Practice updates, breed problems, and case report

December 2013 and January 2014 Veterinary Alternatives newsletter

Practice Updates:  Well, I’m still plugging along trying to get a building and land and open this practice.  Many options have been explored, working on the latest right now.  Still hopeful that 2014 will be the year Whole Health Pet Center becomes a reality.  If you are on Facebook and haven’t yet “liked” my Veterinary Alternatives page I encourage you to do so as that is where updates on the practice will be most current.  I may send emails for very important updates like the Grand Opening, but I prefer not to deluge you all with emails so Facebook is the place to be if you want to keep up with the changes as they occur.  https://www.facebook.com/VeterinaryAlternatives is the address.  Remember if you are trying to follow my page, that since Facebook shows you only the things you interact with most you should probably get in the habit of liking and sharing my posts regularly so that they will be visible on your wall.  If you don’t interact with them, the Facebook powers-that-be may decide you’re not interested and no longer show them to you.  A feature I am less than excited about, obviously, but I have no control over that.    Also, after you like the page, there is a little “gear” on the right side under the cover photo.  You can click on that to see options for what you see.  Just so you know.  You can even add my page to your favorite interests list—I hope you will!  Please also share my page with friends you think might be interested as I hope to be able to reach lots of interested pet owners when I’m ready to open my practice.  If you know of area pages that I could post ads or practice updates on please let me know what they are called.  For example, I post on the Cass County Business Owners and Cass County Shout pages.  Does your municipality have such pages?  Please message me their link or page name if you would.  I am also interested in Kansas City area pet owner or animal interest pages, natural health pages, dog club pages, and any other page you think would be an appropriate place to get the word out about my services.

Breed Susceptibility: Did you know that many breeds are known for certain health problems?  For example, Bichons and terriers and Golden Retrievers often have allergies and skin problems.  German Shepherds are prone to digestive issues and nerve degeneration.  Boxers are highly likely to get cancer.  Cockers get glaucoma more than many breeds.  Siamese and Himalayan cats have a higher incidence of kidney failure than other breeds.  There are many more like this.  If you have a pure bred pet it is important to do everything you can to prevent health problems like these by optimizing body systems with holistic therapies.  A carefully chosen regimen of proper diet with natural ingredients, regular chiropractic, twice annual examinations by a veterinarian, and possibly specific supplements and acupuncture can go a long way to maintaining health.  If your pet already suffers from such issues, these holistic treatments can minimize their negative effect on your pet’s quality of life.  You don’t have to just assume your pet will have a shorter life or will have to suffer if diagnosed with these problems.  Just because your regular vet doesn’t have any solution doesn’t mean a holistic vet won’t.  I can almost always improve a pet’s quality of life if you’re willing to pursue that.

Case Report: Recently I was called to see an 8 month old mixed breed dog that had been playing a little hard while vacationing at the lake.  Apparently, she was jumping off the four-foot sea wall into mud.  By the end of the weekend, she was running with a very stiff “bunny-hopping” gait in the rear end.  The owners knew something was wrong but also knew if they saw a regular vet she’d probably just get a muscle relaxer or some anti-inflammatory pills and that wouldn’t address the underlying cause of her problem.  They use chiropractic regularly for themselves so called me on their way home from the lake to see if I could help.  Betty was a real puppy, full of energy and not at all eager to hold still while I checked her but we managed to get it done.  I found 5 places that needed adjustment, all in her lumbar and pelvic areas.  She was bunny-hopping with her hind legs about 80% of the time when I got there, but only about 30% when I left.  The owners reported later that night that she was doing great.  Even young dogs can get their joints locked up and need chiropractic—it’s not just for old dogs!
 

Hoping your family and pets have a safe, healthy, and happy 2014!