Simply Natural - Which Synthetic Substances Can Be Avoided in Everyday Life?

It is almost impossible to live a life without coming into contact with environmental toxins and synthetic substances, but there are some ways to at least reduce them. For example, with a natural diet, but also in everyday care and hygiene. In this article, we provide tips on how to avoid unnecessary chemicals in everyday life.

An overview on which synthetic substances can be avoided

As a dog or cat owner, you want to give your pet a good life and hope that they are always healthy. Unfortunately, however, more and more dogs and cats are suffering from intolerances, allergies and other metabolic problems. But why do so many dogs and cats nowadays seem to be so much more susceptible to diseases of civilisation than was the case 50 years ago? Of course, there are various factors that come together here. One major problem, however, is the fact that animals today come into contact with environmental toxins and synthetic substances from babyhood onwards, which their organism has to absorb and somehow utilise. As this already demands a great deal of effort from the body and metabolism, it is important not to burden it further - as long as it is not absolutely necessary.

Faecal samples instead of worming treatments

Faecal samples should be examined before using a worming treatment. This is because a worming treatment has no preventative effect, it kills the worms that the dog or cat is currently carrying at the time of the worming treatment. If the dog or cat comes into contact with worms again a short time later, it can become infected once again and suffer from another worm infestation. The prophylactic, quarterly administration of a worming treatment is therefore questionable. It makes more sense to have a faecal sample examined 4 times a year and wait for the results. If it then turns out that the dog or cat has worms, you can act accordingly, but if it turns out that there is no worm infestation, you can also spare the dog or cat the worming treatment. 

The tips in our Guide can help you monitor worm infestations. You can find more information about worm infestations in dogs and cats here.

Avoiding antibiotics

In consultation and under the supervision of a vet, you can decide whether you want to use an antibiotic for mild infections or simply give the body more time to regenerate itself. Antibiotics are often used far too quickly, even though the body is capable of solving the problem itself. Of course, it is more convenient and quicker to choose an antibiotic. This is also the reason why many pet owners choose this route. Nowadays, however, more and more vets are offering alternative treatment options that aim to avoid the use of antibiotics for as long as possible. In any case, it makes sense to carry out an antibiogram to determine which antibiotic is particularly effective at inhibiting the growth of a pathogen in order to take targeted action against bacterial infections. Intestinal rebuilding should also take place after the administration of an antibiotic so that the intestinal flora can regenerate. You can find more information about intestinal regeneration here.

Plan vaccinations carefully

The subject of dog and cat vaccinations is very controversial and ultimately every pet owner has to decide for themselves how they want to deal with it. However, we unfortunately see far too often that animals are vaccinated annually with vaccines which, according to the manufacturer, provide protection for 3 years, it is important for us to provide some information here. As a client in a veterinary practice, you are entitled to ask which vaccine is used for your pet and, of course, how long this vaccine provides protection. If you don't get any information, you can look in your pets's vaccination record, as this will list all vaccines administered. It is quick and easy to find out on the internet how long the vaccine provides protection. Over-vaccinating dogs and cats should be avoided wherever possible.

Questioning the long-term administration of pain medication

If the dog has strained itself and feels pain in the paw when romping, then it will relieve the paw (pick it up) and romp less. This relief is extremely important for the healing process. However, the dog will only relieve the paw if it is aware of the pain. Painkillers should therefore generallyonly be given to the dog in consultation with a vet if it really cannot be avoided and then only for as short a period as possible - and of course this also applies to cats. Apart from the fact that the perception of pain can lead to rest, many painkillers irritate the digestive tract enormously, which can lead to consequential damage.

Awareness in dealing with medication

In our consultations, we regularly hear that the animal has been to the vet and has had one or more injections. When we then ask what was injected, 95% of the time the answer is: "I don't know". The treatment room seems to have an intimidating effect not only on some animals, but also on their owners. Not only can the question of what was actually done to the animal usually not be answered, but things that were discussed and explained in the treatment room are often forgotten the moment the pet owner leaves the treatment room. As a client, you should therefore ask the vet what treatment they are aiming for and what medication they would like to use, and also make notes. These notes can be useful in several ways: Firstly, as a dog or cat owner, you develop a better understanding of what is happening to your pet in the treatment room. Secondly, as the pet owner, you are much closer to your pet than a vet will ever be - if a dog or cat has been given a particular injection and has diarrhoea or vomiting the next day, then there may be a connection. Perhaps your pet does not tolerate the medication and should be given a different one. This information is not only important for the treating vet, but also if the same situation occurs again years later. And even if you have to go to a different veterinary practice, for example because there is an emergency, it is very helpful if you can say something about the medical history of the dog or cat, and also to avoid interactions between different medications.

Researching the root cause for allergy treatment instead of long-term/permanent administration of immunosuppressants

Scratching, diarrhoea, ear infections, watery eyes and paw licking can be signs of an allergy in animals. Put simply, an allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to a substance that is actually harmless. There is always a trigger, a so-called allergen. Nowadays, allergies are often too easily treated with medication that suppresses the immune reaction. This is of course very convenient, because if the immune reaction is suppressed, the symptoms also disappear and the problem seems to be solved. However, an immune system that works as effectively as possible is very important for the health of dogs and cats. It would therefore make more sense to look for the cause of the immune reaction, identify the allergen and, if possible, avoid it.

If the dog has a food allergy and is constantly scratching, licking and biting, the therapist should work with the owner to find the trigger. This can be a lengthy process, during which the dog's previous history and, of course, its previous diet are scrutinised in detail . This is followed by a phase of trial and error and observation of small changes to the food. This can be exhausting, but should nevertheless be the preferred approach.

Unfortunately, the more common procedure is for the vet to administer an immunosuppressant. Immunosuppressants are drugs that suppress the excessive reaction of the immune system. The problem with this is that although symptoms such as itching disappear or are suppressed, there is no deep healing. However, the immune system should be strong to protect the body from possible infections and not be suppressed or switched off. So if the immune system reacts with an overreaction in the form of an allergy, the trigger should be found and measures taken to make this reaction unnecessary. Suitable measures can include, for example, a change of food or intestinal rehabilitation (click here for our Guide to intestinal rehabilitation in dogs). Under no circumstances should only symptomatic treatment be used as this could permanently suppress the immune system.

Choose natural products for parasite defence & care

Even when it comes to protecting dogs and cats from parasites, nature offers a variety of ways to do this naturally, without having to resort to chemicals that can be harmful to the body. In our Guide "Natural help for ticks" you can find out more about tick prophylaxis for dogs and cats, while our Guide "Natural feeding for worm infestations in dogs and cats" provides information on the topic of worm prophylaxis. Our Guide "Giardia in dogs" also provides lots of useful information about giardiasis in dogs.

However, natural products should not only be used for parasite prevention, as you can significantly reduce the use of chemicals in everyday care by using natural care products. You can find out more on our page "Grooming - natural hygiene & parasite prevention".

No plastic

You can also influence how often your dog or cat comes into contact with plastic products during the day. Plastic toys, in the worst case filled with a "squeaker", are by no means suitable toys for dogs and cats. It is better to opt for natural toys made of wood, fabric or similar materials. Food and drinking bowls should also not be made of plastic. Ceramic, enamelled or clay pots are much more suitable.

Natural nutrition - the key to a healthy life

Nature relies on diversity and quality ingredients. That's why natural food is the basis for a healthy organism.

Artificial additives are used in industrial/commercial feed to extend the shelf life of a product, stabilise its pH value or consistency, change its colour or make it edible, among other things. Many of these substances are being investigated with regard to their acute toxicity or the triggering of cancer and the influence they can have on the digestive tract, the intestinal mucosa, the intestinal cells and the intestinal bacteria. This influence is now only slowly coming into focus. If a preservative is intended to prevent the spoilage of a product by moulds or bacteria for a long period of time - what can this mean for the intestinal flora? And if an emulsifier ensures that two substances that are actually immiscible, such as oil and water, can be mixed together more easily - what does this mean for the intestinal walls, whose functionality is also based on allowing certain substances to pass through, but not others?

As a matter of principle, we have decided not to add such substances to our Canis Plus® and Felins Plus® foods - so that dogs and cats can build up a healthy and stable digestive system and thus a strong immune system - because health begins in the gut.

The right nutrients are vital for the health of the animal. Genuine, original natural ingredients and the vitamins and minerals they contain offer the best availability for the body. They have made its development, its strong defence system and its performance possible over the last millennia - which is why a species-appropriate dog and cat food contains only natural vitamins and minerals, without any unnecessary, synthetic additives.

With our products, we have deliberately opted for manufacturing processes that protect and preserve the natural ingredients with the food in the best possible way. For example, we use a gentle cold pressing process for our Canis Plus® Cold Pressed Dry Food, and Felins Plus® Cold Pressed Dry Food. Our wet food range of Canis Plus® Complete Meals, Meat Pots, Rolls and Felins Plus® cat meals, are prepared, cold-filled and then cooked in the packaging for as short a time as possible. The herbs, vegetables and fruit that we use are gently air-dried so that all the nutrients are preserved as well as possible. This enables us to ensure that we do not need any synthetic additives for our products.

Having many years of experience with our feed, satisfied customers and healthy, lively animals show us time and again how valuable a natural food is to support long-lasting health.

Each carefully selected ingredient provides nutrients that are naturally present in their unadulterated form. Artificial additives become unnecessary when a combination of high-quality ingredients, carefully processed, provides the power of nature available.