Chiropractic Seminar Sept 11 and Holistic Care for Skin

Price Increase for House Calls: We’ll just get the bad news out of the way. A few of you are still receiving house calls. It has occurred to me that keeping my original pricing for house calls doesn’t make sense when I make less money coming to your house than I do when you come to the clinic, even though it takes me 3-4 times longer to do so plus puts mileage on my aging car. I’m giving plenty of notice, as of January 1, 2015, all pricing for services will be the same as those services at the clinic, PLUS a mileage charge. The mileage charges will remain the same as currently, at $10/20 miles or less, $20/20-30 miles, and $30/30+ miles. For many of you, this will only mean a $10-20 increase. However, one thing that will change is those of you with multiple pets. A second pet treated on the same visit will now cost the same as the first instead of only $25. I hope you will continue to use my services, realizing the convenience of a home visit is worth a little extra. If you prefer to save the money, you are always welcome to come see us at the clinic! Thanks for being understanding.

Chiropractic Seminar: Our next free seminar at the clinic is Thursday, September 11 at 7 p.m. in our multi-purpose room. It is titled “Animal Chiropractic—NOT for the Spineless” and will address the science and theory behind chiropractic and chiropractic subluxation complexes. If you are curious about how chiropractic works, or if you or someone you know is skeptical about chiropractic, now is your chance to learn more! You can let us know you’re coming at 816-331-1868, and feel free to bring friends! The seminar will include a demonstration of a complete chiropractic examination, discussion of some cases, and information on the benefits of regular chiropractic care for cats and dogs alike.

Holistic Approach to Skin Disorders: Here at Whole Health Pet Center we’ve been seeing a lot of itchy and irritated skin lately. Ears, feet, bellies—you name it, dogs are chewing and scratching at it. This is common in late summer and is often at least partially triggered by grass allergies. We can also see it in dogs exposed to lawn treatment chemicals. I thought it would be helpful to discuss some of the holistic approaches to skin irritation that we recommend here.

First, we like to treat the skin from the inside out. What your pet eats can have a strong effect, good or bad, on the health of their skin. Whole-ingredient meat-based diets is our first recommendation. Many pets benefit from cooling-energy types of protein as the base, and often canned or raw foods will improve the condition faster than kibble due to the heat added to kibble in the processing. However, changing the diet after the skin starts to be inflamed is too little, too late. If your dog has summer skin issues, consider a cooling diet change by mid-May at the latest as it can take up to two months for the diet’s effect on the body’s energy to occur. You can schedule an exam and nutritional consult at the clinic to learn more.

Second, various supplements can be very beneficial. Usually, we start with some sort of Omega-3 fatty acid supplement, either flax seed, fish oil, or both. Omega-3 supplements have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Coconut oil added to the diet can also help skin health. Some dogs also benefit from egg in the diet due to its actions as a blood and qi tonic. Quercetin has some anti-histamine properties and can be found in foods such as tomatoes, asparagus, and kale.

Third, cold laser can be used to treat inflamed areas, especially the ears and hot spots induced by excessive licking.  The specific red light wavelengths stimulate healing, reduce inflammation and itching, and can be anti-bacterial.  Acupuncture can also benefit some pets, though often it is not a complete solution to the problem.

Fourth, shampooing with a gentle, natural shampoo containing such ingredients as aloe or oatmeal can soothe irritated skin.  Some pets may need 2-4 baths weekly at first.

Fifth, we recommend wiping your pet’s face, paws, and belly with a damp cloth or all-natural baby wipe every time they come indoors to reduce pollen exposure.

Finally, when necessary, we can use steroids and/or anti-histamines in the short term to help your pet be comfortable until the more natural therapies have a chance to work.  While we are not crazy about the steroids in particular, sometimes your pet is desperate for relief and most holistic approaches need time to work. 

Obviously, the best approach to skin inflammation is a preventive one.  If your pet or one belonging to someone you know has a history of this type of problem, start NOW to relieve it and get the diet adjusted and maybe this can be the LAST summer the pet will suffer from it. 

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