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Alternative Medicine

Acupuncture is the insertion of very thin, sterile needles into specific anatomical "points" or locations that can create a variety of beneficial effects in animals and humans. Acupuncture on animals has been practiced for over 4000 years in Asia, and has been used in the United States since the 1970's.

• The acupuncture treatment is relatively painless to the animal, although they may find it an unusual sensation, and not be comfortable with having to stand still for fifteen minutes, which is the average length of an acupuncture treatment.
• Acupuncture can treat arthritis, Neurological problems, gastrointestinal problems, skin problems, and can even enhance the functioning of organs that have been diagnosed as "failing" by conventional veterinarians.
• It can take 3-6 treatments to determine how well acupuncture will work for your pet. The acupuncture appointments last 25-30 minutes and may include an in-depth evaluation of your pet each time you come into the office, depending upon its progress.

Herbal Medicine is the use of botanical compounds, either as single components of a botanical medical remedy or as part of a multiple component botanical medical remedy. Herbs have been used successfully to treat animals for over 6000 years throughout the world, and are still in use in many ethnomedical systems.

• Archeological evidence indicates that early hominids observed animals using plants for food and medicines, and by emulating their use of these plants, began the art and science of herbal medicine for humans. Our domestic animals have lost much of their herbal instinctual knowledge. Dr. Silver believes that it is very appropriate, in view of this historical perspective, that we humans give back to them the benefits that we have learned from their ancestors by practicing herbal medicine on animals.
• For the most part, herbs are safe to use (much safer than the pharmaceuticals that we routinely accept as safe). Herbs work on many levels within an animal's system, promoting the animals' innate healing powers to come into play. Many herbs have almost drug-like effects, and can (more safely than pharmaceuticals) improve digestion, reduce inflammation, enhance healing, stop bleeding, fight infection, clear up urinary tract infections, unclogged stuffed nostrils and sinuses, and so on.

Nutraceutical Medicine is the use of compounds that have been isolated and concentrated pharmaceutically from food materials. Vitamins and amino acids are one example. Glucosamine sulfate and chondroiten sulfate are other examples. When used properly these compounds are extremely safe and can be of far greater benefit to the body that when taken in their whole food form, mainly due to their concentrated nature. These compounds can work much faster in the body than whole foods and for the pet that is in pain or has a serious disease, the use of these compounds will hasten the healing of the problem.

Complementary Medicine (AKA: Integrative Medicine) is defined as the integration of conventional medical principles and practices with "alternative" medical principles and practices. What this means is that the complementary veterinary medical doctors will choose from both medical systems to find the best combination of therapies that are the most safe and effective means of helping their patients get well and stay that way.

Dietary Recommendations will be made to suit the individuality of your animals' METAbolism and state of health. Home-made diets have been found to be the single most effective nutritional tool available to help your pet.

• Not everyone is suited to prepare these diets for life style, time constraints, philosophy and motivational reasons. Compromise diets have been developed that utilize the best quality commercial foods available combined with antioxidants, omega three oils, digestive enzymes and probiotics, as well as a smattering of healthy leftovers from your own meals.
• Good nutrition doesn't need to be a chore, but it does need to be more than just feeding your pet out of a bag or a can. Commercial foods fed alone may be one of the biggest causes of disease in our pets in modern times.