Dear Lisa: We recently had knee surgery performed on our six-year-old beagle bitch because of her relatively young age and mania for activity. The surgery went very well, although she is going to have problems with arthritis. I’m thinking of taking her to a holistic vet for treatment. Do you know anything about them or can you recommend a holistic vet in the area? – Naturally Healing Hound

Dear Healing Hound: Many dog owners who themselves subscribe to a more natural approach to health care and preventive medicine are looking to veterinarians to supply that same principle to their pets.

According to the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association website, “Holistic medicine, by its very nature, is humane to the core. The wholeness of its scope will set up a lifestyle for the animal that is most appropriate. The techniques used in holistic medicine are gentle, minimally invasive, and incorporate patient well-being and stress reduction. Holistic thinking is centered on love, empathy and respect. This mixture of healing arts and skills is as natural as life itself. At the core of this issue lies the very essence of the word “(w)holistic”. It means taking in the whole picture of the patient – the environment, the disease pattern, the relationship of pet with owner – and developing a treatment protocol using a wide range of therapies for healing the patient.”

In The Nature of Animal Healing, by Martin Goldstein D.V.M. (1999, Ballantine) Goldstein, a holistic veterinarian and pioneer in animal nutrition using blood tests to analyze nutritional imbalances, offers the “definitive holistic medicine guide” to caring for your dog. In the book he discusses the various treatment methods he employs including bio nutritional analysis, using glandulars, vitamins, enzymes, acupuncture, chiropractic, cryosurgery (freezing cancer tumors for instance), homeopathy and herbal remedies.

According to Goldstein in his book, he makes a good point about the difference between a “holistic” vet and a “homeopathic” vet. One common mistake is when the two terms are used interchangeably when they should not be. A holistic veterinarian, he says, “employees an array of therapies to keep an animal wholly healthy in body and spirit. Homeopathy is one of those therapies. There are homeopathic veterinarians who feel that health is best maintained with homeopathic remedies, usually unaccompanied by other approaches except in dire circumstances.” Goldstein continues that homeopaths usually treat patients with a single remedy and wait to see if that worked before progressing to other remedies. He believes that many therapies should be employed when treating a sick animal and that sometimes a patient may be too ill to wait and see if that remedy worked.

Many holistic vets also use conventional methods to treat patients in conjunction with alternative treatments. It is best to ask the vet what their methodology is regarding treatments.

 In this month’s (May 2003) issue of The Whole Dog Journal they have a wonderful article “Mysterious Medicine” which details some of the conventional and unconventional methods holistic vets use to treat their patients. WDJ takes a very natural approach to dog care and training and routinely has holistic methods highlighted in articles. They also offer a resource section at the end of the publication which this month includes holistic vets and alternative diagnosis as well as books. The WDJ does not accept advertising and therefore can offer a more objective voice on what they report. For more information contact their Customer Service Department at 800-424-7887 to purchase the May 2003 issue or to subscribe. 

If you go to the AHVMA website at www.ahvma.org and use their locator function you will find several holistic veterinarians in Connecticut including some nearby in Weston, Westport and Fairfield and others in neighboring Westchester County in New York State. Seeking the best medical care for your pet should be a top priority and if you can find a veterinarian that also subscribes to the same ideology you have about health all the better for your pet and your peace of mind.

Lisa Peterson is a breeder and exhibitor of Norwegian Elkhounds and a Delegate to the American Kennel Club. Ask Lisa questions at elvemel@aol.com or P.O. Box 197, Newtown, CT 06470.