Mental Stimulation As Part Of Your Pet’s Daily Care Routine
When it comes to ensuring the health and well-being of your pet, I’m sure few things are off-limits. Our pets bring unconditional love, care, and attention to our families that are priceless and irreplaceable. As a result, we express our love, dedication, and gratitude in our daily care routines for our furry friends.
Naturopathic medicine is the practice of identifying the underlying causes of illnesses. This helps to avoid the common practice of suppressing symptoms while healing and pursuing the least harmful healing treatment process for your pet. At the Naturopawthic Veterinary Wellness Center, we use customized treatment plans to address new and recurring symptoms by identifying and healing their root causes. But as you care for your pet on a daily basis, you may wonder how to implement naturopathic medicine into your daily routine to ensure they aren’t experiencing painful ongoing ailment cycles. The answer is by creating a holistic mindset and providing an environment that supports your pet’s overall wellness.
Here are a few tips for establishing healthy in-home daily habits:
I often refer to puzzles or quilts to my clients when it comes to holistic wellness. Human and animal mental and physical states are critical of the quilt. There are many ways to stimulate your pet’s problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. For example:
Set up fun and challenging scavenger hunts at treat and mealtime.
Teach them a few tricks.
Use puzzle toys for recreation.
Budget extra time for outdoor exploration.
When I take Lulu for a walk in 45-degree weather - let alone in colder temperatures - I often struggle to keep warm. But it’s a great stress and anxiety reliever for both of us. So be sure to work in extra time to allow your pet to explore their environment and stretch their legs. Whenever possible, take walks in nature areas like the woods to provide more mental stimulation for your dog.
Benefits of outdoor time include:
Stimulating neuroplasticity and utilizing energy. When it’s cold out and we can’t (or I’m too wimpy and refuse to) go out for a walk, Lulu needs other ways to work her brain and body.
Coming down from a stressful occurrence. When a dog doesn’t have an outlet to release excess, built-up energy, they find other ways to do so. Perhaps chewing on things they shouldn’t, becoming more aggressive toward the mail or UPS person, or increased separation anxiety, to name a few.
Giving your dog a positive outlet while stimulating neuroplasticity, and giving them an alternative for going for a walk include:
Giving them chew toys (while supervised) such as bully stick, yak chew, kong with their favorite food in it.
Allowing them to participate in physical activities, such as yoga, with you.
Playing hide and seek around the house.
Practicing commands (sit, roll over, stay, come).
Using interactive toys and puzzles for bonding time.
Remember, our mental health and well-being are vital for a happy existence for all of us!