Like humans and many of our pets, dogs are living longer than ever these days. Dogs that would have died young in the wild when they were no longer able to defend themselves or find food are now living to a great age. Over this period of time there are slow changes in both mental and physical health.

In this article, I am going to outline some of the major physiological changes that occur, some ways in which we as caregivers can help them, some of the illnesses that affect older age groups, and some therapies that may be helpful.

Physiological Changes in Ageing: The nervous system: Messages travel down the nerve fibres of a dog in its prime at 6,000m per second. In older dogs these slow down to 1,300m per second.

The lungs: The lung tissue loses its elasticity with age, reducing the efficiency of respiration.

The circulatory system: The blood vessels lose their elasticity, making small haemorrhages more common e.g. in the brain tissue.

The brain: The consequent lack of oxygen to the brain reduces memory and learning. It can also affect personality and irritability.

Signs of Ageing: By the age of 16, most dogs will have lost some of their brain function. They may show signs of disorientation, changes in social relationships, changes to their diurnal rhythm, and incontinence. By the age of 16, 20% of dogs pass urine or faeces in the house, 25% of dogs sleep less at night and more in the daytime, and 60% interact less with their human companions (although they may go through a phase of increased attachment). More than 70% are disorientated, getting stuck in corners, going to the wrong side of the door when asking to go out, barking for no reason, and gazing into space. Neutered males get less aggressive with age, but neutered females tend to get more so.

Hormonal control and Ageing: Elderly dogs tend to secrete more stress hormones, even when relaxed. Training them to be more relaxed can help give them more control in later life. There is also a general reduction in brain neuroendocrine chemicals, especially dopamine.

How we can help with Ageing Dogs: We can help slow down ageing by gentle mental and physical stimulation. Massage has several benefits - it can improve circulation, loosen up stiff joints and induce relaxation. Mental stimulation can increase the number of connections between neurons in the brain.

Feeding a diet high in antioxidants and vitamins can help. An older dog needs about 20% fewer calories, and some dogs gain weight with maturity. As always, any change in diet should be made gradually.

We as care-givers need to accept that our dog is ageing.

Over-exercising does more harm than good, so we need to allow the dog to set the pace. Older dogs can become confused by a change to the usual routines. As the skin glands produce less oil with age, more frequent grooming will help your older dog. Consider brushing its teeth daily, and provide more frequent toilet breaks.

Complementary Therapies and Ageing: Acupuncture can be particularly helpful with the pain of arthritis etc. Like acupressure and shiatsu, it also reduces pain by relaxing muscles.

T Touch therapy is a touch therapy that can be learned by the care-giver, and can be very calming in anxiety as well as helping many stress -related problems - which, as we now know, can give any symptom.

Musculoskeletal problems can also be helped by osteopathy and chiropractic, as well as massage as discussed above. All these touch therapies are beneficial mainly in animals that enjoy touch, and can increase stress in those that do not.

Nutritional therapies involve altering the diet slightly to benefit the dog. The role of diet in helping ageing has already been discussed. It is notable however that when a dog declines to eat, for example during an infection, it does so for good reason, (such as to starve the invading organism, and concentrate energy on the immune system rather than digestion,) and should not be forced. The commonest nutritional problem in dogs is overfeeding, causing obesity, and it is important for us to help our animals and help educate caregivers where this is problematic. However, beware that any strict, unbalanced diet given over a prolonged period of time may lead to malnutrition.

Herbal remedies can help with specific ill health. Examples include comfrey to help ease sprains, marigold for digestive disorders, garlic for respiratory infections and digestive upset, and echinacea for stimulating the immune system.

Aromatics are best self-selected, choosing those to offer based on any symptoms the dog may have. The nature of homeopathy and other vibrational medicines leads to them being more effective when targeted at the whole spectrum of symptoms and personality rather than at a single region of the body.

The beauty of spiritual healing and Reiki is that the dog will take whatever healing energy is needed, without a specific diagnosis being made. It is absorbed into whatever parts of the body, mind and spirit require it, stimulating its immune system and other natural means of self-healing. It can help with physical, emotional and psychological conditions. As the dog nears the end of its life, healing can help both the dog and its caregivers to come to terms with this, which helps with the process of passing over and with bereavement. Healing can be supplemented with use of crystals such as amber and carnelian.

Summary: In this article I have discussed the physiological causes for the signs of ageing that we see, the symptoms & signs experienced, and ways in which we can help, particularly touching on complementary therapies.

Are you suffering from health problems? Do you still want to continue with it? Or do you want to get yourself free from the stiffness and aches you experience forbid you to do even simple work easily and also forbid you to sleep comfortably at night? Do you want to get relief from the frustration that has arouse due to your back or joint pain which has further affected your surroundings then do not delay instead opt for magnetic therapy.

Back or joint pain sufferer imagine yourself having peaceful sleep at night and waking up in the morning feeling refreshed and revitalized. Imagine yourself able to perform those activities that you were unable to perform earlier. In fact, you could begin to feel, literally more like yourself that was well and happy and without any physical with such magnetic therapy. It is known to everyone that how important it is to maintain a healthy body in order to lead a healthy life.

Magnetic Therapy or Magneto/Bio Magnetic Therapy is a safe, non-invasive and drug-free method of pain relief and are acclaimed far and wide for its functional property. Magnetic Therapy is also readily accepted by those people who **** needles or have difficulty with oral medicines. This natural therapy is highly recommended for remedial purposes that involve applying pulsed or static Magnets to the body. Clinical Research explains that the iron content present within your blood becomes responsive to the magnetic field, and the amount of blood flow actually increases when high strength magnets are applied either directly above the site of injury or near a major artery. The *********** of the magnetic field through the skin and bones, right down to the cellular level enhances increased flow of blood that further enhances an increased supply of oxygen and nutrients to the damaged tissues thus improving the blood circulation disposing the toxins and increasing the healing capacity of the body. Magnetic Therapy is effective in reducing pain and in some cases eliminating pain, stimulating & improving circulation, reducing inflammation, enhancing & promoting the natural process of faster healing and relieving mild stress.

Magnetic Therapy was also popular for its healing purposes and was widely used earlier by the Chinese, Indians, Greeks and Egyptians since 2000 B.C. Even Cleopatra was said to have worn a magnet around her forehead so as to benefit from its’ anti-aging properties. Therefore Magnetic Therapy does not fall under the new inventions but the continuation of the past application.

Though Magnetic Therapy is generally considered pseudo scientific by the mainstream scientific community due to the lack of solid explanation but the belief that Magnetic Therapy has therapeutic effect has led to the popularization of magnetic-based products industry.

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Alternative medicine for dogs is quickly gaining in popularity as more pet owners seek natural ways to treat their pets without depending on pharmaceutical therapies. Instead of relying on drugs, pet lovers are focusing on the whole animal.

To learn more about different types of natural medicine and treatments for canines, read on.

Osteopathy and Chiropractic Care

Studies show that manipulations of the body and bone structure based upon a firm understanding of anatomy are effective for limiting human back pain, joint pain and spinal column discomfort. In 1996, the American Veterinary Medical Association reported “sufficient clinical and anecdotal evidence exists to indicate that veterinary chiropractic can be beneficial.”

While virtually no research has been carried out on the value of osteopathy for dogs, anecdotal evidence suggests the treatments are effective and especially helpful during recovery after an injury or accident.

Acupuncture Needles

Acupuncture serves as an alternative “medicine” for dogs and is typically used as an effective painkiller. Painkilling drugs work by mimicking the brain’s pain-killing chemicals like endorphins. Acupuncture, instead, stimulates the release of natural endorphins.

Remember that acupuncture for dogs should only be performed by a veterinary acupuncturist and should not be done by an acupuncturist who only works on people. It is a medical procedure and should be treated as such. Instead, ask your veterinarian for a recommendation in your area.

Herbal Therapies

Most pharmaceutical drugs come from herbs and plants, but they isolate a particular chemical or component of the plant. In herbal medicine, the whole plant is used rather than only a single part. Also, many herbal remedies are seen as a complimentary program with each herb prescribed to a variety of ailments.

While many veterinarians understand herbal remedies and will accept that various treatments have a medicinal value, they are also hesitant to prescribe or recommend herbal therapies. This is because toxic doses of herbs are largely unknown for dogs. So, before you undertake an herbal medicine program with your dog, do your research carefully.

Relaxation and Massage

Relaxation is a critical part of good health - improving our breathing, anxiety, muscle pain and stress. The same holds true for dogs, and many veterinarians will actually prescribe massage and relaxation as treatment for pain, anxiety, stress or sleeping problems.

Homeopathy

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association - “clinical and anecdotal evidence exists to indicate that veterinary homeopathy may be beneficial.” And though no high-caliber studies of homeopathic medicines have been carried out on dogs, it’s a treatment course that’s increasing in popularity.

More and more veterinarians are beginning to prescribe alternative medicine for dogs, from touch therapy treatments to herbal remedies. So, ask your vet about natural therapies during your next visit as a health option for your pet.

During your research, though, be aware that there is still a lot of general medical community skepticism - both for people and pets - concerning alternative medications. Consequently, you will need to be vigilant in your fact-gathering investigation to ensure you are neither duped by a scam nor dissuaded from persuing legitimate health options for your pet.

I want to grow some herbs indoors and there are so many. I’m just having problems finding healing ones that can be grown in pots.
Thanks!

A Guide To Naturally Easing The Pain of Arthritis.

If you suffer from arthritis pain or joint stiffness here is a gentle, effective way to get fast relief, using safe, natural far infrared thermal therapy now available in easy-to-wear functional clothing. For many years this destructive and debilitating disease has severely limited the life-style options of people of all ages. Research into the benefits of natural and effective non-pharmaceutical treatments has lead to recent advances in new materials technology which are offering arthritis sufferers new hope of pain relief.

Offering beneficial health solutions for people of all ages, far infrared therapy textile products help relieve the problem of painful joints to promote rapid relief. Compressive joint supports lessen swelling and strain which, when worn during episodes of joint pain or recuperation from injury or surgery, affords increased mobility allowing you to be more active. The benefits provided by increased mobility are improved muscle strength, lower risk of re-injury and a reduced reliance on pain-killers and prescribed medications which can cause unpleasant side-effects for many people.

It is the bio-ceramic fibre content of these clothes that helps your skin avoid the risk of unpleasant irritation from over-heating and perspiration. This means you can comfortably wear FIR functional garments day or night to achieve optimum pain relief.

FIR garments are recommended for all commonly affected weight-bearing joints, such as your ankles, knees and lower spine and also your shoulders, hands and fingers, however, unlike glucosamine, they are highly suitable for those who sufferer with seafood allergies.

Those far infrared therapy garments which are both well-designed and make use of the new fir fibres incorporating magnetic technology are especially effective for the relief of arthritis pain. This new breed of far infrared therapy garments are specially designed to maximize the therapeutic radiant heat effects gained by flexible magnetic layers permanently embedded into these textiles. The bio-ceramic fibres used in these health care garments contain powdered earth minerals capable of imparting beneficial thermal therapy using only the natural heat of your body.

Physiotherapists, sports injury therapists, clinicians and athletic trainers recommend the use of compressive supports and soothing thermal therapy to enhance joint flexibility, reduce debilitating pain and promote faster healing. Therapeutic far infrared therapy products have been shown by users to help lessen pain and swelling associated with chronic and occasional joint pain. FIR therapy garments are an excellent arthritis treatment, free from toxic side-effects.

While far infrared therapy is not a miracle cure, FIR therapy garments are most definitely a useful and beneficial natural therapy that can assist you to lead an enjoyable, active and satisfying life-style. For effective long-term pain relief, choose natural therapies that will work in harmony with your prescribed medical program.

Far infrared therapy products are effective, easy to wear, and importantly, an affordable health care treatment that you can safely use for long-term relief of arthritis pain.