Networking, training cats, uses for acupuncture
Veterinary Alternatives January 2011 Newsletter
Hope you are all keeping warm this winter! Remember cinnamon can be used as a warming ingredient in any diet, including your own. Try hot chocolate with a little cinnamon when your feet are cold—you’ll be amazed!
Business Networking
Just want you all to remember that my business grows by word of mouth. If yours also has potential for growth from that type of referral, you may wish to consider being my guest at one of my weekly networking meetings on Thursday mornings. BNI is a group dedicated to helping its members grow their businesses, and members are held accountable for referrals they pass, so it is more than just a social group. We meet in Cass County, but if you want to join a chapter closer to your home or business we can help hook you up. Contact Dr. Leonard if you wish to learn more.
Also, have you mentioned your pet’s response to holistic therapy to your vet? Do they want to learn more? I am pleased to talk to any veterinary clinic, even giving an in-house seminar on holistic therapies. Ultimately, I would love to have several clinics across the metro bringing me in weekly to treat day-boarded or hospitalized pets. Do you wish your vet was one of them? Feel free to pass on my business card and tell them all about what I’ve done for your pet!
Acupuncture? What’s that for?
I’m sure many of you have mentioned your pet has acupuncture to someone and gotten a rather dumbfounded look in return. You know why your pet gets it, but do you know the many other conditions it can treat? It excels at treating painful conditions like arthritis, hip dysplasia, and joint injuries. It can also be used after surgery to reduce pain and speed healing. Nerve damage caused by spinal injury, disc disease, or degenerative myelopathy may also respond if not too severe. Epilepsy often diminishes in severity with regular treatments. In combination with diet changes, skin allergies or chronic ear infections may respond as well. Kidney or heart function may improve (especially with therapeutic diets in tandem) and digestive disorders may ease their symptoms. Acupuncture works very well to stimulate appetite in cats with liver disease, pets with kidney failure, and those undergoing chemotherapy. Anytime you hear an acquaintance concerned about a pet’s health issues, have them check out Veterinary Alternatives as an option. With acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, herbs, and food therapy there is sure to be something that will help.
Training Tip of the Month
Had a friend recently with problems relating to cats jumping up on the kitchen counters. There can be several solutions to this issue. If you catch the cat in the act, squirting them with a water gun works well. But what if you don’t catch them? You can try putting aversive things on the counter. Double-sided tape can work, but may leave sticky areas on your counter if not removed soon enough. Plastic carpet protector mats (the kind with little teeth underneath) can be trimmed to fit and placed upside-down on the countertop so the little teeth face upward. The most effective technique I have found uses good old-fashioned wooden mousetraps. Set several (no bait) and VERY carefully place them randomly upside-down along the counter. Cover very lightly with a single sheet of newspaper. When the cat jumps up, the paper will move the traps, setting them off with a loud snap and a jump of both the trap and the cat into the air. By using several traps, you may actually have more than one trigger while you are gone. This is very handy as you do not have to be present to scare the cat off the counter. You also need to be sure you don’t leave food on the counter (or dirty dishes in the sink) while you are training the cat—positive reinforcement of “treats” will keep them trying longer than if they don’t get any goodies.
