Dr. Cynthia Maro
When I joined the American Holistic Veterinary Association in 1988, there were only 200 veterinarians in the organization. Outside of large cities, finding veterinarians who practice acupuncture, animal chiropractic adjustments, alternative allergy and oncology care, and rehabilitation therapy has been nearly impossible. .
In contrast, newly graduated veterinarians have access to research courses in alternative medicine while attending veterinary college. Many veterinarians are trained and certified in a variety of services that were formerly considered alternative medicine, but are rapidly being integrated into their daily practice across the United States. Treatments, Rehabilitation Therapy, NAET (Drug-Free Allergy Treatment), Ozone Therapy, Stem Cell/PRP, Prolotherapy, Essential Oils, Therapeutic Massage, Laser Therapy, Herbal Therapy (TCVM and Western Herbs). Clinical nutrition and homeopathy.
In my practice, I see 20-30 consolidation cases every day. Most of them are clients whose pets fall into one of the following categories:
- No definitive diagnosis has been obtained and no effective treatment regimen has been found
- Diagnosed but no known cure in Western medicine or symptomatic treatment
- A diagnosis and treatment plan is in place, but the pet is not responding well or is adversely affecting treatment.
- The pet had to be discontinued due to side effects and relapsed, so the owner wants other care options.
- Owners want to prevent cancer, spinal degeneration and other ailments to which their pets are prone due to their breed and lifestyle.
- Owners who want to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, radiation, and other cancer treatments.
- Pets need rehabilitation and nutritional care to recover from illness, surgery, and injury.
- Owners are looking for non-invasive and non-surgical options for conditions such as ACL tears, birth defects, and chronic aging disorders.
Most of the new clients I meet are doing their own research or talking to another client. Pet parents want immediate treatment when they see results personally, such as a paralyzed pet making a full recovery.
This type of visit is very productive because the owner is confident in letting the veterinarian do the work. The message pets receive is that they are in good hands.
On the other hand, most of the first visit will be spent educating pet owners if they have never been exposed to or experienced alternative treatments. may affect the results. Owners who are anxious or nervous during a visit can give their pets “fight or flight” or red flags. may give
Occasionally, pet owners arrive seeking alternative options for their pets diagnosed with cancer, hoping for a miracle 1 treatment solution. Many of these clients have not done their homework and researched alternative medicine terms and treatments.
My advice to owners looking for alternative options for care is to visit the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association website. AHVMA.org, learn more about integrated care. You can find authoritative reference books on many treatments to help treat chronic and acute illnesses in pets.
An added bonus to your research is that as more people learn about their pet’s condition, they will find other options for managing their own health.
One example is one of my clients who had a pet with end-stage congestive heart failure. When I started getting sick, I could not tolerate additional medications to control my heart arrhythmia. Owners sought an acupuncturist for their pets instead of putting them to sleep.
After starting acupuncture and NAET, the arrhythmia improved and the pet was able to stabilize with less medication. Her vomiting and coughing resolved. The dog lived another 3.5 years and had a good quality of life.
Her owner was diagnosed with a rare cancerous disease and initially accepted doctors’ grim prognosis as no effective drug therapy was known to cure her cancer. Instead of giving up, her owner realized she could try other alternatives. After receiving her alternative medicine for her three years, she is still in remission and credits her research and the positive results her own pet has had as a driving force in seeking alternative medicine.
If you are new to integrated care and want to explore more options for your pet, from animal chiropractic and nutritional care to add preventive medicine to improve your pet’s longevity and quality of life. If your pet has an illness or chronic health condition, seek the advice of an integrative veterinarian on the best treatment and recommended methods for your pet.
Dr. Cynthia Maro is a veterinarian at Ellwood Animal Hospital in Ellwood City and Chippewa Animal Hospital in Chippewa Township. She writes a biweekly column on pet care and health issues. If you have a topic you’d like us to address, send an email to [email protected].
