Testimonials to Read

After being told by two different veterinarians that the only option for treating my 11 yr old pitty’s arthritic hips was a daily regimen of prescription pain medication that would eventually wear our his internal organs, I was devastated. It seems like a catch 22…would I rather he be in pain and die of organ failure but give him some pain relief or would I rather watch his quality of life diminish because he couldn’t physically do the things his pitty heart so desperately wants to do? NEITHER! My mother told me about Dr Sandi and I decided to give her a try. If we could improve and manage his arthritis without having to rely on pain meds I was willing to give it a try. When we went into our appointment, I had a geriatric arthritic old pitty boy. And after she adjusted him, I left with a puppy full of energy and most importantly he was pain free!! When he got off her table it was like he’d come to life and I just cried because it’d been so long since Id seen my happy, goofy, energetic boy. Through supplements and other remedies, we’re managing his pain and have been able to reduce the need for his prescription pain meds. I am sold. THANK YOU DR SANDI!!

J.V.

Just wanted to let you know that the little Papillon you treated yesterday
for a misaligned rib, stepped right out and qualified in his Novice
Standard run at the NADAC trial today.  He qualified, made time, had
no points subtracted and got first place.

I really appreciate knowing that he had a misaligned rib that was
interfering with both shoulder and neck.  That sounds a lot more
hopeful as far as future prevention, than a bone spur pinching a
nerve.  I’ll certainly look for you at the Lawrence NADAC trial in
late spring so that you can check him to make sure all is working as
it should. And if he should have any more problems, I’ll get him into
your Raymore clinic ASAP!

One thing I didn’t get to tell you, was that in the year after he
became a member of my pet family, he was limping and diagnosed with a
“soft tissue injury” that took many weeks to heal.  From your comment
on “soft tissue injury” diagnoses, I now wonder whether he had some
misalignment then. It’s so good to know that there is help for that
and that it doesn’t have to keep the little guy in pain for weeks!

Thank you!

-C*******-

Our Gypsy Rose who is a beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog girl injured her left rear leg.  After taking her to a vet that recommended surgery feeling she had a torn cruciate, I took her to Dr. Leonard, knowing that Dr. Leonard is a more natural holistic veterinarian and well qualified in the structure of dogs.  She felt our Gypsy Rose did not have a torn cruciate but rather stretched and has treated her with cold laser therapy and recommended the New Zealand Deer Antler Velvet to stimulate growth cells in the injured area rather than surgery.  After reading about cruciate surgery, I’m so thankful we took Gypsy Rose to Dr. Sandi Leonard for treatment. Gypsy Rose will soon complete her 5th month of the supplement and plan on a 6 month treatment.  We are so looking forward to our Gypsy’s complete recovery!

We made an appointment out of desperation with our dog, Gus. He was diagnosed with enviromental allergies, never tested for food. We followed the “allergist” vet’s advice and gave him weekly shots. Gus got to the point he absolutely hated the shot, even with a very special treat! We had him on the shots for 5-6mo’s when it seemed more harm than good. Gus was lethargic, hair in shot area between shoulder blades into fatty area became brittle and falling out, he really lost most of his hair all over. I laid with him & held him crying on more than one occasion. He was sooo miserable. Got Dr Sandi’s info and took Gus to see her. She assessed him, discussed her thoughts on the issues and treatment. Did treatment, changed his food and added some missing nutrients in his diet. It’s been almost a year and he is 98% improved. He still has itching problems but not nearly as severe, and we only had him in for the one treatment. Waiting for new cllinic to open and will take Gus in… we live north of the river but feel it’s all worth the drive. Thank you to Dr Sandi for saving “us”…

Gus, Jackie & Lew Kyle Hendricks

“I cannot say enough about Dr. Leonard and her knowledge about animals, her level of professionalism, and the heart and soul she pours into her practice. At her core, she is a pragmatist; she just won’t try to sell you a product or plan for your pet’s care unless she is confident that it is the best thing for them. For them. If she doesn’t think she can help your pet, she’ll likely tell you! However, all pets will adore her calm graceful presence, and would benefit from a visit or two (or three!) from Sandra, no matter what the ailment. An alternative, holistic vet, chiropractor, expert in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, who makes (gulp) reasonable house calls? Solid gold.”

Hi Doc Sandi!!  I’m so glad my sister called you!!!  I’ve told her many times about your work, and I will continue to give your name out to as many people as possible.  Your work has made me such a believer in acupuncture for animals.  We need as many people as possible to know there are non-invasive, natural methods for treating some of the health issues our pets experience.  Words cannot describe the respect I have for you — for your willingness to step out there and learn this ancient skill, then offer these, and other, holistic alternatives to pet owners.  Along with treating our pets, you educate us about lifestyle changes for them, that continue to help in their progress between treatments.  Your knowledge and skill has had such a positive and tremendous effect in the lives of my dogs, and also me as a dog owner.  All the thanks goes to you, Dr. Sandi!!!!!

Teri S.

Dr. Leonard: I wanted to follow up with you on progress and with further questions… Firstly, the dog’s coats are exceptionally shiny, and their teeth are getting cleaner and whiter by the day! I have only been feeding them raw meaty bones once a week (except for Rafi, who gets a whole raw chicken on the weekends, so she gets two or three servings). They both are happy with their diets and go nuts when I pull the bin out of the refrigerator when it’s feeding time! I have only been feeding them the beef/mackerel neutral diet (so far) for financial reasons, but I intend on moving into the other diets when my pocketbook allows! I figure, regardless, feeding them the cheaper of the four diets is still better on a daily basis than feeding them kibble. Thanks again for your assistance!

Allison

Dear Dr. Sandi,

Just wanted to drop you a note and say first what a pleasure it was to meet you and how much we appreciate you spending so much time with us discussing our four-legged family members. With all the thunderstorm activity recently, we have had several occasions to try using the NutriCalm to help Mac and have had very good results so far. We have even been able to get him outside when there is thunder and lightening around and get him to go for a walk and get his “business” taken care of while under the influence of the Nutricalm (no such luck without it, though). We are hopeful that over time, with the help of this product and some training, he will eventually get to the point where he can at least function during these events that cause him so much fear. And we are optimistic that the 4th of July will be less stressful for all of us this year.

Thanks again,

Lela, Tim, and McGregor

After spending 3 years training my rescued German Shepherd, it was time for a HUGE celebration when he passed his public access test. Neither his trainer nor I was really sure Lucas would ever get over all his issues, but he became a rock-solid mobility dog for me. He went everywhere with me and made friends wherever we went. His primary tasks were retrieving, bracing and using a mobility harness so I didn’t have to use my crutches all the time. He did them well! It was puzzling a few short years later when he seemed to stumble over nothing or suddenly sit down. I had had his hips x-rayed early on and knew they were sound, but the news was as devastating – degenerative spinal myelopathy.  DSM is a degeneration of the spinal cord comparable to Multiple Sclerosis in people. Internet research didn’t offer much encouragement saying most dogs are euthanized one to three years after diagnosis because of paralysis in the hindquarters. I was comforted by the fact that in 3 years, Lucas would be 11, elderly for a shepherd; we were going to aim for that. My regular vet admitted he had nothing to offer as far as treatment options, so increasing instability in the hindquarters and fecal incontinence was in his future. Not encouraging for a service dog. I did more research and came across one mention of the use of acupuncture to stimulate the nerves in hope of helping spinal cord injury. Would that help Lucas? I happened to know Dr. Sandi Leonard, a veterinarian, through my work with wildlife at the Lakeside Nature Center. I remembered seeing her van with a sign that mentioned acupuncture. I called her immediately and she agreed to meet with us. Sandi told me from the beginning she wasn’t sure if it would help, but she had a greyhound with a similar condition who had done well for 6 years with treatments. She was willing to give Lucas treatments to try to stave off the effects of this condition although it would not cure or stop it. I was worried about using my dog as a pincushion, but was amazed when Lucas fell asleep during his first treatment in July of 2006. Sandi started his treatments at once a week and then increased the time between them as he showed some improvement. She also suggested the supplement Missing Link, which was high in Omega 3 fatty acids and glucosamine for anti-inflammatories and aid in joint movement. She suggested I get vitamins containing Vitamin B, zinc, selenium and kelp not available in commercial dog food, but thought to be beneficial for nerve function. I stopped using his mobility harness right away to prevent any strain on his back. He continued retrieving, carrying a light backpack and helping around the house, putting out the trash and emptying the clothes dryer. He thrived on working and learning new things. Sandi also said a major factor for keeping him walking was exercise. I immediately started walking him around the neighborhood using my power chair. After a few weeks of treatment, he actually was more stable and we scheduled him every 2 weeks, then every 3 weeks and then monthly. She added mild electrical stimulation also, similar to a TENS unit, but attached directly to the acupuncture needles to increase their effects. We kept up this routine and Lucas was able to work for about 2 years, but then began bouts of fecal incontinence. I had to be extremely careful about taking him in public then, but successfully avoided any accidents. The last year his incontinence and instability increased, but very slowly. A bit of arthritis in his shoulder was quickly soothed with acupuncture and he could still work around the house. Around the new year, 2009, Sandi made a pronouncement that I already knew – “we are losing ground.” Again we increased treatments and he did well except on his nemesis – tile floors. He took a couple of bad falls, but immediately got up and moved on in true stoic German Shepherd fashion. I had to rest him during his walks as his hind legs would just stop working after about 20 minutes. Because we lived in the Midwest, winters can be brutal so in the really cold, snowy and icy weather, so he learned to walk on the treadmill if we couldn’t get outside. During the time his condition started deteriorating, he fell on the treadmill and refused to get on it ever again. Lucas continued to walk with increasing difficulty and was unable to work in public. My elderly mother is home most of the time and he became very attentive to her, even retrieving items she dropped. On June 30th, Lucas fell and was unable to rise even with help. My neighbor helped me get him to the car and because I had promised him I would always take care of him, he died in my arms and amid my tears that day. While it is impossible to tell if the acupuncture prolonged his ability to work, he did remain fairly stable for the first 2 years instead of showing the more typical steady decline of dogs with DSM. This disease is always progressive, removing the myelin sheath, which insulates the nerves and keeps them firing. Once enough of the sheath is gone, the nerves can no longer function. Sandi believes the acupuncture acted like physical therapy for the nerves’ electrical function, keeping their efficiency up even as their insulation disappeared. However, once enough of the sheath was gone, even the acupuncture was no longer effective. I also believe that acupuncture helped him stay active longer. He continued to walk 3 years and 3 months after diagnosis and continued to retrieve the newspaper from the driveway and close the dishwasher for me the day before his collapse. He was a working dog up to the end, just like he wanted.

I had been referred to Dr. Leonard shortly after adopting a 7 month old golden retriever. She had skin allergies and we could not figure it out with just elimination of foods. This “hyper’ puppy responded very well to her visit, her touch and the acupuncture. In addition, her allergies lessened. Each time Dr. Leonard would visit, this pup was very happy to see her. On her own, she would lay down and get relaxed and wait for the acupuncture treatment. I knew the treatments were working in just a short period of time. It was a plus to have her calmer also.

Audrey Hollander

Our dog, Fawn, began experiencing neck pain and was diagnosed with a bulging cervical disc. Steroids were given with some success but the best response we saw was from her acupuncture treatments with Dr. Leonard. She was the old Fawn for a while! Unfortunately, she also began experiencing seizures at the same time. While the acupuncture helped her appetite during this period, her symptoms were so severe and progressed so fast, we knew that it was probably a brain tumor or brain lesion of some sort. Due to her age, aggressive treatment was ruled out. Dr. Leonard discussed with us the fact that acupuncture might not help with this type of seizure but we continued treatments hoping that acupuncture and massage and just closeness and quiet during the treatment would give Fawn some relief. Which we sincerely believe that it did! We heartily endorse Dr. Leonard as a kind, caring person who has only the desire to give animals and their companion families comfort and ease of distress. We believe that alternative veterinary practices such as acupuncture are a valuable tool to aide in the healing process of your pets and would recommend to anyone that it is worth pursuing!

Emily and Piper Wrigley

When my best friend, a boxer, Jackson Davis from Richmond, VA, developed cancer behind his left ear, conventional  vets wanted to do radical surgery and chemo. After hearing all their facts and considering the PAIN that Jackson would go through, I contacted my niece, a vet in WV and she recommended I locate an alternative vet. I Googled alternative vets and decided on Dr. Sandi and her acupuncture treatments. We were both in hopes that acupuncture would slow the cancer down. Dr. Sandi did major research on herbs to use in hopes of helping. Jackson absolutely adored the treatments. He would run to the window when he heard her car, almost knock her down at the door when she came in, and was in her lap (he was 75 lbs) when she sat on the floor to count the needles to put in him. HE COULD NOT AND WOULD NOT WAIT for his treatment. He felt so much better after his treatments. Even though we did not get the results we wanted, I made the right choice and would not HESITATE to use Dr. Sandi on my remaining dogs. I recommend her to other pets owners.

D. Farley

My greyhound was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy at the age of 10.  She was having difficulty walking and getting up and down steps.  After about 3 acupuncture treatments she was visibly improved.  She eventually only needed a treatment about every 3 months, whenever she started having difficulties again.  The treatments worked for 3 years until her degeneration had progressed too far.  Acupuncture gave my dog another 3 years of mobility that she might not have had otherwise.

S. Leonard
Whole Health Pet Center
18011 E St. Rte 58
Raymore, MO 64083
816-331-1868

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