You’re experiencing symptoms such as shivering, runny nose, coughing, and sore throat. Do you think this is about you? No, it’s about your pet. In the modern world, it seems to us that we know everything and can find any answer to any question. Is that so…
Did you know that your pets can get sick, suffer severely, and endure long-term suffering, and this is not limited to chronic diseases?
Changeable weather, cool air (drafts), wet fur or bedding, and other factors can affect your pet’s health. Viruses and bacteria will not wait; their attacks happen every second, and time after time they adapt more and more to various factors and improve. That is why your pet should have excellent health and a strong immune system.
It is precisely your pet’s immune system that is capable of repelling viral attacks, restoring, and protecting the body. Just like in humans, the first immunity an animal receives comes from its mother’s milk. Doctors around the world advocate for breastfeeding, and it’s not without reason. Breast milk is a cocktail that contains a huge amount of trace elements, beneficial enzymes, and amino acids. It has proteins (immunoglobulin, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin), carbohydrates (lactose), Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats, DHA, micronutrients, and hormones (such as insulin, endorphin, and leptin). The list can go on indefinitely, and that is precisely why receiving maternal breast milk provides the baby with protection for themselves and their body from the very first moments of life. His micro world receives a boost from the mother’s immune system, helping the baby adapt more easily and smoothly to the harsh world. Therefore, it is crucial to give your baby more time with their mother before introducing them to their new family.
Now that the new family member has joined your family, it is your responsibility to support and monitor their immunity. The first thing you should do is introduce the new family member to the veterinary clinic, get all the necessary vaccinations and shots (just like with people; essentially, you have a child now, albeit a furry one and not your own, but a child who can also cry, be capricious, and get sick), and consult with the doctor. They will help you properly formulate your pet’s diet and determine the schedule for check-ups and vaccinations. The first steps to your pet’s health and longevity.
What signs indicate that your pet’s immune system is working well? Believe me, it’s easy to spot a sick animal:
The pet becomes unkempt; its fur looks matted. A characteristic odor appears. There are gastrointestinal problems. Your pet may experience mood swings, from passive to aggressive. The animal starts hiding, looking for secluded spots. Chronic diseases transition into an acute phase and often do not respond to treatment.
What weakens the immune system and interferes with the body’s normal functioning? Chronic diseases, any stressful moments—from fright to a trip to the veterinary clinic, age, or recent childbirth, and most importantly, an insufficient or unbalanced diet (it is precisely an improperly selected diet that leads to chronic diseases, health problems, etc.).
What can you do to strengthen the health and immune system of your pet?
Everything is in place: vaccinations, veterinary clinic check-ups, choosing a place in the house for the pet, and a developed diet plan. Well done. After consulting with the veterinarian, you are choosing a diet that aims to boost and strengthen the immune system. For now, let’s exclude medications and pills from our discussion. Indeed, a plethora of medications, such as immunomodulators, are available to bolster an animal’s immune system when its natural defenses fail. We introduce these medications when no other options remain. But let’s not focus on the negative aspects. Let’s return to the necessary and beneficial diet for your pet. The diet should vary and contain the necessary minerals and vitamins to support and strengthen the immune system.
It includes a variety of plant elements: berries, nuts, vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, pumpkin, cabbage, and zucchini), and meats (beef, chicken, duck, venison, turkey, salmon, goose, rabbit, etc.). Such a diet should also contain healthy fats, such as Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9. Incorporating broths into your diet would also be beneficial. Bouillons? Are we going to brew potions or prepare for the role of “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”? No, we need the broths to boost the immune system. You have probably seen how your puppy or cat eagerly devours grass or digs up some roots. Unfortunately, domestic animals have fewer diet options than wild animals. Animals now lack access to essential trace elements and medicinal herbs, necessitating human assistance.
Wild animals easily find water, shelter, food, and the medicinal plants they need. Without a range of medicinal plants, the immunity of domestic animals weakens, leading to problems with internal organs and the entire body as a whole.
It’s beneficial if you can find all the necessary herbs at the pharmacy or their chemical substitutes, but this is not recommended. If you are knowledgeable about plants, or if Google can assist you, try collecting the necessary plants for your pet away from highways, hospitals, and industrial areas. It would be ideal to gather the necessary plants for your pet in a park or forest area, where the plants maintain their medicinal properties. Pay attention to field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) for gastrointestinal diseases; you can also include St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), common viburnum (Viburnum opulus L.), and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.). Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Wegg) is an exceptionally unique plant. For kidney diseases, gather common shepherd’s purse, bird cherry, and blue cornflower. Familiar names? Otherwise, all these medicinal plants came to us from the animal world. We learned about these medicinal plants from observing the behavior of animals during poisoning and illness. In a domestic setting, a pet may not have access to this natural pharmacy, but you can provide them with it. Including broths from these and many other herbs in the diet (consultation with a veterinarian is mandatory for additional information on plant components for animals) will help your pet’s immune system.
Therefore, we must support and boost the immune system of our pets. A veterinarian-developed diet can enhance health. Be sure to approach this issue thoughtfully. Study the animal world and nature. Stay with us and be healthy.
