Did you know that today is National Holistic Pet Day? Who knew, right? It seems like if you look hard enough, there’s a “holiday” for just about anything these days.
Since holistic medicine and health are subjects I consider important, I decided to look into this particular “holiday” a littlemore. I actually don’t like the term holistic health all that much since it is often interpreted as only encompassing what are considered “alternative” therapies such as acupuncture, massage, Reiki and more. I prefer the term “integrative.” Integrative medicine is defined by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) at the National Institutes of Health, as “combining mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.” That, to me, is a truly holistic approach: combining the best of all worlds.
National Holistic Pet Day was originally founded by Colleen Paige of the Animal Miracle Foundation and Network. And apparently, I’m not the only one who didn’t know about this day. 90% of the more than 700 pet owners surveyed by Halo Purely for Pets didn’t know about it, either.
Halo’s survey uncovered some interesting data. Of the 700 pet owners surveyed,
73.2% exercise their pets regularly
28.7% learn about holistic living at their local pet food or natural food store
62.2% use non-toxic household products
48.9% use natural supplements for skin, coat or digestive care
38.7% take their pets for regular dental check ups
55.5% play mind stimulating activities and games with their pets
6.7% take their pets for acupuncture
48.7% help a local rescue or shelter
41.5% use all natural shampoo and grooming products
When asked what they would do to celebrate National Holistic Pet Day (now that they know there is such a thing),
37.7% plan to switch to all natural pet food
52.7% committed to getting their pet regular exercise
34.2% will visit their local pet food or natural food store to learn more
49% plan to avoid ingredients prohibited for humans (such as chicken meal)
38.5% plan to switch to non-toxic household products
40.5% would like to try mind-stimulating games with their dog and/or cat
7.7% would like to try acupuncture
28% will switch to an all-natural shampoo or grooming product
Dr. Donna Spector, HALO’s consulting vet and frequent guest on the Ellen Show, offers 10 ways to celebrate National Holistic Pet Day – from feeding an all natural food to regular dental care to living chemical free.
I suspect that if I surveyed our readers, the percentages of those who already do some or most of these things would be much higher than those in Halo’s survey. I’d love to hear your experiences with holistic or alternative therapies – please share them in a comment!
You may also enjoy reading:
Integrative medicine for your cat
An introduction to Spirit Essences, and an exclusive discount for Conscious Cat readers
Book review: The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care by Celeste Yarnall and Jean Hofve, DVM
