Wild Health
Dr. Royal's treatment philosophy integrates Western medicine with complementary modalities to better treat an animal.
Wild Health is a balanced state of well-being, both physical and visceral that is achieved by recognizing and satisfying every animal’s basic needs based on their evolutionary history and genetic adaptations. It is imperative to understand the relevance of your pet’s
essentially wild nature to attain optimal health.
Wild health is a sensible, yet often overlooked concept. An animal that is wildly healthy is in a balanced state of physical and visceral well-being. This can only happen if basic species-specific needs are met. Basic needs are founded on ancestral adaptations that
worked to create successful species. No matter what size or shape an animal is bred into, their core physiology is inextricably linked to their original ancestry.
Many traits of our pets are remarkably similar to their counterparts in the wild. Did you know there are more similarities than you might expect between your pouncing house cat and a stalking Bengal tiger? Between your mischevous peekapoo and a wily fox? It’s okay to call your Pomeranian Mr. Grumpy and dress him in a sailor suit (if you must), but his health depends on your awareness of his true nature.
The essential concepts of wild health are relevant to your pet and are easy for you to learn.
The aspects of Wild health are:
- Species specific behaviours
- Conducive habitats and comfort levels.
- Terrain variability, weather
- Inter- and intra-species reactions
- Hierarchical templates within species
- Ambulatory patterns in the wild
- Indigenous nutritional requirements
- Physiologically specific nutrient dense foods,
- Physiological adaptations for survival based on nutritional and reproductive needs
- How seasonal and cyclical changes impact the animal
- Survival skills
- Healing instincts
- Basic emotional and developmental needs (adrenal)
- How the physiological structure/skeletal/otherwise affects the timing and pace within the animal
- Environmental elements and interactions
- The overwhelming elemental nature of that being
Keep in mind, an animal will always be trying to approximate its DNA heritage. Even without the necessary tools it will make do, but not always with the best long term effect or health outcome. The more we know about the expectations that an animal has, the better we can maximize their needs.
The interesting thing about an animal being in a balanced state of wild health, is that this animal will be more adaptable to circumstances that tend to be “unatural” for it. In other words, your wildly healthy animal will “fit” into your non-animal world more effortlessly and with less problems than a less wildly healthy animal.
