Alternative Treatments for Animals: A Guide to Naturally Healing Cats, Dogs, Horses, and More for Owners and Caregivers

by Lisa Preston, Race Foster (Foreword by)

Overview

With alternative treatments as diverse as acupuncture, homeopathy, or feng shui, give your pets the best care—naturally.

In addition to traditional veterinary treatments, modern pet owners are now offered a wide range of alternative treatments for their animals. This authoritative guide, illuminated by case histories and personal experiences, will help pet owners and caregivers understand and select from a wealth of options.

Discussing the scope of illnesses and conditions that different approaches are intended to aid, pet expert Lisa Preston covers the strengths and limitations of today’s most popular alternative therapy methods and offers solid advice on choosing a practitioner and integrating care. Alternative treatments discussed include:

• Chiropractic
• Homeopathic
• Naturopathic
• Holistic
• And more!

We all want what is best for our pets. In that spirit, this book allows us to make sure they get just that.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510751422
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	295,893
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 5.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Lisa Preston turned to writing after careers as a fire department paramedic and a city police officer. She is the author of the highly acclaimed, best-selling novels, Orchids and Stone and Measure of the Moon and the Horseshoer Mystery Series. She is also the author of several non-fiction books and articles on the care and training of dogs and horses. Away from her desk, she spends hours on backcountry trails as a runner and rider, sometimes combining her two outdoor pursuits via the obscure sport of Ride and Tie. She lives with her husband, their Malinois, and two Akhal Tekes on Washington State's vast Olympic Peninsula. lisapreston.com

Lisa Preston graduated from Oregon Health Science University’s Advanced Paramedic Training program. After a career in paramedicine, she worked for many years as an investigator. She has tried or observed many of the alternative treatments in this book and studied them all. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.
 
Race Foster, DVM, received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University. A member of the Michigan and Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Associations, Dr. Foster is the coauthor of four books on pet health, care, and behavior, and has served as a member of the board for the Michigan State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. He lives in Minocqua, Wisconsin.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Introduction to the New Edition ix

Part 1 Critical Thinking

Orientation: Before You Explore 2

List of Alternative Treatments 5

Do You Have to Be A Believer? The Skeptics' Story A dog with persistent canine lick granuloma is treated with acupuncture 8

The Big Boom in Alternative Treatments 10

Know What Is Natural and What Is Nonsense 13

Science, Proof, and Placebos 15

The Smart Consumer 21

A Nonbeliever Goes into the Mystic: Jek and the Psychic A dog with a mysterious past is taken to an animal psychic 24

Part 2 The Alternative Therapies

Touch, Supplementation, Mystical, and More 28

Special Report: Acupuncture 35

Touch Therapies 40

Myofascial Release, Trigger Points, and Dead Tissue Adhesions are broken and hyperreactive muscles are switched off 47

Supplementation Therapies 55

Topical Application: The Cyborg Horse A horse with an unexplained tumor is scheduled for euthanasia, and then saved 57

Mystical Therapies 86

Bird of No Paradise Light, color, and crystals to improve a parrot's mood 88

Other Alternative Therapies 95

Aquapuncture: The Weal of Fortune Small injections hold acupuncture pressure on a horse 96

Hair of the Dog: Alternative Analysis Assessing a dog's health by testing her fur 105

Part 3 The Alternative Therapists

Chiropractors, Homeopaths, Naturopaths, Holistic Vets, and More 140

What Is a Chiropractor? 142

Chiropractic: Adjusting Perceptions Many bodies, many methods 146

What Is a Homeopath? 149

Pain in the Gut: Homeopathic Ulcer Treatment Stomach ulcers in horses treated with a homeopathic preparation 154

What Is a Naturopath? 156

What Is a Holistic Veterinarian? 159

Holistic Health: Da A stringhalt horse gets chiropractic, homeopathy, lasers, magnets, and more 162

Who Are the Specialists? 165

Part 4 It's Your Choice

How and When to Choose Alternative Treatments 172

How to Choose Alternatives for Your Animal 174

The Cat's Meow: Raccoon 1, Kitty 0 Modern medicine steps in for a dying cat 179

When to Choose Alternative Treatments 181

The Shopping Trip: Nutrition, Evidence, and Straw Checking in with a specialty store, checking in with science 186

Point and Counterpoint: Nutritionists and Tradition v Hard Science and Dead Ponies 193

Integration 195

Resources 198

References 209

Index 218

About the Author 230

Editorial Reviews

A great job of covering this material.” —Professor Hilary M. Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRCVS, Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University

From the Publisher