Holistic Therapies Your Dog Will Love

As humans shy away from conventional medicine to treat their own ailments, pet owners also seek out alternative or complementary therapies to treat certain physical and emotional problems with their furry friends.

Here are some amazing holistic therapies for your dog that can help with everything from anxiety and hyperactivity to pain and post surgery rehabilitation.

Aromatherapy

As with humans, aromatherapy and the use of high-quality essential oils, can be a highly effective therapy to help relieve stress and reduce your dog’s anxiety. They can be used to soothe them when traveling or during a thunderstorm, lift their spirit if they are suffering from separation anxiety and even focus your dog during training. Lavender and Cedar Oils are a good place to start.

Hydrotherapy

For a dog in need of low impact exercise, due to weight gain, joint issues or post surgery recovery, a hydrotherapy session might be the answer. Your dog will swim or walk on a submerged treadmill in a heated pool for 15-30 minutes to improve mobility, increase circulation and decrease stress, with almost zero impact on the body.

Massage

Just like with humans, canine massage can help to destress and encourage healing by increasing blood flow, relaxing muscles and stimulating nerve endings. Plus is feels really good to your dog and can improve the bond between pet and owner. You can pay someone to massage your dog for you, which will set you back around $50-$100 an hour, or you can learn some techniques yourself and incorporate them into your weekly routine.

Acupuncture

The practice of using needles to stimulate pressure points around the body is an ancient treatment that humans have used for thousands of years. But in 1988 it was approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association for use on animals as an ‘alternative therapy’. Acupuncture can help in the reduction of joint and muscle pain, encourage post-surgical healing and even treat some symptoms of cancer and diabetes.