Photo Credit: Bill & Coo
Just like people, pets run into a number of different health issues throughout the course of their lives. Health issues can range from severe situations that require immediate, emergency care to common, minor health issues like seasonal allergies and dry skin. These common health issues are often easily spotted by physical signs or behavioral changes in your pet, such as a loss of appetite, itchiness, weight gain, and joint stiffness, depending on the specific issue.
And while regular vet checkups are an essential part of any pet’s health and safety, especially for major health concerns, the question remains for pet owners on what else they can do to help support and care for their pets in the face of common health issues. The good news for pet owners is that there are some natural ways that can help address some of the most common health issues in pets—some like active care such as physical activity, and others in supportive and supplementary measures.
“Natural ways to help with health issues aren’t just good for people; they’re also very effective in helping to address issues that our pets face,” says Dr. Christina Rahm, a global entrepreneur, patented scientist, and Chief Science Formulator at the ROOT Brands. “Many of the following ways not only help you to better your pet’s health in the short term but also help to set them up for a better overall quality of life in the long term.”
With Dr. Rahm’s insightful wisdom, let’s explore four different common pet health issues that can be helped in natural ways.
- Obesity
Pet obesity can be caused by certain diseases, such as not getting enough exercise and, commonly, overfeeding. It can put pets at higher risk for conditions like diabetes, cancer, urinary bladder stones, kidney disease, respiratory issues, and heart disease. This increased risk for certain conditions makes it all too easy to understand how a beloved pet’s life can potentially be shortened by being obese.
However, obesity in pets can be addressed naturally in a few different ways. Most easily, you can reconsider their diet—look at how much food you’re giving your pet and if it’s the recommended amount for their breed and size, switch up the type of food you’re feeding them, cut back on their treats, and stop feeding them table scraps if that’s common.
According to the Cornell Richard P. Hiney Canine Health Center, you can also address your pet’s obesity by adding vegetables and water to their meals to help them feel fuller when they eat and by increasing their daily exercise. This can include building more playtime into their routine, lengthening their walks, and even taking them swimming for a more low-impact option.
- Dry Skin
According to the American Kennel Club, dry skin on dogs can be caused by several conditions that range from “allergies and parasites to serious medical disorders like Cushing’s disease and hypothyroidism.” And while serious medical conditions require veterinarian guidance, dry skin, in general, can leave pets feeling uncomfortable and itchy. There are two natural methods to consider for both seasonal and situational dry skin and to promote improvement in your pet’s skin for the long term.
Coconut oil is known for its ability to help relieve dry skin issues when applied topically and can be used to relieve itchiness for your pet. Another natural way to help with dry skin is to use a product like Coato by Bill and Coo, an innovative spray developed by Dr. Rahm with the specific intuition of helping to protect pets from harmful substances in the environment.
“Coato was specially designed to give pets a unique layer of defense against various harmful substances in the environment, including parasites, bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals,” says Dr. Rahm. “Not only does it act as a uniquely developed safeguard, but it also helps to improve the skin and coat condition of pets while helping to reduce dandruff. This helps reduce the potential for dry skin and improves moisture retention.”
Photo Credit: Bill & Coo
- Paw Licking
Pets licking their paws is a normal behavior, but it can become excessive if a pet is dealing with allergies, a yeast infection on the paw, an injury, and other types of irritants on the skin. Excessive paw licking can leave a pet and owner dealing with irritated skin, fur loss, hot spots, pain, and even limping if a pet’s injury or licking is left unaddressed. For major injuries to the paw that might be causing excessive licking, a trip to the vet is always the best choice. But for minor instances of paw licking, the use of epsom salts is a solid, natural way to treat a pet’s paws and address licking.
Epsom salts are a well-known natural way to ease health issues such as stress and sore muscles and soothe the feet of dogs and cats. Soaking a pet’s feet in an Epsom salt bath for a few minutes can help wash their feet of irritants and allergens. An Epsom salt soak also provides soothing relief to the skin.
- Inflammation
Just as it’s common in people, inflammation is a common health issue in pets—though it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering health concerns that impact your pet. Inflammation is a common symptom in pets, both in their joints and skin, for various reasons, including arthritis, steatitis, itchy skin, and rashes. Additionally, inflammation can be acute and chronic in nature, sometimes presenting for a short period of time or appearing in a longer-term manner, such as the inflammation that comes from arthritis.
“You can help enhance the overall health of your pet by taking simple steps before signs of inflammation present themselves—whether due to aging, associated health conditions, or injury,” shares Dr. Rahm. “One way to support your pet’s health, especially for inflammation reduction, is to use a natural supplement in their diet, which can easily be added into your pet’s regular meals.”
“Pure Clean Pets by Bill and Coo, in particular, supports detoxification and the overall cellular well-being of your pet by leveraging the power of natural ingredients that can help to reduce inflammation.”
Common health issues in pets have a range of natural options that can be utilized to help ease the issue directly and promote a better overall quality of health before, during, and after the health issue has been resolved. “Our natural environment has provided all kinds of resources that we can use to help our pets feel and live better,” says Dr. Rahm. “And many of these natural resources have been further improved upon and combined together by scientists in supplement form to help alleviate the pains and ailments that our pets face.”