Holistic Vets?

[angie8023]

Does anyone here go to a holistic vet? Is there a large cost difference between a holistic and a regular vet? I am considering taking Sancho to one because every other vet I have seen seems a bit ignorant. I bring up topics such as a raw diet and over vaccinating and they belittle me. I sometimes feel like I am dealing with a car salesman instead of a vet. I just want the best life for my dog

 

[Barb04]

When my friend's dog could no longer be helped by a regular vet, we found this site:

http://www.ahvma.org/

You can search here for a holistic vet. She made an appointment, her dog has gotten a new diet, medication, acupuncture, and is doing much better. We both feel her dog would not be here today if it weren't for this holistic vet.

The cost could be more depending on if some procedure needs to be done. My friend's dog had very difficult breathing problems and the accupuncture helps this. She has other things she's also being treated for.

 

[bubbatd]

I've never " needed " one ... but a friend swore by them .....her dog physic told her that her dog wanted one .....hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[LoveNewfies]

We have two holistic vets we use. For the initial visit, it was fairly pricey, but, they were very thorough and everything about the dogs was discussed - every little detail. Aside from the initial visit, the two that I use are very reasonable, often times cheaper than the traditional vet we go to.

 

[PWCorgi]

I'm going to talk to my vet about not vaccinating my dog anymore and using homeopathic means from here on out, if he balks at it (which I expect he will), I will be traveling 1 1/2 hours to the nearest holistic vet from here on out.

 

[bubbatd]

He may agree with you and go by titer results . Keep us posted !!! Would be good to have your vet on your side if it comes to an emergency ......an hour and a half away might not cut it . I've questioned some shots with my clinic and they work with me . That's why I like an established clinic with good vets !

 

[PWCorgi]

He may agree with you and go by titer results .

I sure hope so, I really do like my vet, but I'm not willing to give up my beliefs about the health of my dogs for him. I do plan on keeping a relationship with the vet in case of emergencies, and I will still be taking my chinchilla there regardless

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Funny timing with the thread, , I just made an appointment with a holistic vet for Buddy. The consultation is MUCH more pricey, but worth it, in my opinion.

 

[angie8023]

Thanks for all of the advice I found one in my area and will be setting up an appointment for next week. I think in the long run it will be worth the extra money. I just want Sancho to be healthy and happy!

 

[PWCorgi]

Funny timing with the thread, , I just made an appointment with a holistic vet for Buddy. The consultation is MUCH more pricey, but worth it, in my opinion.

That makes me so excited! I really, really hope that it works out and give you and Buddy some relief *fingers crossed*
Did you get my PM?

 

[adojrts]

I have been taking my dogs to a holistic vet/chiropracter for 8 yrs, I have been thrilled with the results. She is awesome, she does what she figures is best for my dogs, chinese medicine or regular meds etc which ever she thinks will have the best results etc.

 

[Renee750il]

I wish there was one locally where I am. I don't use traditional medicine myself, and I'd far rather be able to care for my dogs the same way.

 

[Gempress]

Does anyone here go to a holistic vet? Is there a large cost difference between a holistic and a regular vet? I am considering taking Sancho to one because every other vet I have seen seems a bit ignorant. I bring up topics such as a raw diet and over vaccinating and they belittle me. I sometimes feel like I am dealing with a car salesman instead of a vet. I just want the best life for my dog

Really? I must I have good luck with my vet; he never gives me issues over things like that. It kind of surprises me when so many people on here post with vet problems.

I personally wouldn't go to a holistic vet, but that's because I don't believe in holistic medicine at all. If you think it would be better, I'd give it a try.

 

[angie8023]

I wish I was lucky enough to find a vet like yours. You are lucky The office that I go to has 4 vets. I took Sancho to all four of them when he was having problems with allergies. They all told me the same thing and shot him up with steroids. The last time I went they finally gave me a referal to go see a dermo to have the blood work done. Well the geniuses gave him another steroid! Everyone knows that steroids effect the results of the blood test! This is just one example. I have more than a handful of more stories. I'm just ready for a change

 

[SeniorPetLover]

Just a few years ago, I would have thought that it was a crazy idea because I was so entrenched in traditional veterinary medicine...it took a case that did not respond to traditional treatment to open my eyes. There are no holistic vets within my immediate area, so switching over completely will never happen BUT I do think that there is much to be said for holistic medicine. I have discussed it at length with my regular vet and he agrees that we over-vaccinate...he is just not willing to stop because he makes so much money doing it...I recently switched to a holistic dog food and stopped buying Science Diet from him...he asked me why and when I explained my reasoning with him, he could see the validity...did he ship out his Science Diet inventory? No...most vets are so motivated by money that they would not open themselves up to alternative therapies. Thankfully, my Doc indulges me and if I want to try something new, he is supportive BUT I have to do the research and seek the training...I think that we are seeing a movement away from the use of drugs and you will see more and more alternative therapies becoming mainstream treatments. Four years ago when I bought a photon unit to treat a horse, my vet thought I was nuts...now laser therapy is pretty common in equine practise and he has even asked to borrow mine. I just used an intuitive vet to treat a dog that had been suffering from allergies...I gave him the homeopathic remedies that she told me he needed and he is off the pred AND has regrown his hair, gained weight and his disposition has improved greatly. I wish there were more holistic vets and more holistic doctors. I would use one in a heartbeat. I think a balance approached is a good approach.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

That makes me so excited! I really, really hope that it works out and give you and Buddy some relief *fingers crossed*
Did you get my PM?

Thanks! And yes, I got your PM, thank you so much.

 

[Schnauz]

BE very careful....

Be careful with the medicine based on belief. Remember that your dogs do not know they're supposed to believe they're going to get better, so the placebo effect commonly associated with homeopathic remedies can't be a factor.

Take a look at the long history of homeopathy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy

Highlights include: " The FDA has not approved homeopathic products as veterinary medicine in the US" and that "Homeopathy is unsupported by modern scientific research."

If this is truly being considered as in the best interest of your dogs please look at the history first. Don't believe everything the man with the youth tonic tells you. Anecdotes are NOT science, but here's one for you anyway:

My dog lost the use of her legs, we did everything we could for her, and as the last resort the vet did the homeopathy stuff behind my back while in her care(acupuncture and pills, which i researched and found to be nothing more than liver). I wasn't charged a dime, and still it yeilded no results.

What if your dog had something serious like Parvo? Would you really not take it to a "real" vet? What if he or she bloats? Would you seriously consider taking it to a person who would rather "believe" it away than perform immediate surgery? If you wouldn't accept less than the real thing for something serious, than why not for those things which are not life threatening?

I would do a lot more research on both sides of the coin. Don't read only the propaganda placed out there by people who want you to believe(read: pay for) that this is real medicine. Give it some serious consideration first. Be objective.

 

[fillyone]

I think that Western and Eastern medicine have a place for both our pets care and our own care.

As with everything we do with our pets, use care in your choice of doctors

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Be careful with the medicine based on belief. Remember that your dogs do not know they're supposed to believe they're going to get better, so the placebo effect commonly associated with homeopathic remedies can't be a factor.

Take a look at the long history of homeopathy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy

Highlights include: " The FDA has not approved homeopathic products as veterinary medicine in the US" and that "Homeopathy is unsupported by modern scientific research."

If this is truly being considered as in the best interest of your dogs please look at the history first. Don't believe everything the man with the youth tonic tells you. Anecdotes are NOT science, but here's one for you anyway:

My dog lost the use of her legs, we did everything we could for her, and as the last resort the vet did the homeopathy stuff behind my back while in her care(acupuncture and pills, which i researched and found to be nothing more than liver). I wasn't charged a dime, and still it yeilded no results.

What if your dog had something serious like Parvo? Would you really not take it to a "real" vet? What if he or she bloats? Would you seriously consider taking it to a person who would rather "believe" it away than perform immediate surgery? If you wouldn't accept less than the real thing for something serious, than why not for those things which are not life threatening?

I would do a lot more research on both sides of the coin. Don't read only the propaganda placed out there by people who want you to believe(read: pay for) that this is real medicine. Give it some serious consideration first. Be objective.

And what if western medicine fails you and your dogs again and again and AGAIN. Do you still follow blindly or take a chance on something else.. when that something else may very well be the miracle that cures all.

We (generally speaking of course) take chances every day with our dogs.. they rough house, we vaccinate, we feed kibble and we take them to a vet and just do whatever the vet says.

I, for one, am pretty sick of western medicine failing my dog. Sure, he survived parvo (and I will forever be forever grateful for that very vet that did save him) but what about NOW? They can't seem to do anything for him now that doesn't harm him even further like meds and trials of this and that. Ridiculous to say the least. I've done what everyone else has said for nearly two years. So, I made my own plan, switched my dog to raw, started to give him probiotics and vitamins, went to a holistic vet and found that I was already doing what she would suggested, except she gave us additional herbs to add to his diet. What's the harm in that?

I will seek western medicine out in a life-threatening emergency (such as bloat) but I will never vaccinate my dogs again and I will carefully weigh the pros and cons of western medicine versus holistic medicine if health issues like my dog Buddy's ever arise again.

 

[Renee750il]

The concept of vaccination is homeopathy . . . . so I suppose we should discard the practice as that would make it unsupported by modern scientific research.

Amazing that the human race managed to survive and thrive until western medicine was invented. What will be even more amazing is if we survive western medicine.