ailments.

In between chiropractic treatments, with Dr. Roark's book as your guide, this Pet Wellness Kit offers peace of mind. It gives you therapeutic-grade oils to improve digestion, mood, pain relief, wound healing, arthritis management, anxiety control, and skin care. See pet usage guidelines below.

Join Dr. Kendall and me as we unleash our pet wellness workshop in Seattle on April 18 from 6 to 7 pm. RSVP now so you don't miss out on the fun!

Feel free to reach out if you're interested in a Zoom Pet Wellness workshop or personal consultation!

Food

Nutrition matters. For healthy pet wellness, avoid: poultry by-products, sugars or sweeteners, artificial colors or preservatives, corn, wheat or soy (and legumes for pets with heart issues).

PawTree is a fantastic pet nutrition company that exclusively uses human-grade ingredients and conveniently delivers right to your doorstep.

In our world, Mr. Marcel Cat Furry indulges in PawTree freeze-dried chicken while our dog Veli enjoys Tucker's Raw protein foods.

Toxin-Free Toys/Accessories

We all talk about bad chemicals that cause cancer, developmental and infertility issues in humans, but rarely do we hear people talking about that for our fur babies. Whenever possible, I think it's especially smart to eliminate plastic that pets lick or chew on to decrease their toxic loads.

Consider stainless steel bowls for dogs & cats.

Plastic-free pet toys are also a good idea. Check out this eco-healthy brand that includes both dog and cat toys.

Water

Similar to children, pets have smaller bodies than their human parents, making them more vulnerable to environmental toxins.

Take a look at my water quality blog post article to uncover any villainous chemicals lurking in your tap and filtered water. Remember, not all water filters can defeat every contaminant.

If you already use a filter, compare the spec sheet with your tap water report to see if you need a more targeted filter.

Find the link to the national tap water database in my in-depth blog post article.

If your tap water is playing host to unwanted contaminants, consider suiting up with a new filtration system to battle those pesky impurities and keep your pets hydrated with pure water.

In our home, we rely on Epic Water Filters because they're the superheroes that swoop in to vanquish all 9 cancer-causing contaminants lurking in our city's water supply that I don't want impacting our pet's wellness.

Essential Oil Pet Wellness Safety

In a world where 85% of essential oils in the market are tainted with impurities and synthetic fragrances, a hero emerges to battle the forces of subpar oils. Certified pure, therapeutic-grade doTERRA oils offer reliable therapeutic benefits because they are 100% certified-pure.

To ensure your furry babies stay safe when using essential oil remedies, follow the advice of Veterinarian Dr. Janet Roark and always heavily dilute essential oils before applying them to pets.

Placing a diluted drop of oil in the palm of your hand for the pet to smell is always a good first step. If the pet turns and walks away or its ears fold downward, the oil you want to try is probably not the right one. Dr. Roark offers many remedy oil options for each ailment.

Her book is my go-to when taking care of Veli and Marcel, and helping others to use essential oils for pet wellness.

When introducing essential oils to your animal companions, remember to give them an escape route when diffusing and opt for water diffusers over direct-bottle extraction devices when diffusing oils.

Essential Oils to Avoid with Dogs: Birch, Melaleuca (Tea Tree), Wintergreen

Essential Oils to Use with Caution with Dogs: Cassia, Cinnamon, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme

Essential Oils to Avoid with Cats: Citrus Oils, Birch, Melaleuca (Tea Tree), Peppermint, Spearmint, Birch, Wintergreen

Essential Oils to Use with Caution with Cats: Cassia, Cinnamon, Oregano, Thyme

If your pet is epileptic or has seizures, avoid these oils: fennel, sage, camphor, eucalyptus, basil, wintergreen

See Dr. Roark's guide book or contact me for specifics on oils to avoid if your pet has bleeding disorders, diabetic or pregnant.

Check out this interesting article from the Mayo Clinic on health benefits of owning a pet.

Here is an article written by a vet about using essential oils on dogs.

Disclaimer: Suggestions in this article are based on my own personal, safe application of these natural products for my pets and not meant to replace your vet's guidance.

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