Tag Archives: pets

How Does The Seasonal Time Change Affect You And Your Pets?

Healthy Me, , , ,

Each year we go through this time change 1 hour back and forth, but did you ever wonder how the body feels because of the time change? and how to our pets react to the time change?

Our bodies have their internal clocks that are very much in tune with the day light and any change in the amount of day light we get, will definitely affect how the body perceives the day and the night, so as the days get shorter and daylight decreases, the body does go through an adjustment period. How long does adjustment period last? Usually a few weeks!

The body produces a sleeping hormone that called melatonin, which is produced in body at night after the sun goes down and the stress hormone – cortisol production declines at about 11:00 pm and peaks at about 2:00 am in the morning. As the time changes, an hour back and forth, it puts the body in a little bit of a confusion state for some time and it takes it some time to get used to the new times. However, during this process, the body may go through symptoms of feeling tired and unrested, and quite often a feeling of just not feeling that well. Do not worry, as long as you keep to your routines and your scheduled sleeping times of 7 – 8 hours a night, the body will recover sooner than later. If you are chronically sleep deprived, then this transition will make it worse. Please check out the insomnia article for how to improve your sleep patterns naturally using naturopathic medicine.

What about our furry friends? Do they experience this too? I believe they absolutely do. Their schedules are really dependent on what our schedules look like, they are usually up before us and may or may not sleep after we go to bed, but they definitely are affected by what we do and at what time. Being a pet friend, i can attest to that. As the time to do things and leave for work changes, they to go through a short adjustment period, absolutely.

So to make the transition smoother naturally, try to drink more water to keep you hydrated and try to get enough sleep, at least 7 – 8 hours a night. If you are feeling wiped or tired, try to increase the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and this will help to improve the nutrient status in the body. Try to stay away from stimulants such as caffeine and refined sugars and carbohydrates, which will make you feel better for a short period of time, followed by a crash period. Moderate exercise would be helpful as well to improve your hormone levels and decrease your stress levels.

By: Sushma  Shah, Naturopathic Doctor in Toronto, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Protecting Your Pets In Summer

Healthy Me,

Being a pet owner myself, I felt this was an important reminder for me and for all of you out there who are pet owners and care for them dearly. As the summer months are approaching and most people will head out to cottages or getaways in the city for a few days. Here is one thing that you definitely want to be careful with especially if you are taking you pets with you.

1. Make sure the Air conditioning in the car is functioning well, and your pets are safe and out of the heat of the car. Having experienced this personally last summer, I can surely say I would not take pets in the car unless the AC is working well. Unlike us, pets are unable to maintain their homeostatic temperature as well as we do in the hot weather, which make them an easy target for dehydration and heat strokes. So please, if you see your pet hyperventilating with their tongue out, make sure to take them into a cooler and safe environment RIGHT AWAY!!!

2. If you are a smoker who tends to smoke outside the house, make sure you are not exposing your pet’s lungs to the second hand smoke. We usually think we are doing a god thing by not smoking in the house, however if you are smoking outdoors, while on your break or if you are taking your pet for a walk, please refrain from smoking if you have your pet around you.

3. Make sure you thoroughly wash your pets water and food dishes with mild soap and warm water before adding any cold water in. As the temperatures in the house get warmer, bacteria tend to divide and create more colonies because of the ideal warmth conditions on dishes etc. with left over food (wet food for pets) and water dishes.

Be caring pet owners. Pets love the outdoors, especially if they are outdoor animals or spend some time out doors generally. They tend to verbalize the desire to go out by either barking or meowing till they are heard, and for most people this can be very annoying. So the next time you get angry and do something rash trying to quiet the animal, just remember, this is the only way they can communicate with you about their needs, so please and act with a rational mind and go outdoors with your pet, it might do you some good to get some fresh air too!

Till next time, be safe and keep your pets safe too!

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.