AS A HEALTH writer who has coauthored three previous books on pet health with veterinarians, I have been asked many times by pet owners how they can make their animals healthier “naturally” and avoid the common side effects of medical drugs. These have been people interested in feeding a better diet and using vitamins, herbs, and other natural remedies, but they didn’t know where to start or what to use. Often I would recommend consulting with a holistic veterinarian.
The many questions over the years inspired the idea for a book that would provide answers and introduce pet owners to the wide and wondrous world of natural healing as it applies to animals. The concept that eventually took root was to interview the leading experts of natural healing in the veterinary world—as many as possible—and translate their expertise into a practical how-to guide for pet owners.
When I finished my interviews, I had spoken to three dozen veterinarians with a combined clinical experience of nine hundred years—an average of twenty-five years in practice. Their insights and recommendations are contained in this book—and in a similar book for cat owners. It is my sincere hope, and the hope of the veterinarians who graciously shared their knowledge, that such clinically based information enables you to raise the health of your animals to the highest possible level.
Imagine a menu with multiple creations not by just one great chef, but by dozens of culinary masters. This book is like a “health menu of masters,” filled with recommendations, commentaries, and recipes from veterinarians who have used natural healing methods for years. Just like a menu, these pages offer multiple options for preventing common conditions, enhancing the healing process, and improving health.
The major features of the book include the following:
Dozens of natural remedies—and instructions on how to use them.
A survey that reveals a startling epidemic of poor canine health.
What’s wrong with commercial pet food? Enough, according to veterinarians, to cause unwellness among animals.
The absolute necessity of improving your animal’s diet—the “mother of all natural remedies”—and how to do it. It’s actually easier than you think.
Pet foods most preferred by nutritionally oriented veterinarians.
Recipes for weight loss. Obesity is not just a human health problem; it is also common among companion pets.
Did you know that lamb and rice diets, for ten years the popular answer to food allergy in animals, are now being found to actually cause food allergies? From the co-developer of the original lamb and rice diets come the facts about this development and how to avoid the problem.
The “HIT list”—foods “high in trouble” and most likely to cause allergic reactions.
Why you must brush your animal’s teeth, just as you do your own.
How to revitalize older animals and keep younger ones healthy.
How vaccinations frequently cause adverse reactions and ill health and what you can do about it.
How you can learn to recognize stress—often the unrecognized cause of behavioral or health problems in animals—and take practical steps to alleviate fear, separation anxiety, grief, and other stressful emotions that animals develop.
Revelations about a hormonal-immune “time bomb” in many animals that stems from disastrous contemporary breeding practices. When the “time bomb” detonates, it creates premature sickness and death and animals who do not respond to treatment. Read what you can do about it.
This book is not meant to replace professional veterinary care. If your dog is under treatment, you may want to share ideas mentioned in the book with your veterinarian. Generally speaking, the recommendations can enhance and support ongoing treatments. In using this book, always keep in mind that your animal is an individual. The remedies recommended here may be able to take you only just so far, to a certain level of wellness, after which you may need to consult with a veterinarian for individualized treatment. If you are interested in the services of a holistic veterinarian, contact the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association in Bel Air, Maryland, at 410-569-0795, and ask for the name of one near you.
If an animal is in an obvious crisis, if a problem persists, or if symptoms appear to worsen after you initiate a remedy described in the book, consult with a veterinarian. Even though the recommendations in this book have been made entirely by veterinarians, such general advice can never substitute for a direct assessment and treatment offered by an experienced professional.