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Healing & Alternative Health
Dr. Carson's Holistic Animal Care:
Why Holistic Veterinary Medicine?
by Kathleen M. Carson, D.V.M |
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When I use the word, holistic, I am referring to a combination approach which utilizes both conventional treatments such as drugs and surgery as well as alternative or complementary treatments such as acupuncture, chiropractic, herbs, homeopathy, nutraceuticals and supplements, etc, etc.
What is the value of such an holistic approach to veterinary medicine? I can best demonstrate this by telling my own story.
I had been in practice for about 10 years when I realized I was feeling increasingly frustrated about my inability to help some of my patients. The first category of patients I was frustrated about were older large breed dogs with various orthopedic problems like hip dysplasia, arthritis, and spinal problems.
These conditions led to pain, stiffness, and/or weakness in their hindquarters. These beautiful dogs became increasingly crippled in the rear, while their front ends and minds worked fine. They still wanted to lead the active, enjoyable lives they’d been used to leading, but instead had to sit suffering on the sidelines. All I could offer them was drugs or possibly surgery. Both of these treatments had side effects, especially for dogs of advanced years. Eventually, I’d have to put them to sleep, which would break their human companions’ (and my) hearts. I remember thinking, “There’s got to be something else I can offer these dogs which is safer and yet more effective!!"
The second type of patients who brought me frustration were seemingly healthy cats found to be infected with the Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV).
This nasty virus suppressed their immune systems and eventually led to serious infections, cancers, and death. All I could tell their human companions was to feed them good quality foods, try to reduce stress, and bring them in when they started showing signs of illness. This left me feeling helpless, angry, and frustrated.
Luckily for my patients (and me!) this was a time when other people were beginning to explore different ways of approaching health and illness. Over the next several years I ran across information here and there about acupuncture, herbal medicine, and homeopathy. By the time I got a notice in the mail about a weekend workshop on veterinary acupuncture in late 1987 I was ready to take the plunge. As I sat in the room with about 30 other veterinarians, hearing about qi and meridians, I knew I’d come home! I had started on the path to learning the knowledge I needed to help those patients I couldn’t help before!!
Over the ensuing years I have hungrily pursued new knowledge and training in holistic veterinary medicine. I now have an additional set of tools in my repertoire to find out what is going on with my patient. In addition to the conventional diagnostic tools of blood tests, urinalyses, X-rays, cultures, and ultrasound I can now learn about my patients’ conditions by looking at their tongues, feeling their pulses, and checking their acupuncture points.
Thanks to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), I have a better knowledge of how the body’s organs affect each other, thus facilitating my understanding of how a patient’s illness came about. TCM also has broadened my understanding of how the environment affects my patient’s body.
I also have many more choices when I treat my patients. My therapeutic armament now contains not only conventional drugs, surgery, and radiation, but also acupuncture, herbs, nutraceuticals, and homeopathic remedies. Since these latter treatments work with the body they are less likely to have serious side effects and are more likely to correct the imbalances which brought about disease rather than just suppress symptoms.
Now, when those large breed dogs with stiff, painful, and weak hindquarters come to me, I know that I can help them have reduced pain and increased mobility, in most cases without having to resort to drugs. They now have increased quality of life in their sunset years.
I also have something to offer the seemingly healthy cats with FeLV by providing them with various herbs, nutraceuticals, and supplements which enhance their immune systems and increase the quality as well an quantity of life.
These patients were just the “tip of the iceberg”. I have been thrilled to be able to help many other patients with this new approach: those with conditions ranging from kidney failure to inflammatory bowel disease to chronic sinusitis to liver disease.
With all this in mind, why not holistic veterinary medicine?
RECOMMENDED READING:
Schwartz, D.V.M., Cheryl, Four Paws, Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese
Medicine for Cats and Dogs, Celestial Arts, Berkeley, CA., 1996.
Pitcairn, D.V.M.., Richard, and Pitcairn, Susan Hubble, Natural Health for
Dogs and Cats, Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA, 1995.
Hamilton, D.V.M., Don, Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs: Small Doses
for Small Animals, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA, 1999.
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Dr. Kathleen Carson, DVM
Veterinarian & Author
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Dr. Carson received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of California at Davis in 1968. She's been a small animal practitioner (dogs and cats ) for all the years since, except for a short stint at the San Diego Zoo when she first graduated.
She belongs to the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.
Since 1974 she's lived and practiced in the South Bay Area near Los Angeles. She started the area's first house call practice in 1976 and the first pet crisis/loss group in 1989. The human-animal bond is of special interest to her.
She started exploring complementary veterinary medicine in 1987. Her practice became 100% holistic in 1996. She utilizes acupuncture, herbs, supplements, Bach Flower Remedies, homeopathic remedies, nutrition and medications for her patients in her practice.
She's currently taking a leave of absence from her house call practice due to health reasons but continues to do phone consultations and to write.
E-mail:
Critterhlr@aol.com
website:
http://www.holistic
vetconsult.com
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