By. Dr. Moira
Pawsitive Veterinary Care
www.pawsitivevetcare.com
Why Alternative Health Care for Your Pet??
I have been asked a number of times over the last 19 or so years why I chose to shift my practice style to one decidedly different from the traditional methods practiced by most veterinarians. What began as a seed of an idea in the early 1990’s became a burning passion later that decade and so I sold my traditional practice I had operated for 8 years and opened up a holistic practice.
What brought about this change? I attribute it to a series of events including reading some convincing literature on the human medical field that made me change my mind on a number of things I thought I knew to be true. It was a huge paradigm shift for me.
One of these things I thought I knew a lot about was vaccinations. When I really began to shift, my children were then about 2 and 4 and I had already done the usual slough of vaccinations for them, fortunately without any serious side effects. I also read material about the way drugs are brought on to the market and what I found out amazed me.
By this time in my veterinary practice, I was getting quite tired of the vast amounts of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications I was prescribing. I would often jokingly say to clients that I was sending them home with a “little pharmacy” and sadly, they were often back for more of the same 3 months later. There just had to be some other way!
Once I learned more about vaccinations, I was alarmed at how many vaccines I was recommending to my dog and cat patients on a yearly basis without any regard for whether they really needed it. Fortuitously, a flyer came in the mail from Dr. Richard Pitcairn, a veterinary homeopath and author. He was holding a Professional Course in Veterinary Homeopathy later that year and so things changed for me!
I sold my conventional practice to my associate and took the course over the next year. What I learned under the tutelage of Dr. Pitcairn was nothing short of eye-opening and mind-bending! Everything changed for me almost 180 degrees. He went into detail on the history of homeopathy and how eventually it fell into disfavor due largely to the actions of the then growing drug industry. Eventually, the vast majority of the homeopathic schools were closed, previously outnumbering the more Western medicine schools.
After finishing the homeopathic course in 2000, I opened Pawsitive Veterinary Care and have loved it ever since. My practice has evolved over time to one that is decidedly eclectic in nature, meaning that I now include more alternative healing modalities than just homeopathy and have added many of these into my practice. They include herbal medicine, nutraceuticals, laser therapy, Bowen Therapy, and we also work closely with a chiropractor that has done wonders on so many cases!
I am very fortunate as a conventionally trained veterinarian that I can resort to drugs, surgery and the like if and when it is needed, but I have so many other tools in my tool box that many times make these conventional treatments unnecessary. When I saw the powers of homeopathic prescribing on a number of cases, I was sold on it for good!
In addition to these alternative tools, I also have a fabulous group of people that make up our Pawsitive Team! We all fully believe in the holistic approach, feed our dogs raw food, do only the necessary vaccinations for our pets, and follow this same philosophy for our own health. It is also great that we have Dr. Mike Lavroff on staff now as well who brings a host of knowledge and who has fully embraced the holistic approach as well.
Perhaps one of the best features I incorporated into Pawsitive from the beginning was the option for pet owners to stay with their pet as little or as much as the desired during their surgeries and treatments. This has made a huge difference in the well-being of the pets as they recover from surgery or are undergoing treatment for some issue.
I can honestly say, subjectively, that those individuals who follow our recommendations for vaccines, diets, and choice of treatments for their pet’s ailments have some of the healthiest pets I have ever seen in my 30 years of practice. It is wonderful to see! I would love to be able to play a role in the education process of every pet owner around the globe and with your help, and the help of both our web site and Facebook page, that can be accomplished!
(this article is for educational purposes only.)