Natural Foods, the Cornerstone of Good Health!

 Just as North Americans have begun to fully explore holistic care, so have pet owners. This is the logical step for individuals who want to take a pro-active stance to their health and that of their family, four-legged or otherwise. An improved diet involves enhanced nutrition through careful attention to what you eat, and what your pet(s) eats on a daily basis. Along with a natural diet, these are the essence of holistic care. It is all about allowing Mother Nature to heal oneself and stimulating the natural healing process.

Food is a vital component of good health. Your pet’s health and well-being is largely influenced by what they eat. Healthy diet, proper dental care and regular exercise are the best medicine for a long and healthy life for your pet.  Just like humans, pets live longer, healthier lives when fed wholesome, top grade ingredients without chemicals. With all the information out there on the harmful effects of artificial preservatives and low quality ingredients, owners these days want to feed quality pet foods with superior ingredients and no meat by-products. This is especially true given that your pet likely eats the same meal everyday – don’t you want to make sure it is the healthiest, most nutritious one possible?

Natural Pet Foods is concerned with the long-term health of pets. We feel that one of the best things you could do for your pet is feed them an all-natural nutritious pet food made up of the finest ingredients. Being a pro-active pet owner, discerning what foods are better for your pet’s health will ultimately aid in ensuring your pet’s well-being. What you will notice is a healthier pet, full of vitality. Your pet will feel great and you will too! Increasingly consumers read the ingredient lists carefully and try to avoid chemical additives and seek out natural, organic and holistic products. These days’ pet owners are exercising the same careful consideration and concern for their pets. Good nutrition should begin from the get-go. Do not wait for something to go wrong before examining what your pet eats. A wholesome, healthy attitude to food will goes a long way towards good health and disease prevention.

Some factors to keep in mind include increasing healthy whole food ingredients, eliminating any meat by-products and chemical preservatives.

Another factor is reading labels and knowing what to avoid. Many of you are probably already aware of what by-products mean, but if you aren’t….

“according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), an independent group that issues guidelines approved by the Food and Drug Administration, poultry-by-products “must consist of non-rendered clean parts of carcasses of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, viscera, free from fecal content and foreign matter except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice.” (The Nature of Animal Healing)

This means that meat by-products could include heads, feet and intestines. But, the bottom line is that anything that is not good enough for humans can go into the pet food chain. Needless to say, second rate ingredients are not the ideal sources for quality foods.

Some of the questionable ingredients to watch for in poorer quality commercial foods include chemicals like BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, propyl gallate, propylene glycol or sodium hexametaphosphate. If you have a bag of your old food lying around your home, now is the time to closely examine what you’ve been feeding!

Better quality foods boast holistic and human grade chicken (hormone and antibiotic free), organic grains, fresh vegetables, senior formulations with glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for joint health, garlic and blueberries as natural antioxidants, taurine for the heart and eyes, flax seed for omega 3’s, cranberry for urinary tract health and probiotics to aid the digestive tract, yucca, kelp, rosemary, ginger and more. These are just a few of the quality ingredients in many of the holistic food lines. Other things to watch for include wheat and soy which are known allergens, or a non-meat ingredient being listed first (e.g. corn). If corn is first on the list, you know it is a poor quality food you are feeding. Ideally, a human grade protein source should be the first ingredient.

In order to promote good health, we recommend you read ingredient lists carefully, exercise regularly, eat well and stay informed! Your four-legged friend is depending on you!

This article was submitted by Geraldine Hossenbux, owner of Natural Pet Foods, the natural place to shop for all your pet’s food and health needs. Natural Pet Foods is a new venture in Westboro Village, Ottawa. All of the foods carried in the store are free of any meat by-products or chemical preservatives and are made up of premium quality ingredients. In addition to the all-natural and holistic pet foods, they also carry ready-to-eat raw foods, and pet pre-mixes for those individuals who like to cook their own food. The store boasts a wide variety of local products from foods, to home-baked treats, to local designer doggie wear.

Natural Pet Foods hosts seminars on pet nutrition and pet health throughout the year, for more information check out their website at www.naturalpetfoods.ca. Upcoming events include a book signing event with bestselling author of “Food Pets Die For” and her latest book “Protect Your Pet” Ann Martin. Come by the store to pick up one of her books and visit again on April 24^th at 7 PM to get it signed. A seminar will follow in May 27^th on Pet Nutrition. RSVP to info@naturalpetfoods.ca

Did Your Pooch Get A Massage Lately? How About Reiki?

     I just went for a massage this morning and wow do I feel better now. More relaxed, increased flexibility and generally rejuvenated. Most of you are probably familiar with massage therapy, and if you aren’t I strongly encourage you to try it at least once, but how many of you know about animal massage therapy?

     Just as we reap a multitude of benefits from human massage, our pets can benefit from a massage by an animal massage practitioner. I recently met and became friends with a wonderful, caring lady who happens to be an animal massage therapist and reiki master for pets. When you meet Kathleen you immediately know that she has been around animals almost all her life and is instantly comfortable with them. Not only does she teach dog obedience, manage an event stable, offer behavior consultations, offer massage and reiki for pets, but in a past life she managed a veterinary clinic among other things. Wow, talk about talented! Not only does she do all that, but she also has an honors degree in psychology and a masters in health administration. With her love of animals, her natural tendency toward healing and spirituality, it was a natural step for her to become a reiki master.

     Knowing that there wasn’t a huge animal clientele for animal reiki Kathleen expanded her knowledge and training to include massage therapy for animals. When Kathleen talks about massage and reiki she talks about being connected to her client. “You must trust your therapist” she explains. She emphasizes the importance of connection on a telepathic and therapeutic level. “Otherwise, they won’t receive the full benefit that accompanies a sense of trust.” Often she finds an instant rapport, and as a behaviorist this helps if you are in tune with what the animal is telling you. I couldn’t help but ask whether massage for animals was similar to massage for people? Kathleen explained that it is identical for animals and people, although some of the methods we use with people differ to those used with pets. This is partly because of the fact that animals live in the ‘now’, thus a gentler approach is necessary. Animals do not understand pain, so the massage should not cause any discomfort that sometimes follows a deep tissue massage. The massage is just as deep, but it is done more slowly to avoid causing any post-massage pain. Thus, it is necessary to modify some of the methods; however, the benefits are the exact same.

     Another question I had for Kathleen was whether massage might help with depression? Kathleen noted that massage releases endorphins, a pain reliever and pain suppressant. For a geriatric animal on bed-rest massage/reiki is very emotional and they feel better and more loved. For athletes, pre and post-massages for athletic activities are recommended. The pre-event massage prepares the body with a warm-up. The post-event massage keeps muscles from tightening up and relaxes, much like a warm-down. Kathleen foresees there will be an increasing presence of animal massage therapists at fly-ball, agility and sledding competitions in the future. Massage is especially important to those dogs that are prone to injury and are working hard. Massage cleanses the body of toxins and brings new blood in with new nutrients, aids in digestion, helps with constipation, flexibility, muscle toning (e.g. animals on bed-rest). For an arthritic dog, massage will get some flexibility back in the limbs. It is also useful for fast-growing puppies, active and competition dogs, older and geriatric animals, in addition to any animal that needs relaxation and can help animals focus. Once a sick animal is over the acute stage, your vet may recommend massage therapy during the recovery stage. For the regular pet that does a weekend warier trek through deep snow, any animal that has been on the road for several days, or an animal that has been exposed to stress, massage can help to relax the muscles and calm agitation.

     In order to prepare for a session, Kathleen wants to see the animal’s gait by having them walk up and down and turn in a circle. She looks for balance, lameness and tenseness in the animal. She then does some administrative history work before the massage begins. The massage itself is done in silence so that Kathleen can centre herself and connect on an emotional level with the animal. Because an animal understands touch right away, they usually enjoy it immediately. Some animals may be fearful or hesitant and do not understand right away. In these cases it is important not to rush into it and throw your hands on the animal. Don’t forget that to them, you are a stranger. Animals do not behave just like people and you have to go with the flow and do things on their time. What you can do, is play soothing music. Kathleen has music for animal therapy from a music therapist. The music activates brain waves and puts the animal in a meditative state that induces calm and encourages relaxation. The music is also good for grieving and anxious animals. Sometimes animals are stressed because their owners are stressed and sometimes they are so stressed that they just tune out and get into a disassociated state. The position the animal should be in doesn’t matter and larger dogs may be more comfortable on the floor, while smaller dogs may prefer the massage table or may even be done on the masseuse’s lap. In addition, Kathleen often uses aromatherapy which helps with relaxation and has special concoction in it that has a calming effect and also doesn’t stick to fur.

     After a massage what you might notice is that the animal appears generally happier and more relaxed. Kathleen often sends the owner home with some simple techniques to do themselves. This also strengthens the bonding between them. To finish off, while people pet animals all the time, they do not have the same understanding of the anatomy and pressure points. Give your pet a special treat and drop-in to Natural Pet Foods (321-7282, 337 Churchill Av. North) for a massage therapy session.

     Article written by Geraldine Hossenbux