Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Kennel Cough and How to Prevent it Without Vaccination

Kennel cough can be a problem in dogs who live in close proximity to each other, such as in a kennel situation.

It comes about because the dog’s immune system is compromised. Several factors contribute towards low immunity. Here are the top areas that cause problems:

  • Living in kennels is not natural for dogs and causes them stress. This may be unavoidable if you are on holiday, but shouldn’t be their normal life style.
  • Feeding your dog processed or commercial pet food. This is an unnatural and nutrient poor diet. It’s better to give a quality raw meat and bones diet.
  • If your dog is stressed by anything. This could be that your family unit is not happy, or another animal intimidates your dog, or your dog can’t settle when you are away at work. There are many factors. Dealing with them holistically will help you dog at a deep level.
  • Giving your dog medication and vaccines. Look for natural health and immunity.
  • Dog training can be harsh. Look towards a more holistic approach, one that deals with problems by looking at it from the dog’s point of view. Jan Fennell, an excellent UK dog trainer, works at this important level.

Apart from improving your dog’s immune system, how can you prevent kennel cough?

One of the best ways is to use a homeopathic immunisation program. Let me explain.

I once visited a cattery who also accepted cats who had received a homeopathic immunisation program, rather than exclusively the usual vaccination. The owner told me something I had long suspected - that the cats who had received the homeopathic immunisation didn’t ever seem to present with problems.

But the cats who had received their usual vaccination frequently showed symptoms of the disease they were supposed to be protected against.

Not long ago, I adopted three kittens. One of my cats was sneezing at the time, and I didn’t want the kittens to get cat flu. So I gave them the homeopathic immunisation nosode for cat flu. Even though the sneezing cat was their favourite companion, and became almost a surrogate mum for them, they never developed cat flu symptoms.

So if you want a natural, effective alternative to the normal kennel cough vaccination, one with no side effects, visit a homeopathic vet and ask for the kennel cough nosode.

And deal with problems holistically.