Every year before my dog Nikki went deaf, she would freak out when the fireworks started popping on the 4th of July.  She’d shake, whimper and pant.  It sounds like a 1950’s dance, but to her, it was no dance or laughing matter.  Dogs can become extremely stressed and frightened when the fireworks start and may exhibit strange behaviors.   My brother in laws dog used to go into the garage and hide under the truck and just whimper until it was over.

Taking precautions can go a long way to help  calm your pets.  Here’s a few tips to help make the 4th of July a safe, fun day for you and your pets.

If at all possible, stay at home. Make them comfy with their favorite dog bed or blanket with plenty of water preferably in the quietest room in the house.  I’m fortunate to live in an area where they still allow us to buy fireworks.  Our neighborhood goes out to our cul-de-sac to light the fireworks which is great because I can go in and check on the dogs to make sure they’re OK.

If you can’t stay home, put them in their crate with a nice bone to chew on or favorite treat.  If you don’t use a crate, keep them inside the home and close the doggie door.  Dogs, when frightened, will chew through anything to escape.  If you have to leave them outside, make sure your fences and gates are secure and there’s no possibility of escape.  In the case that they do escape, please have their  microchip information updated and they have their collar on with all identification.

Put on classical music or a CD especially made to calm dogs.  Animal Music Therapy CD’s are designed to relieve animal stress.

Try alternative holistic remedies such as our natural Spot Organics Chill Essential Oil that’s specifically made to calm dogs in all kinds of situations.  Also, the Lettuce Flower Essences from Spirit in Nature can be used as a calming effect.

Leave the radio or TV on.  If they fireworks are far away, the sound will help to drown out the noise.

Do you have any remedies that have helped to calm your pet when the fireworks start?  I’d love to hear your stories.

Wishing you all a safe, fun 4th of July celebration!

In my recent travels through social media, especially in the LinkedIn groups, I have become aware of alternative treatments for animals.  I was familiar with Canine Massage, but not some of the other natural therapies.

We were having a discussion in one of my groups about whether or not they actually work.  Many of the practitioners have seen firsthand the wonderful healings of their companion pets.  Some were not so convinced.  I think that if it works for your pet, then it works!  It doesn’t matter how you heal your pet, it just matters that your pet gets healed.

OOOMMMM

I believe that preventative medicine is the first course of action and of course that means feeding your pet a nutrient rich holistic pet food.  So many allergies and other illnesses come from what you put in your dog.  Read my post on What you don’t want in your dog food.  That can get you started in the right direction.  Learn to read the labels and know exactly what they mean.

There are too many alternative treatments to put in one post. Please go to the Full directory of alternative treatments for animals.  I do not condone or condemn any of these practices.  This is just to let you know what’s out there to help your pet in need.  Please consult your Veterinarian before trying any of these therapies.

Here’s a brief description some of the alternative treatments for your pets.

Canine/Equine Massage:  This is the manipulation of the soft tissue of your pet.  Can be used as a preventative or for injuries.  Also, helps agility or sports dogs.

That feels soooo good!

Reiki: Reiki is Japanese for ‘universal life force energy’, the word can be split into 2 parts – ‘Rei’ meaning universal and ‘Ki’ meaning energy.  The practitioner uses energy transference and touches the animal in different parts of his body.

Acupuncture: Practiced for thousands of years in China and now has become more mainstream here in America, is used for both humans and animals.  The acupuncture needles, used along meridian lines, are meant to unblock the bodies energy lines to redirect the energy and rebalance your body.  Shiatsu is a kin to acupuncture, but using the hands along the meridian lines instead of needles.

Animal Communication:  is the ability of the practitioner to use telepathy to interpret the animals thoughts, feeling, words and mental images.  Telepathy means “feeling across a distance”. This can be used to find out why your pet is doing a certain unwanted behavior, or to get a better understanding of their feelings.

This is supposed to help me!!

Aromatherapy, Flower Essences and Herbal Remedies:   Taking their cue from nature, practitioners use herbs, oils from plants and flower essences to treat ailments or alter moods such as anxiety.  These therapies are nothing new and have been around since the dawn of time.  Animals in the wild learned how to self-medicate and early humans have been using plants and flowers for injuries and sickness since the beginning.  Read my prior post about Essential Oils for Pets.

Magnotherapy: uses magnetic energy fields to speed up the blood supply allowing more oxygen to flow providing more absorption of nutrients.

There are many others and if you would like to investigate these natural therapies more or find a school in your area, here are some links that can help you:   Natural Healers, Alternative Medicine, Natural Animal Health, Naturally Complementary.

Chris L Wagner

From One Pet Lover To Another

Waggy’s Eco Pet Products

Waggy’s Pet Sitting

Waggy’s Pet Tips and Tales Blog

Waggy’s Holistic Pet Food

Imagine you’re walking in to a beautiful day spa and what’s the first thing that hits you?  That wonderful smell of  Essential Oils.  Immediately that sense of calm surrounds you and you can just feel the tension leave your body.

Over the course of thousands of years even before Man knew how to cook or make fire, they knew which plants were poisonous and which would help in the aid of certain physical ailments such as digestion and diarrhea.  From there, they gradually discovered the healing effects of plants and flowers.

Lavender Farm with Doggies

These plant and flower oils, or better known as essential oils, are the main ingredient in aromatherapy products today.  Essential oils are tiny droplets in many plants that are most commonly used for medicine and cooking.  They’re highly odorous, very volatile and actually have the consistency of water rather than oil.  Nowadays, manufacturers extract the oils by distillation.

How does this relate to your pets?  The same essential oils that have been helping Man all these years can help your dog too.

As a pet sitter, I have heard about many conditions that plague pets such as motion sickness and hyperactivity.  I’ve listed 4 common ailments and how aromatherapy oils can help to make your precious pup feel better.

1. Motion Sickness: Among their many uses peppermint and ginger can help in the aid of  nausea and vomiting.  Ever wonder why they say to drink ginger ale if you feel nauseous?  A few years ago, my family and I went to Hawaii and boarded a boat to go snorkeling.  I forgot to take my motion sickness pill and needless to say, got very sick.  They actually gave me fresh ginger and hot water.  I have to say that it did help a lot.

2.  Doggie Bad Breath:  What else but pure peppermint oil.  Much like your own tooth paste, this oil mixed with organic sweet almond oil will make Fido’s breath smell minty fresh!

3.  Horney Dog Syndrome: How many times have you been embarrassed by your dog at the dog park when he tries to mount every dog in sight?  I see it happen all the time.  A blend of organic sweet almond oil with essential oils of sweet marjoram, lavender, and lemongrass  will have a calming effect on your dogs body and mind.

4.  Calm Down and Chill: A blend of Lavender, green mandarin, clary sage, and ylang ylang help to promote feeling of love and security and calming at the same time.  It’s great for training to keep them focused and help rescue dogs feel a little less lost and insecure.

I hope this helps and for a more complete list  of  oils and their uses, please check out Natural Essential Oils List.

Be well

Chris L Wagner

www.waggysecopetproducts.com