http://www.yourdog.co.uk 47ABOUT ANNA
Dog and cat lover
Anna Webb is the
co-presenter of
BBC London’s
‘The Barking Hour’.
She lives in London
with English Toy Terrier
Dexter, Miniature Bull
Terrier Prudence,
and cat Gremlin.
Find out more at
http://www.annawebb.co.ukBroadcaster, author, and trainer Anna Webb
describes how she became committed to
a holistic lifestyle for herself and her pets.
“Using diet
to feed and
nourish for
optimum
health is
not a new
concept. ”
Natural balance
M
y late Miniature Bull Terrier, Molly, inspired
me to learn more about holistic health.
Aged only eight years, Molly became ill
with an undiagnosable condition. Despite endless
tests and drugs, it couldn’t be labelled, and so
I eagerly accepted a referral to Richard Allport
(BVet Med, Vet MFHom MRCVS), at the Natural
Medicine Centre in Hertfordshire.
I discovered that the holistic approach to health
regards every dog as an individual and approaches
medicine in a completely diff erent way, treating
the cause, not just the symptoms of the problem.
Combining diff erent modalities like herbs and
homeopathy, acupuncture and traditional Chinese
medicine, was all new to me, but I was fascinated.
Two years later, I started studying natural
nutrition and therapies with the College of
Integrated Veterinary Therapies (CIVT ) to delve
deeper and learn more, simply so I could help
Molly. It worked — she stayed in great health
until she was 13 — and it’s a path I’ll continue to
follow in the health-care of my current Bull Terrier
Prudence, English Toy Terrier Dexter, and my street
cat Gremlin.
Holistically, the aim is to stimulate energy at
a cellular level for optimum health, while
minimising the negative eff ects of environmental
stressors, which are ubiquitous in our modern
world. Air pollution, overly processed foods,
over-medication, and sedentary lifestyles, all
impact negatively on us and our dogs.
Focusing on this holistic inter-relationship, my
studies centred on the three pillars of health: one
pillar is nutrition; another is the immune system;
and the third is the physical frame. If one pillar
begins to crumble, it has a negative impact on the
other two.
Using diet to feed and nourish for
optimum health is not a new concept.
Hippocrates famously said in 600BC: “Let
medicine be thy food, and let food be
thy medicine.”
I’ve always believed in the adage ‘you
are what you eat’. If Hippocrates was
right and food can be a medicine, it
makes sense to eat foods that have
a positive ‘anti-infl ammatory’, rather than
a negative ‘infl ammatory’, eff ect.We need food to give us energy; we need food to
nourish our cellular system; and we also need food
to help with anti-ageing.
According to the PDSA, a third of Britain’s dogs are
clinically obese. Mirroring the human condition, as
dogs get plumper there’s been a rise in fat-related
conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.
Being overweight impacts negatively on the
physical pillar. Being overweight limits a dog’s ability
to exercise, by putting extra pressure on the joints,
heart, and lungs.
Obesity and a proliferation of fat cells also increase
a dog’s propensity to suff er from infl ammation in the
joints or osteoarthritis.
Without a healthy, proactive immune system,
we’re prone to infection and an inability to fi ght
disease and long-term infl ammation in the cells.
Over time the eff ects of stressors like a poor diet,
exposure to air pollution, fertilisers, insecticides,
and over-medication can impact on the immune
system’s integrity. It can become confused and
begin to fi ght its own cells, creating infl ammation
and autoimmune conditions.
Dexter was born with a degenerative bone
condition called Legg Calve Perthes disease. He only
has one hip, and benefi ts from regular acupuncture,
phototherapy, and physiotherapy. Both Prudence
and Dexter enjoy a balanced, raw, complete diet,
which goes towards balancing any environmental
stressors. They also benefi t from homeopathy and
strategic supplements.Anna and her Mini Bull Molly, who inspired
her to take a closer look at holistic health.Anna with current Mini Bull Terrier
Prudence and English Toy Terrier Dexter.47 YD Holistic CS(SW)OK.indd 47 26/03/2019 09:18