How People find Holistic Vet Medicine

Sometimes suspicion, more often failures of conventional medicine

I noticed in my decades in practice (shifted to holistic in ‘89, and fully homeopathic in ‘92), people come to us “alternative” doctors in various ways.

Money spent, results lacking (or worse)

The commonest, unsurprisingly, is the failure of conventional medicine to cure. I’ve long called that “their dirty little secret.”

A common refrain, difficult as it is to read:

I’m pretty sure two of my dogs, if not all three, were harmed by the first rabies shot. I can never consider these shots again should I decide to get another dog once the last two are gone.

Perhaps dog ownership is no longer for me. I cannot willfully accept the shots that hurt my other dogs. I’ve spent thousands and thousands of dollars to help my dogs be well that I’m positive were harmed by these shots. -- Dawn in Rabies Short Course, Intent vs Letter of the Law

If I had a nickel for every client who finally brought me an itchy dog to cure saying, “We’ve already spent thousands of dollars on this and she’s still itchy!” — I’d be a rich man.

Or far worse: your pet was treated with the latest, greatest drug and now worse off than she started,

My gsd went on apoquel a few months ago and yesterday her hind legs were quite swollen. I had to take her to er. Turns out she had tumors on her liver, fluid building in her stomach. Her platelets and red blood cells were alarmingly low. Ended up having to put her to sleep.

Why didn’t my vet warn me of these severe side effects? Until I read your article, I had no idea.…I am furious, she was my baby.— Rene M.

This one is really over the top:

I am still grieving the loss of 3 (under age 4) beloved giant canine companions that we lost within 5 years and we believe it was due to vaccinating them. Two died of osteosarcoma and one died of congestive heart failure.

We didn’t know until it was too late so now we are trying to learn all we can so that they can live out their lifespans and enjoy happy healthy lives.

Three dead, all under the age of 4, within 5 years?

That’s horrendous, isn’t it? Very likely all in the name of “prevention.”

Playing Sheriff on Vaccinations

This play is all too common. FYI, no one has deputized your vet to enforce a rabies “law” that reflect zero understanding of duration of immunity.

Nor will a vet ever “lose his license” by not vaccinating your pet for rabies. Totally blowing smoke to claim this.

This one from a vet who enrolled in my Rabies: Knowledge is Power course:

My cats were refused treatment by a veterinarian because they weren’t
“current” on their rabies vaccine. I refused to allow them to be
vaccinated.

I want to be better armed with knowledge and perhaps help
change the laws so pets aren’t needlessly injured. I have seen MANY
vaccine injured pets as a (now retired) end-of-life veterinarian. It
breaks my heart.

Thank you for being courageous to stand up to peer pressure and the “Powers that Be.”

Even Gaslighting!

This one sends me…

My 7 year old giant schnauzer mix has seasonal allergies. My vet put him on apoquel at 1 year. He now has a completely shut down immune system, bacterial infections back to back that are now completely resistant to ANY medications.

I continue to be gaslit by the entire veterinary staff that my dog is the ONLY dog that has EVER had a problem! I have spent thousands. The constant rhetoric is that I need to feed him science diet! He needs to be on flea/heartworm treatment. It’s MY negligence that has caused this. I’m furious. — Lea, in comment #701 from my Apoquel post

Some More Benign Reasons

A common forehead slapper: they’ve been working on their own health, maybe through nutritional discoveries, homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic and just reading voraciously, trying to better themselves.

Then it hits: “Wait! Why have I been repeatedly vaccinating my pets when I’d never get a flu shot myself??”

Love these folks, as they are already up on the game and my spiel lands solidly.

The opposite direction is even more fun, and I heard about it more often. It goes like this:

Wow, Sadie is so remarkably better! And all from that tiny little remedy you gave last! One dose?! That’s so cool!! Now, what about a human homeopath for me?”

A Bit of “Buyer Beware”

As you search out “alternatives” (we homeopaths think homeopathy should be the standard of care…), it pays to be discerning before you hire someone.

Holistic? It’s a self assigned label. Here’s a useful article that highlights that, with some scary examples of misuse.

And, unfortunately, even “homeopathic” has fallen into disuse and scammer’s hands.

I’ve attempted to help you search out the “real deal” in this video:

BUT: interview those who make your short list, and ask some hard questions.

1. I won’t be vaccinating this animal ever again (or ever): will you still work with me?

2. How much of your practice involves chronic disease treatment? What’s your success rate with that? (you needn’t name your pet’s disease, as that part is pretty irrelevant to a vet whose focus is curing chronic disease).

3. I won’t be using flea or tick or heartworm pesticides. Are you cool with that?

Finally, just a prompt: sooner work on a constitutional homeopathic approach for your animal is always going to get a faster, better outcome than starting after a whole lot of failed allopathic medicine has caused further damage.

So, how did you come to holistic/homeopathic medicine?

Let us know in the comments.