How to Listen to and Learn From Your Pet’s Symptoms to Take Effective Holistic Action

How to Listen to and Learn From Your Pet’s Symptoms to Take Effective Holistic Action

by | HA! Foundation, HA! Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM), HA! Staying Healthy

Learning to view your pet’s symptoms as trustable, intelligible communications that can provide clues to underlying imbalances and guide holistic health interventions is one of the most important things you can do.

This is often a difficult task, since almost all of us have been conditioned to view symptoms as an enemy that we must medically defeat. But symptoms are not our enemy but our ally, and this reversal of perspective is one of the most rewarding you can take; not only for your pet’s life, but for your life. 

When your pet’s symptoms are not viewed as something to fear but as something valuable to which you can listen and from which you can learn, it quickly becomes apparent that they offer a breadtrail to the very solutions you are seeking — holistic actions that don’t just cover up or quiet down symptoms, but that create new levels of inner balance and vitality to make your pet’s system even more resilient against dis-ease.

A Quick Word About the Difference Between Signs and Symptoms

It bears noting here that what we’re calling in this article “symptoms” are understood medically as “signs.” Technically, symptoms refer to indications of distress or dis-ease that are subjective and therefore invisible, such as the particular quality of pain or the experience of having a nightmare. 

Because animals aren’t able to tell us about symptoms, we must technically go on signs. Signs are indications of distress or dis-ease that may not be outwardly visible, such as elevated white count, fever, and so forth. Another way to understand the difference between symptoms and signs is that the first is subjective and the second is objective. But for the purpose of this article, we’re just using a single term — symptoms — to refer to both.   

The real question now is how you can have a “conversation” with your pet by listening to their symptoms in order to learn from them? The 4 P’s methodology we’re about to teach you will give you tools for doing this and transform your capacity to respond appropriately to what your pet’s system is telling you.  

Without Further Ado…The 4 P’s!

The 4 P’s offer a listening framework to help you approach symptoms with the right mindset and the right questions. 

  1. Pay attention to Problematic symptoms: Health challenges that may limit your pet’s life, like obesity or chronic allergies.
  2. Pay attention to Prominent symptoms: Those that most loudly say, “Pay attention to me!” Acute dis-ease symptoms fall into this category.
  3. Pay attention to Persistent symptoms: How often do you see the symptom? Hourly symptoms are usually more significant than weekly.
  4. Peculiar Symptoms: Have you ever seen this symptom before in your pet or anyone’s pet or does it strike you as particularly odd or usual?

And here’s two other P’s that help you work with your pets bodies and symptoms and not suppress them:

  1. Approach symptoms with Patience: Deep and permanent healing occurs slowly.
  2. Approach symptoms with Perseverance: You might need a new approach or different (not just a second) opinion. Don’t give up!

BEAM — Another Helpful Framework for Listening to and Learning from Your Pet’s Symptoms

 

BEAM should be improving over time.

This basic BEAM model of four symptom categories provides an additional framework for understanding and assessing symptoms. BEAM stands for Behavior, Energy, Appetite, and Mood. The Beam models helps shine the light on optimal long term health and to provide an overarching context for viewing symptoms.

When it comes to holistic strategies for your pet, BEAM should be improving over time. It’s extremely important to track changes in BEAM symptoms, especially if they are Prominent, Persistent, Problematic or Peculiar.

So ask yourself, which categories do my pet’s symptoms fall into? The more categories in which symptoms appear, the more urgent is the need for intervention to restore or improve your pet’s inner balance and vitality.   

Symptoms that Change In Response to Environmental Changes (“Modalities”)

Pay especially close attention to symptoms that change depending on the context. They are among the clearest communications you will receive from your pet’s system. These symptoms may appear…

  • When you get ready to leave the house or come home from work, with your pet becoming especially clingy or needy, or going off by themselves at specific times of day or night.
  • In weather conditions like heat, cold, rain, wind, etc.
  • During or after: eating, drinking, waking, defecating, urinating, etc.,
  • In relation to certain foods. (Fresh feeding of a variety of foods makes symptoms like this much easier to recognize.)
  • And more!

Symptoms that occur at the same time, or what are known as concomitant symptoms, can also be very significant. For example vomiting along with diarrhea, increased drinking along with sneezing, etc.

Additional Considerations and Questions for Collecting Clues

Keep a daily log of symptoms and carefully record any changes, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Changes in your pet’s usual patterns and habits as viewed through the BEAM model are especially significant, even if they appear to you to have nothing to do with your pet’s problem. Where relevant, record the answers to the following questions in your log to collect the clues you need for helping your pet. 

Teenage girl and her dog studying together

  • When did the problem begin and what circumstances were associated with it or may have brought it on?
  • Have there been previous illnesses such as ear and eye “infections”, allergies/skin diseases, colds, skin growth removals, urinary problems, etc.?
    • Specifically, which treatments were used, for how long and what doses were any drugs used? What were the results? 
    • How about new symptoms associated with a medication (no matter how benign you were told that it is)?
    • Are there any conditions that started along with the main problem you’re concerned about? 
  • Is there a time of day, night, month, or season that the symptoms are better or worse? Are they better or worse before or after eating, sleeping, moving, resting, or when your pet is occupied with a favorite activity? (Anything that makes the symptoms better or worse is extremely important to note.)
    • Do symptoms appear at a specific time, season, phase of the moon, temperature/barometric pressure etc.? For example, is joint stiffness worse when it is humid?
    • Do the symptoms remain the same or do they change character or shift from place to place?

Narrow Your Focus to Gather Even More Clues!

The real breadcrumbs to the solutions you’re seeking are found in the details! By focusing on the following areas, you’ll be led that much closer to the right holistic actions to take for your pet!  

APPETITE

  • How is your pet’s appetite? Does she beg for food and always appear hungry? Is there an increase or decrease in appetite? 
  • Does your pet’s appetite seem excessive or are they inexplicably picky?
    Does your pet seem preoccupied with particular kinds of food or with particular flavor profiles or textures? (Salty, sweet, fatty, sour, spicy, egg-like, or ice cubes?)
  • Does your pet trying to eat non-digestible items like dirt, rocks, sand, stool, pencils, etc.?
  • Is your pet fed in a crate, and if so, why? 
  • Does your pet eat out of a bowl or need to be hand-fed? 
  • How fast does your pet eat? Does she take a few bites or eat all of the food right away?

BEHAVIOR

  • Have there been behavioral changes such as being easily startled or starting from sleep or seeming sensitive to being touched? 
  • Do these behavioral changes improve or worsen with diversion such as a walk or car ride? Is your pet’s reaction to you opposing certain behaviors (like jumping up on somehow) any different than usual? 
  • Is your pet behaving differently with guests or interacting with strangers in ways you’ve never before witnessed? Does your pet actively avoid interaction or retreat to a room by themself to seek solitude? 
  • Has your pet become more or less reactive to small animals, other dogs or people? How long after an encounter with one of these does reactivity occur?  Is it expressed through jumping, lunging, barking, growling, trembling, or cowering?
  • Does your pet appear restless or unable to settle down? 
  • Do they suddenly begin to avoid hard surfaces or seek out hard surfaces to lie on, and rest in positions they have not favored before? 
  • Do they prefer sun or shade more frequently than normal, or do you notice unusual or extreme behavior changes in relation to temperature changes?
  • If your pet is involved in any kind of training, do you notice an increase or decrease in focus, a change in excitement level or loss of motivation in response to using food, toys, and praise as a reward? 
  • Do you notice a sudden reluctance to sit, heel, etc., or a sudden change in your pet’s attitude toward training? 
  • Is your pet vocalizing and/or moving in their sleep in ways you’ve never seen before? If so, are you seeing whining, barking, snoring, paws or legs twitching (all paws?), or they’re legs moving as though they are running?

 BATHING, BRUSHING, PETTING, AND GROOMING

  • Does your pet suddenly no longer want to be brushed or pet or seek out brushing or petting when having avoided it in the past? 
  • Do they suddenly react to brushing or petting in an unusual way such as spinning, whipping their head around, trying to bite you, moving head from side to side, licking the air, or “dancing” with back legs?
  • How does your pet react to running water? Does your pet suddenly avoid baths or resist getting out of the bath? 
  • If your pet is a cat, has their been a reduction or cessation of grooming? 

COAT

  • Is your pet losing unusual amounts of fur or shedding at unusual times? If so, is the hair falling out evenly or in bunches or tufts? 
  • Do you note dandruff, dry or brittle fur, a change in your pet’s coat in terms of thickness, shine, dullness, or oiliness? 

DISCHARGE

  • Discharge details are very important. Are you noticing any discharge  from our pet’s nose, eyes, or sex organs? , Is it scant or copious, thick or thin, or sticky? What is the color and odor? Does it appear to be causing irritation to the tissues it’s being discharged?

FEMALE CYCLE

  • If your pet is an intact female; how old was she when she first came into heat, how far apart are the cycles, are there any behavior changes or physical symptoms that accompany heat?
  • What does the vaginal discharge before, during, and after the heat cycle look and smell like? 
  • Has she ever been pregnant? Did she breed and conceive easily? 
  • How did she carry, any problems delivering? 
  • Did she have plenty of milk? Were there any problems associated with nursing?

LAMENESS AND EASE OF LYING DOWN AND GETTING UP

  • Is your pet favoring or protecting a specific foot or holding her paw up? 
  • Do you notice soreness or swelling to the paw or legs, and when it is genty pressed on, does an indentation occur, and if so, for how long does it stay before returning to normal? 
  • Does the swelling feel soft or firm, an dis it hot to the touch? 
  • Does your pet exhibit pain with rotation of what appears to be an afflicted joint?
  • Can your pet lie down and get up quickly and easily? Do they lie down with their back legs or front legs first? 
  • Do they yelp or cry out when they lie down, spin prior to lying down? 
  • When they lie down, does their back end go down fast but front end slow? 
  • Does your pet yelp or cry out when getting up or attempt to use a wall or some other source of support for standing? 

MASSES | GROWTHS

  • Do you notice any masses or growths on your pet? What is the size of these growths? Are they open and expelling fluid or bleeding or emitting odor? 
  • Are masses soft or hard, painful, and movable?
  • Have their been any changes in the shape, size, or growth-rate of a mass? 

RESPIRATORY

  • Does your pet pant excessively or have trouble breathing? 
  • Is your pet coughing? If so, what does the cough sound like? (Hacking, rasping, wheezing, wet, or dry?)
  • What is the frequency of your pet’s coughing, the time of day it occurs, and the duration of the coughing episode? 
  • Does the cough coincide with or seem to be triggered by waking up, when on-leash, or after eating or drinking?
  • Is your pet sneezing? If so, what is the frequency, time of day, triggers, length of the sneezing episode, and how many sneezes in a row do you count? 

SKIN

  • Do you note any skin changes or lesions? What is their exact location and color? Are they dry or moist, thick or thin, scaly, or pimply? Are their warts or other growths? Are they dry, flaky, powdery, red or inflamed? 
  • What about open sores, clogged pores or cysts, or changes in skin pigmentation? What is the appearance of skin overall?
  • Is the skin itchy and does your pet seem to get relief from scratching or does that seem to make it worse? Does heat, cold, exercise, wearing a collar, etc., make it better or worse? 

STOOL | GI SYMPTOMS

  • Does mucus or blood appear in the stool? Does defecation coincide with waking, eating, drinking, etc.?What is the frequency and urgency of defecation? (Does your pet rush to the litter box or to the door at a certain time of the day?) 
  • What is the odor, color, and consistency of stool? Are the stools very smelly (do they burn your eyes from 6 feet away?). Are they hard, dry, large, pasty, bloody, frothy, slimy, thin, watery, slender, or flat?
    • Normal stools are well-formed and are easy to pick up (and don’t leave mush on the ground).
    • Soft-formed stools may look the same (or a bit wetter) but are harder to clean up
    • Pudding stools are the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
    • Watery stools are in liquid form.
  • Does stool shoot out like water from a hose with (or without) gas? Is there straining before, during, or after passing stool? Does your pet continue to try and eliminate even after they have defecated? Do you hear (or smell) gas before, during, or after passing a stool? How about noises from the stomach?

 THIRST

  • Is your pet drinking less or more than usual? Is there thirst for large quantities at one time, small frequent quantities, or little thirst? 
  • Is there a preference for cool fresh water vs. room temperature or warm water? Is there a preference for water that comes out of the tap, backyard hose, or bathroom toilet?
  • Is your pet a “sloppy” drinker? (Does the water go all over the place after a drink?)

URINE

  • What is the color, how frequent or urgent is the need to urinate? 
  • Have there been any accidents or periods of incontinence?

VOMITING OR REGURGITATION

  • Is vomiting active or passive? Does vomiting seem painful to your pet? Is there retching? 
  • What is the vomitus odor, amount, color, and consistency? (Foamy/frothy, lumpy, liquidy, etc.)
  • Do there seem to be identifiable food triggers, activity-related triggers, or specific times of the day you witness vomiting? Does it seem in any assoicated with, drinking, going out or coming in, or defecating? 
  • Do you notice weakness after vomiting?

SEXUAL ISSUES

  • Do you notice any male or female sexual issues? Trouble breeding, masturbation, excessive mounting behavior, or penile or vaginal discharges related or unrelated to heat?

The More Clues You Collect, the Better Off Your Pet Will Be! 

Holistic Action is here to help you interpret your pet’s symptoms and use them as a trustable guide for taking effective holistic actions — actions that don’t just cover up or quiet down your pet’s symptoms, but that create new levels of inner balance and vitality to give them the happy, healthy life that every dog and cat deserve!

Thank you for visiting us here at Holistic Actions! We wish you the best of luck on your holistic pet care journey! 

Be well.

Dr. Jeff 

Faced With Making a Medical Decision for Your Pet? Push “Paws” to Ensure a Fairy Tale Ending

Faced With Making a Medical Decision for Your Pet? Push “Paws” to Ensure a Fairy Tale Ending

by | HA! for Diseases, HA! Foundation, HA! Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM), HA! Staying Healthy, HA! Vitality and Balance System

Once upon a time, not so very long ago (in the last year, actually), there was a beautiful, golden-haired girl named Sam. Sam’s energy, enthusiasm, and love of cuddling brought joy to everyone who knew her, especially her parents. Sam’s parents took a holistic approach to caring for her. Not only did they consider and care for Sam’s physical health, but also her emotional, social, and energetic wellbeing.

Sam’s parents fed her a variety of fresh foods in just the right combinations and portions to ensure optimal nutrition and weight. Sam was minimally vaccinated, and in her seven years on earth, had only minor health challenges, such as eye redness and ear discharge that were treated by the local veterinarian. (If you haven’t guessed it by now, Sam is an adorable golden retriever.)

But when Sam suddenly began drinking much more than usual, the fairy tale that Sam and her pet-parents seemed to be living almost came to an end.

A girl in a beach towel with a golden retriever dog.

 

A Small but Highly Significant Symptom

Even though nothing else seemed amiss, when Sam’s parents noticed this sudden change in her behavior, they immediately scheduled an appointment with Sam’s veterinarian.

Sam’s parents were committed to getting the best treatment for Sam, though at this point, they weren’t yet sure what the problem might be. But they also wanted to do the best for her.

At the vet, nothing of note was found during Sam’s examination, so the doctor drew some blood and collected some urine to be sent out to the lab for testing.

Sam was sent home with anti-biotics, with instructions to administer them twice daily. Intuitively, something about this didn’t sit right with Sam’s parents, so they decided to wait until further test results came back before taking action.

The Plot Thickens

Two days later, the vet called with the test results. Everything looked fine except for one elevated enzyme called the serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP).

The test result, he said, was just a clue to what was happening in Sam’s body and nothing to worry about.

The vet told Sam’s parent’s that her increased drinking and SAP could be early signs of Cushing’s dis-ease. The test result, he said, was just a clue to what was happening in Sam’s body and nothing to worry about.

He recommended that Sam be seen in six months for reevaluation, and encouraged Sam’s parents to begin the antibiotics he’d prescribe for her, “just in case of a hidden infection,” assuring them this course of action couldn’t hurt anything and might actually help in some way. Once more, this advice didn’t sit right with Sam’s parents. 

Sam’s Parents Push “Paws”

Pushing “paws” means being mindful, and being mindful means taking the time to look deeper, to put yourself in a position to skilfully respond rather than blindly react. Sam’s parents were mindful before proceeding with the recommendations they’d been given. 

This is a critical step before making any medical decisions for non-life-threatening problems. It involves research into potential treatment interventions, unbiased education on alternative models of health,, and networking with other pet parents and professionals. In most cases, it will also involve obtaining a second (and in many cases, a third) opinion from a holistic clinician on the accuracy of a diagnosis and the wisdom of pursuing a particular treatment option. 

Golden Retriever Dog Laying on The Wooden Floor

 

A Different Way of Looking at Things

Sam’s parents had been scouring the internet for insight into her symptoms and how they could potentially be interpreted in ways that differed from the opinion of their vet. One of the things that stood out to them was an approach that promoted proactive prevention rather than reactive treatment. 

In other words, what had caught their attention was the idea that getting Sam the best treatment possible wasn’t just about addressing her symptom and keeping an underlying problem at bay, but rather about promoting the healing power of Sam’s own system. This approach was about creating a whole new level of balance and vitality for Sam that would not only improve the quality of her life but also make her much more resistant to any form of dis-ease.

Sam’s guardians approached their vet about taking a closer look at Sam’s symptoms to perhaps generate some alternative explanations for what might be going on. The vet once more assured them they had nothing to worry about. “But,” he told them, “if it will make you feel better, you can consult with an internal medicine specialist.” With that, Sam’s parents made an appointment for the following week.

After the consultation with the internal medicine specialist, the internist agreed that a better understanding of Sam’s problems was indicated. But since the examination yielded no new clues, further diagnostic testing was needed. The testing costs in this case would run $650. “Hopefully,” the internist told them, “they will be useful.”

The Dawning of New Realizations

Because Sam’s parents had been doing their homework and had been exposed to a new way of thinking, they returned home with some dawning realizations. Though they weren’t sure what the next steps might be for Sam, many new things were suddenly registering for them. First and foremost, they registered that the clinicians they were working with were limited to a very narrow model of health. This model looked at symptoms and solutions in a very “cookie-cutter,” “paint-by-numbers” fashion.

They didn’t look at the bigger picture of Sam’s life.

Those working from this model seemed to have no awareness of, or at least no trust in, the wealth of clues that could be collected by bringing the right questions to bear. In short, they didn’t look at the bigger picture of Sam’s life. It lacked robust information-gathering protocols to guide individualized treatment approaches and comprehensive treatment plans.

It also struck Sam’s parents for the first time that it was odd that they, those closest to Sam who knew her best, were not looked at as collaborative partners in discovering what was really going on with Sam. In fact, it put them in a passive position that often brought them to the verge of feeling powerless. Last, they realized that this narrow model looked at Sam’s body like a broken machine that needed to be fixed with drug-based tinkering rather than a living system with immense intelligence and self-healing capacity that needed to be tapped.

Sam’s parents realized that if they weren’t careful, the interventions they were being prescribed had a good chance of making whatever was really going on with Sam even worse, putting them on a “misery-go-round” of ever-worsening symptoms and increasingly aggressive interventions, including surgery. This wasn’t a ride they were willing to take.

Sam’s Parents Take “The Road Less Traveled”

The parent of one of Sam’s friends had just consulted about some of her own concerns with a conventionally trained but holistically and homeopathically-oriented vet in another state. Though it seemed odd to Sam’s parents that their fellow pet parents had consulted with a vet in another state with such unusual credentials, they’d come to the point that they were ready to look for help in new places.

When Sam’s parents consulted with this vet, they couldn’t believe the difference between the integrative, holistic approach he offered, and the narrow model they’d always encountered. Not only did they feel like they were being looked at as active collaborators rather than passive participants, they felt that Sam’s innate healing power was finally being taken seriously in a way that could ensure her happiest, healthiest life and future.

The holistic vet assured them they could trust both external (outwardly visible) and internal (inwardly detectable via medical testing) symptoms. Together, he explained, these symptoms could provide reliable clues that could be accurately interpreted to guide sound holistic actions and effective treatment interventions. He provided extensive yet easy-to-understand information-gathering protocols for collecting clues that, with his professional support, could enable Sam’s parent’s to promote the healing power of her own system.

Not only did they feel like they were being looked at as active collaborators rather than passive participants, they felt that Sam’s innate healing power was finally being taken seriously in a way that could ensure her happiest, healthiest life and future. 

This approach left Sam’s parents feeling more empowered and hopeful than ever, but the question remained, would it actually help Sam?

Sam’s Parents Take Holistic Actions on Sam’s Behalf

Remember Sam’s elevated SAP levels that Sam’s conventional vet told her parents could be early signs of Cushing’s Disease? A primary treatment goal for Sam was to naturally normalize her SAP and reduce her excessive drinking. (Since the excessive drinking was a clear sign that her system was out of balance.)

Using the information-gathering protocols they’d been given and professional support from the holistic vet, this collaborative effort led to an individualized treatment plan for Sam. Based on clues from Sam’s own body about how her system was responding, her progress was monitored and adjustments were made as necessary. Four months later, when Sam came in for her semi-annual wellness check, she was doing incredibly well. Her externally observable symptom of water consumption was back to normal, and her internally detectable symptom of elevated SAP was dramatically reduced.   

Woman playing on the beach with golden retriever

You and Your Pet Can Have Your Own Happy Ending

Everybody wants a happy ending! Just like Sam and her parents, you can promote the immense healing-power of your pet’s own system. You can confidently do this without the use of toxic drugs, unnecessary surgery, and other aggressive interventions that run very real risks of generating even worse dis-ease in an attempt to treat it.  By learning to trust your pet’s internal and external symptoms and use them as reliable clues for taking holistic action, you and your pet are that much more likely to have many happy, healthy, wonderful years together.

 

The Benefit of Vaccinating

The Benefit of Vaccinating

by | HA! Staying Healthy, HA! Vaccines

This article has been adapted from the Holistic Actions! vaccinosis webinar ebook.

If you’d like to be notified the next time we have a webinar about vaccination or when the vaccinosis course is released, please sign up below.

There’s only one benefit from vaccinating. But it’s really big!

Vaccinating can save lives.

We vaccinate to prevent serious infections like parvo, distemper panleukopenia and rabies.

Exposure to these serious infectious diseases varies tremendously. Our kitties that never go outside have a much lower exposure risk than pups that go to agility classes weekly.

In people, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that in the past 20 years, vaccination has prevented 732,000 deaths among children.

The mortality statistics are not as clear for companion animals. However, we do know that vaccinating shelter animals and in the midst of some epidemics can also save lives.

Yet more and more caring pet parents prefer not to vaccinate.

Why is that?

Because there is growing evidence that we are making our companion animals sicker by (over) vaccinating.

 

Risks from Vaccinating

Adverse effects from vaccines range from immediate and fatal allergies to cancers and immune damage.

One example in people of this well-documented risk is called “ASIA”  (Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants).autoimmune disease from vaccination holistic balance

The veterinary literature has many similar immune dis-ease examples. Serious internal imbalances, like anaphylaxis, Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA), Immune-mediated Thrombocytopenia (ITP), thyroiditis, etc.

These reactions are often from toxic ingredients like mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, genetically modified components, etc.

We inject these toxins because our pet’s “shots” don’t work without them. Yet at the same time we are trying to avoid exposure to toxins.

However it’s impossible to totally avoid the toxins in the vaccines we give our pets.

So do the many known risks from vaccinating outweigh the one potential benefit?

Good question but the answer depends on who you ask. One thing is clear:

Fewer vaccines = less risk.

Even University veterinary schools, AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association), AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners), WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association), etc. have been recommending minimizing vaccinating for years.

These are their “core” vaccination programs which are designed to decrease risk from giving un-needed vaccines.

Only rabies vaccination is mandated by law. The others are optional.

That makes it easier to reduce the risks of vaccinating. Many of these are described in the 866 page National Institute of Medicine’s “Adverse Effects From Vaccines” book.

There’s nothing controversial about any of this. These are well accepted facts.

Fear and the Benefit from the one Required Vaccine

ASIA, anaphylaxis, allergy and cancer may be some of the risks, but where’s the benefit?

In the case of rabies, the benefits are our pets remaining legal and possibly protecting them from a scary and fatal disease.

Other than rabies every 3 years*, there is no legal requirement to vaccinate.

Yet many of us vaccinate much more frequently. There’s one main reason that we do so.

Fear.

Fear of potentially serious and sometimes even fatal diseases.

Fear of the unknown.

What if…?

The good news is that fear of unknown risk can easily be reduced by considering the risk of exposure to these infectious organisms.

That’s pretty easy to determine. Look at your pets’ lifestyles.

Then ask your veterinarian and fellow pet parents whether they know of any recent local cases of parvo, panleukopenia, distemper, etc. And just call your town health department to see if there have been any cases of rabies in your area.

If cases of parvo, flu, rabies, etc. are rampant in your area, you may choose to vaccinate.

How to Reduce Risk from Vaccinating

If you do so, there are safe and effective ways to reduce the risks from the toxins in vaccines.

The most effective way is to look closely at whether your pets are healthy enough to get vaccinated. Click here for an article that gives you another way to reduce the risk. Especially if you need (by law) to vaccinate an unhealthy (internally imbalanced) pet.

However, determining this level of health is not as easy as finding exposure risk.

Fortunately, you can learn this and significantly decrease this risk by closely observing your pet’s symptoms.

Symptoms like the Holistic Actions! BEAM (Behavior, Energy, Appetite, Mood) symptoms and the early warning signs are great clues of any internal imbalance.

If any of these clues are found, then vaccination carries an extra risk. Correct internal imbalances before vaccinating in order to decrease it.

Externally observable and internally measurable symptoms reflect balance and health.

Unhealthy pets should not be vaccinated.

So “follow the symptoms” (they are better than money in this context!)

Vaccine manufacturers ask you not to vaccinate unhealthy pets for a reason. Unhealthy pets are internally imbalanced and much more likely to develop vaccinosis (state of energetic imbalance and mild to life-threatening illness occurring after an animal or person receives a vaccination).

Yet we vaccinate unhealthy pets every day.

Are Vaccinated Pets Healthier?

We assume that we need to vaccinate in order to keep our pets healthy. But is that true?

Part of the problem is our current conventional definition of health. “Health” is defined as the absence of named diseases like “Parvoviral Enteritis” or “Rabies Encephalitis”.

Not the true internal wellness and balance that improves quality of life and reduces risk of vaccinosis.

Yet many of our pets suffer from chronic dis-eases (internal imbalances) as a result of over vaccinating. Which we often do out of fear. Fear of both infection as well as fear of symptoms.

Vaccination and symptom suppression are quick and easy. Anti-biotics, steroids, etc. are very effective for eliminating symptoms. But they do not treat the underlying problem.

In fact there’s documented evidence that doing so can make immune function and internal problems worse! And increase risk of infections and vaccinosis.

There’s also lots of clinical evidence that eliminating symptoms by correcting any underlying imbalance reduces risk. “The proof is in the pudding.”

Many other of the articles and resources you’ll find here discuss the significance of symptoms and how to use them to re-balance your pet. So we won’t be going into that here.

Suffice it to say that symptoms reflect health and balance. You can use them to reduce the risks from vaccinating.

Recognizing and optimizing wellness also increases resistance to infection.

Please avoid automatically giving “Shots in the dark” before you research the risks and benefits of vaccinating.

Your pets will thank you.

Practicing Proactive Prevention and Treatment to Best Help Our Pets (Brain Tumor Case)

Practicing Proactive Prevention and Treatment to Best Help Our Pets (Brain Tumor Case)

by | HA! for Diseases, HA! Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM)

Seemingly without warning, your beloved companion animal develops a life-threatening illness.

Sue and Bear’s story can help you decide what to do.

Bear is a playful eight year young Bulldog. All of a sudden he started having seizures.

His worried guardian brought him to a neurologist who ran diagnostic tests that showed a large brain tumor.

Why did this happen?

Sue had tried to do everything right. She fed local raw meats in variety, minimized vaccines and drugs, didn’t use any flea or tick poisons, etc.

Important Questions – HMDM Method

What happened and what can Sue do now?

Her HMDM (Holistic Medical Decision Making) STEP 1 goal is to get Bear as healthy, in any way, for him to have the best quality of life for as long as possible.

That brought Sue to HMDM STEP 2. Investigate the problem and learn all of the possible treatments.

Her neurologist laid out the current conventional options. These were steroids and other chemotherapy, surgery and Cyberknife (radiation). None of them would save Bear’s life, but they might buy him a few months.

This didn’t seem like much time. Especially considering all of the side-effects and quality of life lowering limitations of each.

So Sue quickly (she didn’t have much time to help Bear) moved on in her research. And learned more about everything from special diets, nutritional supplements, acupuncture, etc. that were claimed to help seriously ill dogs.

Bear had already tried some of these holistic treatments prior to skin tumors had been removed. None of them seemed suited to this dire situation.

A week went by and Bear was getting worse. It was time to move on to HMDM STEP 3.

The Answer and Holistic Action!

During Sue’s research, Bear’s guardian learned more about the holistic and homeopathic perspective. One that was not currently accepted conventionally, but which could help.

The brain tumor might have resulted from a subtle internal energetic imbalance.

The idea being that the imbalance first resulted in seemingly minor problems like his skin tumors. Even though they were removed, the underlying cause persisted.

It therefore made sense to address this underlying problem directly. Even if most US veterinarians said that it was not “real”. As Bear’s guardian learned, this was not the case elsewhere.

She therefore chose to find a veterinarian who could treat this way and work alongside her neurologist. Her veterinary team was complemented by holistic practitioners of massage, Reiki, flower essences and other gently supportive methods. Everything possible to give Bear the best possible life.

Fine-tuning the Vital Force

Sue was then introduced to the homeopathic concept of regaining health by listening very closely to Bear’s body. Apparently it had been “talking” to her all along. Through the externally visible and internally measurable symptoms.

They could then be used to treat him. Veterinary and MD homeopaths had hundreds of years of successful clinical outcomes. Even in critical cases and during otherwise fatal epidemics.

Treating and monitoring Bear using this approach required commitment on Sue’s part. She started keeping a daily journal of symptoms and responses to treatment.

In order to best use this seemingly unrelated information she touched base with her veterinary homeopath every few days.frequent short checkins with your homeopath will help your pets

That way, she was best able to help. By frequently evaluating symptom changes, both the underlying energetic balance and any side-effects from conventional treatments could be reduced.

At this time, Bear’s story is not finished, but he continues to be a happy boy.

You can also learn to help your pets as Sue did. The free resources on this site will get you started. If you’d like to go even further, Holistic Actions! Academy is here to help.

Why Routine Diagnostic Tests are so Important

Why Routine Diagnostic Tests are so Important

by | HA! Homeopathy, HA! Staying Healthy

Your nine year young pup or kitty seems fine. But she’s not.

The veterinarian just called with the blood test results from her wellness check up: thyroid, liver and kidney markers were abnormal. On top of that, the vet said she has an infection because her white count is very high.

Uh oh! What should you do?

Don’t panic!

Diagnostic test results like these are internal and otherwise hidden symptoms. Not much different than the external and readily apparent symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea. Just not as obvious.

You wouldn’t have even known that there was a problem were it not for the “routine” testing that was done.

All symptoms are only indicators of an internal imbalance. Both internal symptoms like liver test abnormalities and external symptoms like vomiting are clues to the physiologic functioning of the body. Invaluable clues. Clues to be cherished and embraced.

The abnormalities can often be fully corrected. The amount of improvement depends on the progression of the underlying dis-ease. This can be measured.

Adding together all symptoms tells you what to do next

For example, if everything seems fine but one of the results is still abnormal, you know that continued care and monitoring is needed.

Non-invasive diagnostic testing is therefore very, very helpful.

However, how these tests are interpreted and acted upon can make the difference between life and death.

How Your Pet’s Behavior is Related to Brain Dis-eases Like Seizures

How Your Pet’s Behavior is Related to Brain Dis-eases Like Seizures

by | HA! for Diseases, HA! Pet Behavior, HA! Seizures

Some of you have asked, how behavior problems and brain dis-eases (“dis-ease” is another way of saying imbalance) are connected.

That’s an easy one!

All parts of your pet’s body work together as a system. Not like a car made up of separate parts. A car may function normally with a broken tail light or window. You may not even know that there is a problem. This is not true of a computer or an animal.

The living being is a unified whole (as in “holistic”). Sensitive feedback mechanisms connect every part of the body.  For example, it is the brain that sees and hears. The bacteria that live in the guts effect the immune system and emotions! All parts of the body work together.

separation anxiety in a dog with brain disease curable with Holistic ActionsMeet Daphne

Daphne is a great example. She’s a six year young rescue Border Collie. Four years ago she started developing some fearful behavior. As the years went on, her odd behavior and fears worsened. She became over-sensitive to many noises and other environmental stimuli.

Then she started having seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy. Her seizures were directly related to her odd behaviors, anxieties and fears.

At first her fears and seizures were rare, but over time they became more and more frequent. As her health worsened, her previously joyful life got smaller and smaller. She had to stop participating in her favorite agility classes, hikes, etc.

However, now that her seizures are under better control she is starting to get her life back. And her behavior is better. Why? Because the seizures, like other brain dis-eases, are directly related to her behavior.

And there are very specific Holistic Actions! that you can take today which can help. You can learn more about how to help your pets with behavior problems and brain dis-eases by joining Holistic Actions! Academy.

Be well,

Dr. Jeff

 

The Case of Razz’s Disappearing Mouth Tumor

The Case of Razz’s Disappearing Mouth Tumor

by | HA! Cancer, HA! for Diseases

Meet Razz

Razz has a great life! He gets to run with his guardian almost every day, loves playing, training and competing with other dogs.

He is so well-adjusted (“Bombproof” as Patti, Razz’s guardian says) because he has been holistically and homeopathically treated since he was a puppy. Actually, even before that since his breeder (also a veterinarian) was treating his mom homeopathically. But we’ll dive into improving health over the generations in another post or Empower Hour! online class.

Patti examines Razz closely every day. She removes any ticks, checks his ears, mouth etc. to make sure that he’s in tip top shape. One day she found a growth in his mouth that was not there the day before.

mouth tumor in dog sudden onset likely an epulis

“This wasn’t here the other day!”

Being a proactive pet parent, Patti coincidentally had her monthly routine recheck for Razz the next day. During the appointment, all of Razz’s current symptoms were evaluated. Even though the new mouth tumor was Patti’s main concern.

This allowed a medicine to be found that addressed Razz’s totality. Not just the tumor.

Within a week Patti noticed that the tumor was almost gone. Holistically individualizing Razz’s symptoms allowed us to harness the healing power of nature. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy were avoided!

You can easily learn to use the Holistic Medical Decision Making method too. Join Holistic Actions! community below.

Be well.

Dr. Jeff

 

Symptoms Are The Path To Healing

Symptoms Are The Path To Healing

by | HA! for Diseases, HA! Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM), HA! Staying Healthy

Main take home message:Acute symptoms reflect internal health. How you treat them really matters.

Let’s look at one of the very best ways to help your companion animals today while improving their overall health.

That is – understanding signs and symptoms. You do not need to be a doctor to do this.

All you need to do is to learn how to describe symptom details. Working with the clues that your pets bodies are giving you will help them get better. Without the frequent relapses that are so common nowadays!

Here’s a real life situation to better understand the Holistic Actions! approach to treating symptoms while improving health. This one happens to be in a human animal.

Amy’s Case

Amy (Dr. Jeff’s wife) woke up with a badly swollen lip. Her lower lip was twice its usual size. This sudden odd symptom was doubly strange because only half of it was swollen.

  • She was fine when she went to sleep.
  • She hadn’t eaten any unusual foods.
  • Maybe something bit her overnight?
  • What did Amy’s swollen lip symptom mean? And what should be done about it?

Amy’s swollen lip was a fabulous observable sign. Her body was saying something. That’s the simple message that signs and symptoms convey.

Simple?

Anyone that can communicate can do it!

You don’t need a doctorate to understand the symptom language of the body. Don’t worry about all of the internal physiologic complexity. It is however helpful to know that the physiologic changes that result in symptoms are secondary to an underlying cause. The primary abnormality is simple and can be understood by all.

Conventional medicine either ignores the underlying cause or calls them “triggers”. Triggers are things like foods, pollens, stress, etc.

Holistically however we look at all of the underlying causes. We see that most dis-ease symptoms are caused by an energetic imbalance. This knowledge is thousands of years old. It is the basis for modern medicine in India, China, and many other countries.

The energetic basis for dis-ease is not considered at this time in most of the U.S or Canada. Despite this, many MDs and veterinarians understand dis-ease as an imbalance.

Symptoms are our best way to see, understand and fix that imbalance.

Amy’s swollen lip is observable evidence of an internal imbalance – what MDs would call a symptom. In non-verbal species it is called a sign (so your vet might look at you funny if you tell her about your pet’s symptoms).

The body’s symptomatic response to its’ environment is more important than the trigger. The way any symptom looks is a direct reflection of the individual.

Start Today

Use this important concept by observing and describing symptoms. Doing so will help you resolve them permanently. And at the same time improve health and resistance to all dis-eases.

Correctly interpreting signs and symptoms allows proper treatment of the underlying problem. Long-term health is improved when we treat this underlying tendency to produce specific symptoms. Treating this tendency helps reduce recurrence of the problem. Drug treatment can not help in this way.

For example, many pets are prone to hot spots in one specific location. And what do you mean by a “hot spot” anyway? Is it oozing (yellow, green, clear), is it red, hairless, smelly, etc.

Or maybe the ear “infection” is in one ear but not the other.

The way symptoms look help you put them into context of longer term health.

Back to Amy’s fat lip and why neither of us were too alarmed by it. We both knew that even symptoms that look bad usually are not. As long as B.E.A.M. is normal.

Amy received a single dose of a homeopathic medicine. It was chosen based on all of her symptoms. Not only the swelling. After the dose her lip quickly improved. The swelling symptom was gone altogether after the second dose.

Signs and symptoms should not inspire fear. Instead, they should be understood. Your vet homeopath can help you understand them in the bigger picture of helping your pets have happier and longer lives.

Be well. Keep your pets balanced.

Dr. Jeff

How the B.E.A.M. Symptoms Can Transport Your Itchy Pet To Better Health

How the B.E.A.M. Symptoms Can Transport Your Itchy Pet To Better Health

by | HA! for Diseases, HA! Skin

Hot spots and skin infections are dangerous.

When you look good you feel good.

Neither is true.

Yet they motivate us to act rashly when caring for our beloved companion animals.

Believing these fallacies can harm our pets (and ourselves!). We’re afraid of the possibility of self -trauma breaking the skin and causing (secondary) bacterial and yeast infections. We get scared of skin symptoms so we cover them up. Quickly. Often with very strong medications.

Fear is the motivator of a lot that we do. It doesn’t need to be that way.

Rapid removal of skin symptoms may help us sleep better (no itching to wake us up) and help our animals look good externally. But at what price? Shorter lives. Lower quality of life. Aren’t these most important?

Let’s put it all together

By doing so, they can both look good and feel good. And live longer. We can have our 30 year old cats and 15 year old Great Danes back!

How? By balancing our quick action and rush visits to the veterinarian with mindful treatment. Get that exam and treatment opinion. Visit the vet dermatologist if needed. They can help you identify and avoid your companion animal’s allergic triggers.

Then pause. Let the wisdom of the body be your guide. Take advantage of the sacred paws that helps you do what is best for you and your animal. Especially when it comes to removing rashes. There’s no need to be afraid of them and immediately treat them aggressively with steroids (or Atopica, or Apoquel, or Cytopoint, etc.).

We’re blessed with clues from the Vital body. The greater the Vitality, the stronger the clues. Use them. Don’t lose them (symptom clues). Symptoms and their treatment don’t need to scare you into quick action. There is a simple way to calm the frantic fears that are shortening our pet’s lives.

That is by following the B.E.A.M. symptoms. Knowing and using them will make a huge difference in quality and length of life. B.E.A.M. puts skin symptoms back where they belong. Into the overall context of having a healthy pet. Not just one that temporarily looks good and seems to feel better.

So what are these “magical” B.E.A.M. symptoms?

  1. B=Behavior
  2. E=Energy
  3. A=Appetite
  4. M=Mood

Simple, right? Yes. Simple but powerful. Using them will let your animals shine. B.E.A.M. symptoms should not be getting worse during treatment. No matter how you do it. If any of them are worsening, stop what you’re doing. Re-evaluate. Look at the bigger picture. Interpret skin symptoms within the context of long-term health.

Be well.

Dr. Jeff

Holistic Actions for Pets That Vomit

Holistic Actions for Pets That Vomit

by | HA! Digestion, HA! for Diseases

What Throwing Up Can Mean for Your Pets

If you have a dog or cat who has a history of throwing up (vomiting), you may be worried. You want to stop the vomiting and help. This is natural and important.

You can help the most by learning more about the symptom of vomiting. Once you know more, you can use that information to make better decisions about what to do. Both quickly and through your companion animal’s life.

There is a difference between healing and just resolving the immediate problem. Healing both relieves symptoms and improves the patient’s life. 

 In all ways. Not only symptomatic relief.

For example, in our recent Lyme webinar, we discovered that Lyme is an over diagnosed and over treated disease. Overall healthy dogs exposed to Lyme don’t get sick. The strong immune system neutralizes any harmful effects from the Lyme bacteria. Anti-biotics may relieve the acute symptom, but they also can contribute to future problems.

In patients who throw up, using Prilosec or Pepcid to temporarily relieve symptoms is common practice. Proton pump inhibitors and H2 blocking anti-histamines may (or may not) relieve the symptoms. But your pets deserve longer term relief without the potential side-effects of medications. The holistic and homeopathic methods of understanding your pets are here to help. Their scientific framework can even help predict which patients may benefit from or suffer a side-effect from any medicine.

Any dis-ease symptom may resolve in the short term, but the quick fix doesn’t improve future health or dis-ease resistance.

Why is closely examining specific symptoms so important? Because understanding them is a way of learning more about the body and the healing process. The more we understand the signs and symptoms produced by the body, the more we understand how the body works. 

Symptoms are a clue that there may be a deeper issue.

Let’s start our understanding of “vomiting” by differentiating it from regurgitation.



The Difference Between Vomiting and Regurgitation

Vomiting is active. It may appear as though the whole body is involved in the effort and you’ll see the stomach muscles contract. Often, they’ll vomit several times in a row.

Regurgitation is passive. It does not involve the forceful contraction of stomach muscles. Both vomiting and regurgitation can occur right after eating or drinking, or up to several hours later. In both cases the vomitus can look just like the food that was eaten.

If you don’t observe the act, then you can’t tell the difference. In order to fully describe vomiting, you have to observe it. Could there be an environmental modification or other holistic action that could stop the symptom (vomiting)? Perhaps you can just move a houseplant or switch food batches.

Other environmental and preventable causes include “garbage gut”, consumable toys (and toy parts-especially eyes and squeakers), strings, ribbon. garland, etc.

Another consideration is the frequency. Is the vomiting sporadic? Is it common (but not “normal”, even for cats)?

Your observed and described details along with your veterinarian’s physical exam findings, and diagnostic tests can determine the cause of the vomiting and predict effective holistic actions.

Common Causes for Throwing Up

1. Dietary “indiscretions” and overeating (as seen with “scarf and barfers”)
2. Toxicities and sensitivities (foods, plants, etc.)
3. Foreign Bodies
4. Drug induced (many)
5. Infectious and inflammatory
6. Motility dis-orders (like am bilious vomiting syndrome)
7. Hormonal (e.g. associated with heats)
8. Vomiting as one part of a group of “syndrome” symptoms (e.g. Cushing’s, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, etc.)
9. “Normal” vomiting? (common but not normal)

The best outcomes in dogs and cats that vomit can be seen when you look at the full picture of the individual. The holistic medical framework lets you do just that.

When Do You Take Your Pet for an Emergency Evaluation?

These are all times to take your pet into your vet or the emergency ER.

1. Persistent vomiting or retching
2. Moderate (like a tsp.) to large amounts (like a cup) of blood in vomit
3. Toxin exposure (and ingestion)
4. Breathing and choking problems (use your quick home exam)
5. Pain or isolating
6. Unproductive retching or bloating
7. Puppy or kitten repeated vomiting (was there a recent vaccination?)
8. Abnormal home exam (e.g., vitals, gum color and moistness, skin recoil, gum capillary refill)

When in doubt err on the side of caution.

What to do if you go to the ER?

1. The examination will help rule out an acute foreign body and any needed (indicated) lab work can quickly rule out dehydration from internal fluid shifts (as in HGE) and vomiting.

2. Supportive care with fluids, resting of the gastrointestinal system and observation.

3. You can spend (or save) a lot of money with emergency hospital diagnostic testing. Most of the time, quick screening tests (BUN, creatinine, red and white count etc.) are the only tests that are urgently needed.  You can save hundreds of dollars by asking the ER doc if the tests can be done instead later by your family veterinarian.

The goal of your trip to the ER is to have a vet use their expertise to tell you if your pet has a life-threatening problem, and if so, starting to treat. Not to run expensive (and sometimes not indicated) tests “just in case”. Newly minted veterinarians may be prone to this and often staff animal ERs (I know, because I was one myself in 1985).

The more details you can share with the medical personnel, the faster the problem will be solved. Details like, how much and how often your pet vomits are critical. Knowing the contents of the vomitus is also very helpful. What’s in it?? Is there a “real” hairball, large amounts of blood (bright red, black, clots?) or foreign material. What is the consistency, color, does it have a strong odor? Are they any known triggers? How problematic and persistent is the vomiting? These factors help determine symptom context and significance.

Environmental sensitivities (modalities) are the best way to individualize your pet. This is how your companion animal’s body responds to various stimuli. Even though this information may not mean much to the ER vet, it is very important to know in order to resolve the internal cause for the vomiting.

Modification of symptoms by factors like when they happen, if they are better or worse inside or outside, response to environmental temperatures. Is there vomiting related to eating or drinking, pooping or peeing? Better alone or following you everywhere and wanting to be close are especially important in vomiting pets.

Other important clues include multiple symptoms happening at the same time (concomitants), like diarrhea + vomiting, etc.

It’s the ER vet’s goal just to rule out and treat emergencies. But as the full time guardian of your pet, you want to be sure you have all of the information you need to do the best.

It’s also important to know how and when to induce vomiting when it is associated with a foreign body or potentially toxic ingestion (like. In the case of a toxin, induce vomiting immediately using hydrogen peroxide. You can use a turkey baster to orally give as much as needed until vomiting starts. The peroxide bubbles up in the stomach to start the vomiting reflex and then it just becomes plain H2O (from H2O2).

Foreign body ingestion is another great time to induce vomiting. It’s better to prevent future potential obstructions than to have to treat them.

However, don’t induce vomiting when the ingested material can damage the throat when it comes back up. When there has been a caustic substance ingestion or eating of a sharp foreign body, it’s best not to induce vomiting.

After the emergency is over, review your pet’s lifestyle paying special attention to possible predisposing factors to the vomiting. Many vomiting causes can be found in the diet, activity level, environment and in over and unnecessary supplementation. Adjusting these periodically promotes healing in your pet’s body.

Prescription and over the counter medicines are also a big cause for vomiting. Avoid them when possible. Higher doses and longer duration of use can be especially problematic. Vomiting from arthritis medicines and other anti-inflammatories, anti-biotics, etc. is common.  Sucralfate is one medicine prescribed commonly in vomiting pets that is usually safe to use (though not in pets with kidney dis-eases. It’s not absorbed well and works locally to coat and soothe vomiting-related problems.

Fasting is the single most effective but simple and safe Holistic Action that you can take. Resting the gut while it heals and regenerates works wonders.

Once the acute problem calms down, you can further support the body by feeding small bland meals, using liquid aloe vera, and supplements like Alicaid, Nutrigest, probiotics + probiotic multipliers, digestive enzymes, etc. It’s important for you to understand that supplements are supporting the natural healing process, but they’re not eliminating the underlying problem. Doing so may be enough to resolve acute vomiting, but not in chronic vomiting. To fully address the underlying chronic problem, you will need to understand the vomiting in context including your pet’s individuality.

Now What?

The current non-holistic advice is that there is no need for any action if the vomiting resolves. Some vomiting is “normal” after all. Especially if your dog or cat is eating (at all), and is bright and alert. Right?

However, by interpreting the (seemingly) isolated vomiting within the full context of your companion animal’s totality, you can make good use of this information. If you are working with a veterinary homeopath, we can use these early warning signals to prevent future severe vomiting episodes.

Here are some Holistic Actions that you can take. Today!

1. Define the problem- is it vomiting or regurgitation (or even a retching cough)?
2. Restrict Food and Water
3. Determine if ER needed for supportive care
4. Support with Fluids, aloe
5. Question use of steroids and anti-biotics (rarely indicated)
6. Observe and record in detail
7. Homeopathic treatment (modalities and concomitants key)

Even if you are not working with someone who can interpret common but abnormal vomiting (or other symptoms), you should at least record the symptoms for future reporting. A great place to do that is Dr. Christina Chambreau’s “Healthy Animal” journal.

Here’s where your observing and describing and recording come in handy. Start now and practice. Good observers are usually made, not born that way.

There are many ways to holistically resolve vomiting. Perhaps the most important take-away is for you to continue building up confidence in yourself. You are a critical part of your holistic vet care team. Embracing this fact will help you care for your pet when dealing with vomiting or other symptoms.

Educate yourself on the holistic medical scientific framework. Doing so will help you to solve both acute and recurring health challenges. Even better, knowing the significant factors will help you promote wellness and prevent dis-ease.

Be well.

Dr. Jeff