Have you ever found yourself wondering why your dog has a medical or behavioral problem? In the past people would just accept the diagnosis and get medicine or a training aid device and think that was all they could do. Now more than ever we are finding out that there is more to achieving health in other means than prescriptions. It is my view that many health problems mental, physical, or otherwise can be avoided or prevented by taking healthy steps in the right direction. It’s not only veterinarian care your dog needs to be healthy, true health has many facets.
Nutrition, exercise, mental stimulation, affection, veterinarian checkups, hygiene, and relaxation are some of the many components that contribute to your dog’s overall health. If a component is lacking or out of balance in our dogs life they will usually let us know in one way or another. Physical manifestations as well as behavioral signs can tell us about our dog’s internal well being. Many problem behaviors are a result of environmental factors such as a lack of exercise or poor nutrition. Sometimes health problems can be boiled down to environmental and situational factors as well. Maybe the high blood pressure our dog is plagued with is because of a diet that is too fatty or maybe it is the result of constant anxiety.
When your dog isn’t acting or feeling normal be sure to take a look at what factors could be contributing to the problem. While whole health is a combined effort between the owner, veterinarian, trainer, groomer, and other figures in the dog’s life it is often not looked at that way. You decide; would you rather treat the symptom or the cause? In a case of anxiety would you rather dose your dog with a drug that has potentially hazardous side effects or confront the problem and help your dog learn there is nothing to fear? In a case of dry skin would you rather pay for shampoos, conditioners and salves or feed a higher quality food? If your dog is having a problem look at the big picture for answers.
