Friday, Aug. 2nd 2013

Services and skin inflammation

Veterinary Alternatives July/August 2013 Newsletter

Hi again! Been a very busy summer, but things are winding down.  Accompanied my boys on a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota with their Scout troop, and then spent a week at a music conference in Wisconsin.   Now I’m back and ready to buckle down trying to get this practice rolling!  Have officially begun the process trying to get a loan, we’ll see how that goes.

Services: I thought it was time for a quick summary again of my current services so you can help prospective clients understand how I can help their pets.  Most of my business comes from current and past clients like you, so thank you in advance for telling your friends and co-workers about how I focus on life-long wellness for pets.

Chiropractic—just as for you, regular chiropractic care for pets helps keep their nervous system healthy and working properly.  This in turn not only reduces pain and keeps the pet moving more comfortably but also helps keep organ and immune function in top shape.  This is good for EVERY pet.

Acupuncture—used more often to treat specific problems; acupuncture is great for relieving pain, stimulating organ function, improving appetite in sick animals, and helping improve nerve function.  Think of this for dachshunds with back pain or paralysis, degeneration of the spinal cord in German Shepherds, post-surgical patients, animals with arthritis or chronic organ problems (kidney or heart failure, for example), and pets with immune system disorders.

Food Therapy—this therapy uses food as medicine.  I can evaluate a current diet to see if it is appropriate given the pet’s constitution and health history.  I can help customize a diet, plan weight loss, suggest foods to be used as tonics, or even come up with recipes specific to a pet for a home-cooked diet.  I find that improving nutrition can have dramatic effects on a pet’s health, possibly more so than any other therapy.

Cold laser—this new tool has multiple uses.  Application of laser light can reduce pain, edema and swelling.  It can speed healing of surgical repairs, sprains, fractures, or wounds.  It can reduce inflammation in cases of chronic ear infections, bladder inflammation, and arthritis.  Multi-purpose, and I can speak from personal experience that it works!  Completely non-invasive as well.

Nutraceuticals—I carry the RX Vitamins line of supplements which can be used for a number of different health problems to aid in reducing symptoms or speeding healing.  Some examples include Nutricalm for anxiety or phobias, Ultra EFA for Omega fatty acid supplementation to aid in reducing inflammation and itching, and Canine Minerals as a food additive for home-prepared diets.  I also carry Missing Link Plus, a popular flax seed multi-nutrient supplement with 1000 mg of glucosamine per tablespoon.

Herbs and homeopathy—while these are totally different therapies, I lump them together here as I use them in only selected cases.  These are not a major focus for my practice, but are additional tools I can use in combination with the others above to promote patient health and wellness.

Behavior—My extensive experience and additional study in animal behavior allows me to offer suggestions for behavior modification when I feel that would be appropriate to improve quality of life and the human-animal bond in a family.

I hope the above summary helps all of you understand better what I try to do so you can help my business grow!  Remember, a pet may be “not sick” but still not healthy.  My goal is healthy.

Skin Inflammation: Many pet owners are reporting flare-ups of itching, hot spots, and skin allergies this summer.  The heat and humidity are really doing a number on doggie skin!  While these problems can be frustrating, it is possible to get them under control without heavy reliance on steroids or anti-histamines.  But you have to do it from the inside out.  First, a gradual change to a cooling diet helps many pets.  Chicken, lamb, and corn are all very warming ingredients.  Look instead for a diet based on turkey, fish, or duck.  Beef is neutral and can have a cooling effect in pets with mild symptoms.  Adding Omega-3 fatty acids to the diet in the form of ground flax seed, fish oil, or both then add an additional anti-inflammatory effect.  These nutrients have a buffering effect on the body, helping to reduce production of chemicals in the body that contribute to inflammation and allergies.   If needed, all-natural oatmeal shampoo can be soothing, or a cooling combination of Chinese herbs may be used in a leave-on rinse after a bath.  If skin is merely dry and flaky, simple addition of egg to the diet may help, but you should consult a vet to make sure it is appropriate for your pet and to determine the correct amount. I could suggest one… 😉  Egg is a blood and qi tonic, increas


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18011 E St. Rte 58
Raymore, MO 64083
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