Distance Learning - Learn to Treat Animal Illness Naturally
This course will introduce you to the principles of natural animal health and provide the available natural therapies that can be applied to both domestic and livestock.
HOLISTIC TREATMENT
Holistic Treatment or “Holistic Therapies” are designed to treat the whole patient whether it be animal or human as opposed to the specific symptom they may be displaying. Holistic treatment is thought to treat the illness by boosting the immune system and overall health of the animal, which will in turn treat any secondary illnesses. The foundation of holistic treatment is optimal nutrition. This is the “fuel” for the body and therefore needs to contain all of the essential components that an animal needs to boost its immune system and maintain health. We look at natural nutrition in more detail later in the course.
Other important elements of the holistic treatment of ailments and diseases in animals are naturopathy, herbal treatments, tactile therapy and homeopathy.
Lesson Structure
There are 8 lessons in this course:
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Introduction to Natural Animal Health Care
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Limitations of Conventional Medicine
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Holistic Treatments
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Homeopathy
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Flower Essences
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Naturopathy
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Natural Nutrition
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Tactile Therapy (Massage, Equine Tactile Therapy, Bowen Therapy, Canine Myofunctional Therapy, Physiotherapy, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Osteopathy, Chiropractic, Acapuncture, Microcurrent, Microwave Therapies, Ayurvedic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine)
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Benefits of Natural Health Care
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Codes of Practice for Animal Welfare
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Health & Safety in Veterinary Practice (Separating Animals, Infectious Diseases, Containing Disease, Disposal of Dead/Infected Tissues, Dangerous non-Animal Wastes, Storage & Handling of Supplements/Equipment).
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Signs of Ill Health
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Normal Vital Signs
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Recognising ill health
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Disease Diagnosis
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Homeopathic Remedies
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Signs of Shock
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Signs of Internal Bleeding
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Signs of Poisoning
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First Aid
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Natural Nutrition for Animals
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The effect of Modern Living on Domestic Animals
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Processed Pet Foods
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Affect of Poor Nutrition on Animal Behaviour
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Good Nutrition for Domesticated Animals (Carbohydrates, Proten, Fats/Lipids, Minerals, Vitamins, Supplements, Recipes)
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Nutritional Problems in Animals (Allergies, Dermatitis, Overweight, Underweight, Liver Disease)
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Livestock Mineral supplements for farm animals, Nutritional Supplements
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Holistic Health Care - Maintaining Health
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Creating a Healthy Environment (Domestic pets, Livestock)
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Health Maintenance
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Preventing Arthritis in Dogs
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The Vaccination Debate
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Pet Dental Care
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Flea Control
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Disease Prevention in Livestock
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Preventing Disease in Poultry
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Avian Influenza
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Holistic Health Care - Treating Health Problems
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Naturopathic Treatment
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Homeopathic Treatment
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Herbalism
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Treating Common Ailments (Arthritis, Skin Problems, Digestive Complaints, Diabetes, Dental Problems )
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Pain Management
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Identifying Pain
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Pain Relief Medication
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Herbal Treatments
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Homeopathy
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Flower Essences
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Physical Therapy
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Equine Tactile Therapy
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Bowen Therapy
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Canine Myofunctional Therapy
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Behavioural Problems (Dogs-excessive barking, digging, aggression, phobias; Cats; urine spraying, scratching furniture, aggression)
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Birds
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Animal Diseases & Health Problems (Domestic Animals)
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Dogs; Distemper, Heartworm, Parvo virus, Hydatid Disease
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Cats; Ringworm, Feline Aids - Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Hairballs, Feline Herpes Virus or Cat Flu;
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Rodents; Respiratory problems and Mycoplasma, Abscesses
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Reptiles; Mouth Rot or Canker (Stomatitis); cytoparasites (Mites), Pneumonia,
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Fish
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Cage Birds, etc
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Animal Diseases & Health Problems (Livestock)
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Notifiable Diseases
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Control of Internal Parasites, Horses (Tentnus, Lock Jaw, Strangles, Parasites, Colic, Equine Influenza)
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Cattle (Parasites, Mastitis)
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Pigs (Exudative Epidermitis of pigs (Greasy Pig), Leptospirosis, Parasites)
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Sheep (Enterotoxemia (Pulpy Kidney), Cutaneous Myiasis (Blow Fly strike))
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Poultry (Newcastle Disease (NCD), Yolk Sac Infection, Infectious Bronchitis (IB))
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Animal Health Care Case Study Research Project
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Evaluate symptoms of ill-health displayed by an animal, determine the problem and decide on a natural course of treatment for the specific health problem suffered by the animal.
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Develop a management plan that the owner of the animal can undertake to help treat the problem and relieve associated pain and discomfort.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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Explain the principles and benefits of natural animal health care
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Recognise common signs of ill health in different animals
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Explain the principles of natural nutrition for animals.
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Describe requirements for preventative health care in animals.
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Recognise common diseases, health problems and natural treatments for those problems in domestic animals
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Develop an understanding of natural treatments for health problems in animals
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Recognise some common diseases, health problems and natural treatments for those problems in livestock.
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Develop a natural treatment plan for a specific health problem of an animal
EXTRACT FROM THE COURSE
NATUROPATHY
The medical dictionary defines naturopathy as a drugless system of therapy by the use of physical forces, such as air, light, water, heat, massage and the like. Naturopathy is a holistic approach, aiming at getting the whole body to fight disease. Diseases are believed to be attributable to excessive amount of toxins in the body.
Principles of Naturopathy
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Primum non nocere - Do no harm. Provide the most effective care possible with the least amount of risk at all times.
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Teach prevention - Prevent rather than cure.
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Tolle Causum Treat the cause, rather than suppressing or eliminating the symptoms.
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Holistic Approach - Treat the whole animal. Treat each animal on an individual basis considering their health factors and influences.
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Vis medicatrix naturae – Nature inherent in individuals has innate healing powers.
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Doctor as Teacher (in humans) – Encourage self-responsibility and educate patients on the benefits of positive lifestyle changes.
Veterinarians using naturopathy have recorded great success in its use on animals.
One veterinarian in the US found that 9 out of 10 patients he treated for skin irritations with naturopathy recovered within two weeks. This vet also found naturopathy to be beneficial in treating many other ailments including obesity, rheumatism and arthritis, constipation, gastritis, kidney stones and heart worm amongst others.
NATURAL NUTRITION
Hippocrates has been recorded as once saying Food should be our medicine and medicine should be our food.
With this philosophy in mind, we look at the importance of nutrition in health maintenance and fighting disease. Natural nutrition is the movement away from highly processed animal foods towards whole and raw foods especially designed to cater for the nutritional needs of specific animals.
Due to the mystifying nature of food labels and the effect of processing on the nutritional value of food, people are becoming more wary of purchasing these foods for their pets. Whole, raw foods are also free from preservatives and additives which can have negative long term effects on the health of animals.
Some pet owners and specialists are moving towards whole raw foods that contain optimal nutritional value. Variety is also essential in the preparation of meals to ensure the best balance of nutrients.
Animals differ in the way they absorb certain proteins, vitamins and minerals. A variation in their diet will ensure that they get the most out of food and avoid boredom.
TACTILE THERAPY
"Whenever an animal is forced into the service of men every one of us must be
concerned for any suffering it bears on that account.
No one of us may permit any preventable pain to be inflicted,
Even though the responsibility for that pain is not ours.
No one may appease his conscience by thinking that he would be interfering in
something that does not concern him.
No one may shut his eyes and think the pain, which is therefore not
visible to him, is nonexistent." Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
Tactile therapy is focused on treating ailments in animals with touch or physical therapy. There are many forms of physical therapy available for animals. Some of these are listed below. It is important to keep in mind that although animals do not generally openly display signs of pain, it can be present and should always be checked for and monitored.
Massage
Massage involves manipulating muscles and connective tissues. It may be practiced by itself or in conjunction with other therapies. There are many different types of massage. The intensity (pressure) applied varying greatly.
The way an animal is massaged needs to be tailored to suit the condition of its tissues and other factors. There can be dangers in some types of massage:
Equine Tactile Therapy
Horse massage is very popular and has been used as a treatment for many years. Equine tactile therapy is carried out on different horses including working horses, dressage horses, racing horses and horses used for pleasure. Massage can have many benefits and uses such as therapeutic, relaxation and sports massage.
Bowen Therapy
Bowen Therapy is a holistic approach to pain relief and healing in both humans and animals. It was originally developed by Tom Bowen of Australia, with the underlying factor being that the cause or source of many musculoskeletal, neurological, neuromuscular and other health problems could be located in the soft tissue. It is commonly used to a treatment for horses but is also used to treat small animals.
Canine Myofunctional Therapy
Canine Myofunctional Therapy (CMT) or Dog Massage is used to help dogs recover from illness and improve health following operations and to maintain health and wellbeing. It is a gentle, therapeutic massage of the entire body and varies with the needs and desired outcomes for the individual dog. CMT aims at improved muscle and (other) tissue function and balance for dogs.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy or “Physical Therapy” aims to develop, maintain and restore optimum movement and function in patients. This involves treating diseases or injuries by physical treatments such as massage, stretching, heat or prescribed exercises. The aim of physiotherapy in animals such as dogs and horses is to reduce the impact of injury and disease, optimise healing and quickly return animals to their previous performance and function.
Shiatsu
Shiatsu originated in Japan, “shi” meaning finger and “atsu” meaning pressure. This system of therapy involves manipulation or massage, specifically applying pressure to certain points of the body. The aim of shiatsu is to gently stimulate the body’s natural healing ability. Shiatsu works especially well for dogs, horses and cats.
Reflexology
Reflexology focuses on stimulating nerves on the feet and ears to in turn stimulate healing. This is generally considered as a treatment to be used in conjunction with other treatments rather than by itself. It has been used to maintain health, improve behaviour, relax animals and reduce or eliminate stress.
Osteopathy
Osteopathy was founded in the late 1800s under the guiding principle “structure governs function”.
Osteopaths place emphasis on the musculoskeletal system and believe that the condition of muscles and bones has a major effect upon the overall health of an animal. Osteopathy aims to correct problems with muscles and bones; and in doing so, improve the capacity of the body to cure other problems.
Throughout the 20
th century, osteopathy has adopted the discoveries of modern science and adapted its practices accordingly resulting in it being considered more mainstream than chiropractics.
Animal osteopaths massage, manipulate and mobilise the muscles and joints of animals to regain correct structure to help the body function correctly and assist healing.
Chiropractic
Chiropractic is based upon the idea that the nervous system coordinates all the body’s functions and that manipulation of the body (principally the spine) can affect parts of the body beyond the areas that are being manipulated. Some chiropractors believe primarily in the use of chiropractic treatments alone, but other chiropractors believe in a more holistic approach, using chiropractic in conjunction with other therapies/treatments.
Animal chiropractors use a variety of methods to manipulate the musculoskeletal system including stretching, soft tissue massage, trigger point therapy, myofascial release and general massage. Chiropractic treatment is commonly used on professional dogs to treat disorders and musculoskeletal problems which limit performance.
