How veterinary medicine has changed! Most of the medication and equipment I use today, I never learned about in school! Our pharmacy has ten times the variety of flea control products, antibiotics, and pain relievers than when I started, thirty years ago.
X rays from our digital machine only take seconds to view after exposure and can be emailed to a specialist for a “second opinion”. Their report is often received within a few hours. It used to take days to mail the “films” and receive a report. You can alter the quality of the digital films by right clicking the mouse, just as we do when we edit pictures.
Our ultrasound can peer into the organs and workings of the heart, just as x rays have always assessed the bones and shapes of the organs. Our in-house laboratory can give an organ “report card” assessing the health of the red and white blood cells, liver, kidneys, thyroid gland, and pancreas. After taking blood, those results can be ready in an hour.
The term “holistic” used to infer natural healing practices. These days, the holistic treatment of a patient really means that we consider the animal as an individual. Each pet may need a different approach to solve medical problems. In the “holistic” approach, we consider exercise, obesity, vaccinations, flea control, ingredients in the diet, and medication of each pet. A pet may need to lose weight, eat differently, need medication, or a different schedule of flea control or vaccinations to feel their best.
Therapies like acupuncture and chiropractic are now more commonly used on animals to relieve muscle strain and the pain of arthritis. In fact, our clinic has invested in a “cold laser” to help animals with pain and other medical conditions. The K-laser uses focused infrared light waves to increase circulation and healing in inflamed areas. Like acupuncture, it helps the body do its job with less or no medication! This therapy is excellent for dogs and cats that are sensitive to pain medication, are older, or for those owners that would like to try a “drug free” pain treatment.
There are tons of articles on the effects of diet on health. The overwhelming number of choices in the pet store is proof of changing ideas about nutrition for our pets. I used to treat bowel problems, skin problems, and ear infections in dogs with some mention of diet, medication, and flea control. Now I make sure that owners receive nutritional counseling for almost every medical issue. Changing the diet may not always help, but when it does; it helps prevent needless suffering and endless medication for itching, sore ears, chronic diarrhea, and other medical problems. I’ll give you a couple nutritional tips. Wheat gluten is commercial food and treats may cause itching, ear problems, and diarrhea. However, it isn’t uncommon for an owner to buy a decent commercial “grain free” food, then to feed biscuits, dental chews, or even “pill pockets” filled with wheat. Changing the food won’t help, unless all food, biscuits, and treats are considered. If you change to a “grain free” diet to help with chronic medical , issues, you need to know the ingredients of everything the patient eats! Salmon and sweet potato commercial food has helped me clear up many ear, skin, and diarrhea problems in dogs.
If you are interested in learning more about nutrition or even home cooking for your dog or cat, check out my website. http://dogdishdiet.com/order-now
Dr. Greg’s Dog Dish Diet
