Holistic Pet Services

Holistic veterinary medicine carefully approaches treating animals by limiting harmful side effects that can be caused by conventional medications. It is used for both diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic conditions.

However, where it often offers hope when there are limited conventional options is in the treatment of chronic disease. Instead of attempting to suppress isolated symptoms, holistic veterinarians attempt to heal underlying imbalances and stimulate the animal's own healing systems with safe techniques, such as

Igor, the rescued Russian tortoise

acupuncture,
gold bead therapy,
chiropractic,
herbal medicine,
diet & nutrition and
homeopathy.

The symptoms often subside or disappear forever because the cause for symptoms has been treated.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a system of points and connecting energy train tracks called 'meridians' organized by the Chinese. Disease arises from a problem in the flow of energy, known as 'qi' which stops flowing along the track or meridian. Using acupressure, acupuncture needles, moxibustion, acupuncture, gold bead implantation or electro-acupuncture, energy and blood flow are manipulated.

In 1996, the AVMA declared that acupuncture "should be an integral part of veterinary medicine." Acupuncture is a well-documented method to controlling pain by releasing neurotransmitters and hormones, and affects gastric motility, liver, and kidney function.

Romeo

Romeo is an elderly cat
but you would never know it!

Romeo is an elderly cat but you would never know it! He's been treated for six years for severe stomatitis (gum and mouth ulcers) and more recently kidney "failure" with subcutaneous fluids and twice a month acupuncture and vitamin injections. He is as feisty as ever, although we worry about the coming of the winter when most kidney disease tends to worsen.

Gold Bead Therapy

Gold bead implants permanently stimulate the acupuncture sites for diseases such as, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, and other spinal diseases. Gold bead implantation can be effective for many severe, otherwise degenerative conditions, such as wobblers disease, degenerative myelopathy, severe spondylosis or "back arthritis", hip dysplasia, elbow or knee arthritis, and epilepsy. The veterinarian implants the beads into specific acupuncture points, which vary depending on the medical condition and the individual energetics of the animal. They offer a safe, drug-free, and effective way to help patients. Read more...

Tucker

Tucker is 8 yo Bassett
hound with back problems

Tucker is an eight year-old Bassett hound with back problems that had not improved with several weeks of conventional medications. He dragged his right hind leg when we first started with holistic treatments. Three treatments of electroacupuncture and his will of steel got him walking again and he continues to stay healthy with very infrequent acupuncture and chiropractic tune-ups and with a homemade diet and plenty of exercise.

Chiropractic

Musculo-skeletal manipulations have been done for thousands of years in many countries, and the techniques are being continuously refined. According to the principles of chiropractic, disease can be caused from the nervous system working incorrectly. Usually the primary symptoms with chiropractic problems include pain, abnormalities in gait or uneven gait, or a visibly crooked back.

Severe neck pain often does not respond to acupuncture but can be eliminated with chiropractic. Spinal nerves exiting the spinal cord form spaces in between each vertebra, and then feed into all organs of the body. When the nerve impulses are disrupted, there can be sometimes organ dysfunction, even digestive disturbances, caused from chiropractic disease.

A chiropractor restores normal range of motion and releases pressure from pinched nerves, surrounding ligaments and musculature. These adjustments should not hurt animals, and in fact most animals find great comfort in the relief of pain. There are ways to restore normal vertebra position without using a controlled thrust or typical "adjustment" and some animals benefit by using gentle massage techniques which restore normal spinal health.

Henry

Two days after the bead surgery,
he jumped his fence

This is Henry. He would have had a tough time with conventional surgery to help his hips. So instead, he gets acupuncture, chiropractic and now gold bead implants which have gotten him off Rimadyl. We are very happy about his progress, as he is moving more easily and very active. Two days after the bead surgery, he jumped his fence (a task never before possible!) so he was grounded afterwards.

Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine is a very effective way to treat animals and can often correct underlying imbalances while keeping internal organs healthy. Herbal prescriptions make up fifty percent of the medicine prescribed by German physicians and is widely becoming incorporated into mainstream medical schools.

A skilled herbalist knows how to match the energetics of the patient with the energetics of the herb. For example, it is wise to use a cooling herb such as goldenseal root on a heated inflammation or infection such as the viral fever, but it would not be a good choice for chronic cold conditions. Western herbalists are usually trained in medicinal plants native to the Americas, but not Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs native to China and India, respectively.

Otis

Otis is a 1½ yo
English bulldog with
severe dermatis on his
head, chin and neck.

Otis is a 1½ year old English bulldog with severe dermatis on his head, chin and neck. We are using NAET to clear his allergies and although it takes several weeks, Otis is improving a lot.

In Chinese medicine, the Gall Bladder meridian has too much heat as it courses the head. If his allergies and Gall Bladder heat went uncontrolled, later in life he might develope seizures, so we are happy he is better.

Otis is a very sweet boy!

Diet and Nutrition

A vast array of diseases can be successfully treated with diet changes alone. Constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, inflammatory bowel disease all can be resolved when underlying constitutional imbalances are addressed.

Foods, like herbs, have energetic properties that heal. I use a variety of proteins, carbohydrates and vegetables for dogs and cats. Raw foods are emphasized but are sometimes too rich for older animals. Vitamin Supplements are very helpful to prevent disease and provide the body with antioxidants to "clean up " toxic cellular debris.

Madeline

15 yo Madeline gets
a new lease on life

Madeline is a 15 year old lab whose monthly chiropractic adjustments on her shoulders and back keep her from limping. She also gets acupuncture to help the energy flow and vitamin injections. Her back was very croooked and she was very weak on the back legs. Now the treatments, diet, vitamins and swim therapy have given her a new lease on life!

Homeopathy

Developed by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann in Germany in the early 1800's, homeopathy is based on the premise that 'like cures like.' It heals the vital force of the body by nudging the immune system towards homeostasis. Substances that in large amounts may cause a symptom, in dilute, potentized amounts may cure specific energetic imbalances.

The more dilute the substance, the stronger it becomes, since at each dilution there are agitations, or sucussions, which transfer energy (by friction) between the vehicle (water, lactose, alcohol) and the original substance. It is a gentle, safe and effective method of removing illness. Homeopathic medicines are called remedies. Examples include arnica 30c, nux vomica 30c.