Is raw fresh raw food safe to feed to your dog or cat? Is it better for me to vaccinate every 3 years rather than annually? What about not vaccinating at all? Is it normal for my dog to have eye discharge?
I’m excited to be here to answer all of your natural and holistic vet care questions! Many of the readers of this magazine have probably already seen the research that living more naturally promotes a longer and happier life. Many of you have even already adopted a holistic lifestyle. Unfortunately though, reliable natural, holistic veterinary information can be hard to find.
Not anymore!
June from Redding wrote: “Our 11 month old lab pup ended up in the ER on Christmas day. We woke early to open presents, and Sam was nowhere to be found. He’s usually the first one up. He didn’t eat his breakfast. He’s always a big chow hound, so we became very worried, and rushed him into the ER. His exam was normal, but the blood test for Lyme was positive. He’s now been on the doxycycline for over a week and is still not back to himself. He’s an important part of our family, but what else can we do?”
Hi June-I’m sorry to hear that Sam is still not well despite the anti-biotic treatment. There are three possible options at this point. First would be to give the doxycycline more time to work. However, my experience with many dogs with acute Lyme dis-ease is that response to treatment is usually pretty rapid. Sometimes even within hours and almost always within the week. Personally, I’d advise either consulting a veterinary specialist for further diagnostic testing and treatment or a veterinary homeopathy expert. Many vet homeopaths have successfully treated patients with similar problems. Although a definitive diagnosis is important, it is not critical for natural healing. My own Lyme diagnosis was only made after the symptoms fully resolved with homeopathic treatment http://bit.ly/1111NCL. The ideal situation would be both pursuing definitive diagnosis while treating homeopathically. You can find a vet specialist at http://bit.ly/1S71BxI and vet homeopath at http://bit.ly/1fSLvtE.
Mike in Madison wonders: “I just rescued a female Pit Bull. She seems very sweet but I’ve heard that she might turn on me or attack other dogs.”
I am so glad to have the chance to weigh in on this common mis-perception Mike. Pits can be fantastic dogs and make fabulous pets. Unfortunately some of these pups are raised and trained badly which can result in a difficult dog. Some are even potentially dangerous. These dogs have been trained this way but even their behavior can often be modified. I’ve worked with many rehabilitated Pit Bulls. They can be adopted from my friends and rescued dog saviors at http://bit.ly/1MPDnDP.
Sonny in Norwalk asks- “My 8-year-old Poodle has horrible breath. My veterinarian said that his teeth are in bad shape. What can I do?”
Sonny-Bad breath can originate both from dental disease or internal imbalance. Since your vet found an oral problem, your best bet is to start there. Prophylactic dental cleaning and “Dragon Breath” can be addressed under general anesthesia by your vet or non-anesthetically by http://bit.ly/dQJUmy or other trained dental vet techs.
Dana in Seymour is worried: “My 14 year old cat has become very picky with his food and is drinking huge amounts of water. What could be wrong?”
Dana there’s lots that can be going on with your older kitty. Diagnosing and treating endocrine disorders like Diabetes Mellitus and hyperthyroidism and metabolic problems like kidney and liver disease should be the first step. Simple blood and urine tests are very effective at helping make these diagnoses. If internal dis-eases have been ruled out or to naturally treat many of these, consult a veterinary homeopath. You can find one at http://bit.ly/1fSLvtE
Please send your questions to dr [email protected]. For many other answers and to join Dr. Jeff’s holistic pet care community at: http://bit.ly/1LCbIGo. More of your questions are answered at: http://bit.ly/GXmLYA.
Dr. Jeff is a University of Pennsylvania 1981 molecular biology and 1985 school of vet med graduate. In 1982 he was chosen to be a University Scholar. This allowed him to choose any of the university’s graduate or medical schools. Being a lifelong animal lover, he chose to become the first veterinary University Scholar. By 2000 he became the first certified veterinary homeopath (CVH) in Connecticut. He is a past Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy (AVH) president and is the current president of the non-profit AVH Foundation. Dr Jeff’s clinical practice currently focuses on both prevention and treatment of serious diseases in dogs and cats. Dr. Jeff can be reached at: dr [email protected]