Natural Treatment Alternatives

Spyglass Sally · 01-19-2010, 07:02 PM

Since a number of us are interested in alternative treatments for illness' or possible preventive measures, AussieGirl asked me to put something together.

A few caveats & disclaimers:

These are some natural treatments that have been well researched and reported helpful for the conditions listed.
The FDA only allows drugs to claim the ability to treat, cure or prevent disease, no matter how much evidence there is that a vitamin, herb or other therapy is effective.
Please consult your veterinarian for information related to diagnosis and treatment of disease. Use your own judgment as to the safety or efficacy of any treatment for your pet.

A few recommendations:

This summary draws primarily from the Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats, however all the above books are excellent sources of information and have also contributed to this treatments list. Please consult them and/or a holistic vet (find one here) for doses and more complete information about use of supplements, diet, megavitamin (Orthomolecular) therapy, homeopathy, acupuncture and many other treatment options.

The intent of this list is only to make you aware of other options and where to begin to look. Holistic medicine is not “cookbook” medicine and relies heavily on an assessment of your pet, its history of health, illness, vaccines, nutritional status, emotional state, personality idiosyncrasies and more. It does not offer quick solutions by covering up or masking symptoms but instead seeks to treat the underlying imbalance and support the body’s innate ability to heal itself.

Hopefully this list will promote discussion of what worked or other ideas and thoughts.

Allergies

Principal Natural Treatments:
Orthomolecular therapy including vitamins A & C, topical decontamination via shampoo & conditioner, omega-3 fatty acids, natural diet.
Other natural treatments:
Digestive enzymes, antioxidants, MSM, proanthocyanidins, herbal therapies including topical use of aloe, witch hazel, licorice, Oregon grape, peppermint, chamomile, calendula, juniper, lavender, rose bark, uva ursi, and the oral use of alfalfa, aloe vera, burdock root, dandelion, Echinacea, feverfew, garlic, German chamomile, Ginkgo biloba, goldenseal, licorice root, nettle, red clover, Oregon grape, yarrow, and yellow dock. Also, natural hydrocortisone (Pet Health Pharmacy), Betathyme (Doctors Mutual), Kai Yeung, AOX/PLX (Biovet), a spray called Eco-VM (Imhotep), Traumeel ointment (Heel), homeopathic: “Allergy”, “Skin” and “Ear Inflammation” ( BHI).

Arthritis

Principal Natural Treatments:
Natural diet, glucosamine, chondroitin, PSGAGs, shark cartilage, bovine cartilage, perna, sea cucumber, acupuncture.
Other natural treatments:
Natural diet, SM, antioxidants including vitamins A, C, D & E, omega-3 fatty acids, magnets, SAMe, herbs including alfalfa, boswellia, dandelion root, devil’s claw, Echinacea (rheumatoid arthritis),feverfew (rheumatoid arthritis), German chamomile, ginger, garlic, gotu kola, horsetail, licorice, topical, capsaicin (cayenne), turmeric, white willow bark, yarrow, yellow dock (rheumatoid arthritis). Also “Ar-Ease” (Crystal Star), superoxide dismutase (aka SOD), “Arthritis” (BHI), homeopathic: Rhus toxicodendron, Silicea, and Belladona.

Bladder Infections

Principal Natural Treatments:
Natural diet, cranberry extract, d-mannose.
Other natural treatments:
Coenzyme Q10, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, C & E, antioxidants, herbs: alfalfa, dandelion leaf, Echinacea, goldenseal, horsetail, marshmallow, plantain, Oregon grape, uva ursei, yarrow; and maitake mushrooms. Also “Bladder”, “Inflammation” (BHI), “Bladder Irritation” (BioForce or Natra Bio), and Tinkle Caps (Crystal Star).

Diarrhea/Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Principal Natural Treatments:
Rest the bowel (severe diarrhea), glutamine, natural diet, orthomolecular therapy, antioxidants, enzymes, probiotics/probiotics, slippery elm, charcoal capsules.
Other natural treatments:
MSM, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, DMG, aloe vera, boswellia (ulcerative colitis), calendula, chamomile, marshmallow, and raspberry leaf. Also, “Diarrhea” (BHI), “Diar-Relief” (Dr. Goodpet), Acetylator (Vetri-Science) for chronic diarrhea

Ear Infections

Principal Natural Treatments:
Aloe vera, sweet almond oil and calendula.
Other natural treatments:
Apple cider vinegar (diluted) rinse, Halo herbal ear wash, green tea rinse, homeopathic: pulsatilla, silicea, belladonna and calcarea carbonica.

Fleas & Ticks

Principal Natural Treatments:
Garlic and brewer’s yeast (possible prevention). Remove whole tick using Tick Twister type implement.
Other natural treatments:
Neem, citronella, diatomaceous earth, sodium polysorbate, beneficial nematodes, garlic (oral), burdock root (oral), dandelion (oral), and pennyroyal oil (oral, potential toxicity!). Also, d-limonene, “Flea & Tick” (Quantum), Herbal Internal Powder (Earth’s Animal), herbal flea collar and homeopathic: sulphur, and calcarea carbonica.

Heartworm

Principal Natural Treatments:
Natural diet, garlic & yeast (possible prevention).
Other natural treatments:
Black walnut, wormwood, homeopathic nosodes.

Infections

Principal Natural Treatments:
None.
Other natural treatments:
Natural diet, antioxidants, orthomolecular therapy, colloidal silver, neem, olive leaf extract, aloe vera, astragalus, boswellia (ulcerative colitis), Echinacea, garlic, German chamomile (topical), ginger, goldenseal (topical), gotu kola, horsetail (urinary system), licorice, marshmallow, Oregon grape, sage, St. John’s wort, turmeric, uva ursi (urinary infections, alkaline urine), yarrow, reishi and maitake mushrooms, and homeopathic nosodes.

Intestinal Parasites

Principal Natural Treatments:
Garlic.
Other natural treatments:
Black walnut (potential toxicity), German chamomile, goldenseal, licorice, Oregon grape, wormwood (potential toxicity), yarrow, yucca, pumpkin seeds, digestive enzymes, reishi mushrooms, homeopathics: filix mas, nat phos, chenopodium. Also, Wormafuge (Medicine Wheel), Homeo Helminth (Dolisos), and Worm Parasite formula (Quantum).

Kennel Cough

Principal Natural Treatments:
Homeopathic nosodes, vitamins A, C & E.
Other natural treatments:
Natural diet, antioxidants, colloidal silver, neem, olive leaf extract, aloe vera, astragalus, Echinacea, garlic, ginger, gotu kola, licorice, marshmallow, Oregon grape, sage, St. John’s wort, turmeric, yarrow, reishi and maitake mushrooms. Also, herbal cough syrup: wild cherry bark, licorice, comfrey root, slippery elm, peppermint and mullein.

Mange/Ear Mites

Principal Natural Treatments:
Natural diet, garlic & brewer’s yeast, ground pumpkin seed, and vitamin E.
Other natural treatments:
Homeopathic sulfur, garlic, Echinacea, mullein flower oil (ear mites), yellow dock oil (ear mites), reishi mushrooms (ear mites). Also, Viola 12 and Astragalus 10 Plus (Seven Forests), tea tree oil and Selsun shampoo (may require the prescription strength).

Parvovirus

Principal Natural Treatments:
Homeopathic nosodes, glutamine, probiotics.
Other natural treatments:
Aloe vera juice, boswellia, calendula, chamomile, German chamomile, marshmallow, raspberry leaf, slippery elm. Also “Bleeding”, “Diarrhea” and “Intestine” (BHI), probiotics.

Vaccinosis

Principal Natural Treatments:
Thuja, lyssin, homeopathic nosodes.
Other natural treatments:
None.

AussieGirl · 01-19-2010, 07:15 PM

Thank you Sally. I think this will be a great resouce!
If anyone has some more they would like to add please do so.
If you have a question regarding your dog or one of the treatments mentioned please post in a new thread.

Jewels · 01-24-2010, 10:00 PM

Sally, how does a holistic vet work typically? I am very curious to hear anyone's experience with them. We are still trying to fix Daisy's diarrhea/whip worm/colitis/allergies....hopefully we will find out sooner then later what the underlying culprit is. You and other members provided great information to me a few weeks back that I am still reading and learning. But we think a holistic approach might be needed since the traditional medicine doesn’t seem to be working.

Do they work with your normal vet or do they typically disagree on how to treat the dog?

This is a great guide that you provided, but if you could provide more insight on how the vets (holistic and not) interact.

Spyglass Sally · 01-25-2010, 02:44 PM

Hi Julie,

Our holistic vet's (Dr. Ditonto) approach is very different than the traditional vet we'd gone to. She has all the same training and education as a traditional vet, plus has completed professional and advanced courses in veterinary homeopathy. She completed the American Veterinarian and Chiropractors Association sponsored Options for Animals Animal Chiropractic Course and the Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET) Course for Veterinarians as well.

The initial assessment typically takes 1-2 hours but may take longer depending on what type of discussions you get into. Ours was 3. It is the most through exam I've ever seen - even of humans! She had already reviewed the trad vet notes which we had faxed earlier. She then conducted an assessment of his health history including vaccine schedule, reactions, any illness', medications, surgery, emotional and psychological history & traits, a physical exam that includes a chiropractic evaluation. We also went over his diet and any possible areas of nutritional need since proper diet is considered a foundation of health. She made note of things like if he ever had discharge from his eyes or waxy ears, any itching, pustules - I can't even think of everything she asked about and we covered. She took her time and let us say whatever we wanted or ask her whatever seemed important or curious to us.

Unlike a trad vet who has a certain process looking for a symptom constellation that equates to a particular "disease" which is then treated with symptom suppressing drugs or perhaps surgery, a holistic vet looks at the entire animal for indications of where there may be imbalance and the body's attempt to compensate, purge or heal.

She does not give vaccines, except for Rabies (required by law) but works with the body's natural ability to fight off disease and build lifelong immunity. If someone wants heart worm medication (which she doesn't give to her dogs and she lives in a woods) she will provide that but doesn't use the 25# increments. Instead they are dosed for your dogs weight and not given every 30 days but (I think, not sure since we don't do that) 45-60 days, which still provides coverage. She does test yearly for heart worm in case there is an infection and then treats that, if it occurs. Since it takes a long time for hw to become dangerous to a dog, this works fine.

She studied homeopathy with Dr. Ricard Pitcairn and uses homeopathic remedies primarily. You can read about what remedy she gave Buddy after our visit and what happened here. We were very impressed initially and have been more so as time has gone on with changes in his behavior and emotional state.

You can find a vet that studied with Dr. Pitcairn here or a American Holistic Vet in Ohio here. I don't know about fee structure for where you live but I can tell you what we pay. The visits are $100/hour and fractionated for times less than that. After the initial visit, most of the time you do phone consults for routine follow up or new problems that don't require a physical assessment. The frequency is based on need. If she determines you need another homeopathic remedy it's mailed to you (since we live about an hour away) and I think they're about $10. It's a fair sized bottle and you don't need much so you save the rest in case you need it later. So you don't necessarily need something new each time. I would guess it's more money up front, but less money on going because you're not getting the shots and office visits as frequently but I guess that would depend a lot on how often you went and how much you had done.

She works with a trad vet, and sometimes it's required if the dog needs x-rays or something she doesn't do. There's nothing about what she does that really conflicts with trad vet medicine although a trad vet will probably philosophically disagree with it. However, there are things your trad vet may want to do that would interfere with what a holistic vet does.

For basic day to day care (non-emergent) I would think that you would need to decide which paradigm is more consistent with your beliefs about health - a systems (disease is diagnosed in separate bio-systems like cardio, GI/GU, etc) drug and surgery approach, or a holistic ('dis-ease' is an integrated expression of imbalance) view where treatment focuses on support of the innate healing system and restoring homeostasis (health). Because otherwise your trad vet will be giving your dog a drug to suppress the symptoms your holistic vet is trying to use as signposts in determining imbalance. Also, often the drugs themselves cause symptoms that can muddy the water of trying to figure out what's going on.

I hope that helps. Feel free to ask other questions if I've missed something.

Sally

Boxersbff · 01-31-2010, 03:15 PM

Hello to All!
I am so glad to have found a place I can talk to people about my Boxer's! Since leaving Georgia five years ago, I have been traveling all over the country with my companions. I was able to find a very good vet in Montana. She was more concerned with the safety and well being of my guys than any other vet I've been to. I don't believe in vaccinations. When I lived in GA, I kept all their records current, but haven't done so in quite a few years. From what I understand, they are required by law here, now I'm not sure what to do. I would really like to find a holistic practitioner, but do not have any of my guys records with me. It would be a major undertaking to accomplish this....which brings me to my point.
I have been on the computer most of today, doing research on stroke. I think my male, George, who will be 11 on May 10th (if he lives that long), suffered a stroke yesterday. I am so scared and confused and feel I'm facing the inevitable.
When we lived in GA, as I said he was vaccinated regularly. Now, you can tell where he was vaccinated by the tumors on his body, part of the reason I am against vaccination.
Today, he seems to be improving. Even though it's frigid outside, he still goes out to relieve himself. He is eating and drinking, although not as much as usual.
From what I've read online, there really is nothing that can be done for him, other than what I am doing, keeping him warm, calm, comfortable and loved, and keeping a close eye on him in the event another "attack" occurs.
I guess I'm looking for words of comfort and encouragment, and guidance for the future. I plan on contacting the Montana vet tomorrow to have records faxed to me. I also looked at the posting for Dr. Ditonto and will download the forms necessary to be seen by the Dr.
I'll have to miss work and can not afford this, but I will do what I can for George.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Vicky

Doreen · 01-31-2010, 04:15 PM

Awwww Vicky, I am sooo sorry to hear this.... it is heartbreaking when one of our pups gets ill and especially once they start hitting the 9 or so year, we are constantly on the watch for anything that might be happening to them to slow them down. You are doing what you can, like you say and maybe the vet will be able to help you any further. Keep us updated, please.

Boxersbff · 01-31-2010, 04:21 PM

Thanks again Doreen!
Even though George seems to be doing better today, I'm still having a hard time keeping my emotions in check.

Doreen · 01-31-2010, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boxersbff

Thanks again Doreen!
Even though George seems to be doing better today, I'm still having a hard time keeping my emotions in check.

I know exactly how you feel. When my last boxer Roxy was sick.... I was a mess, just burst into tears when seeing her in a sad state.

Boxersbff · 01-31-2010, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doreen

I know exactly how you feel. When my last boxer Roxy was sick.... I was a mess, just burst into tears when seeing her in a sad state.

Even at George's age, he's always been so active and happy, bouncing around and VERY vocal.....well, you know.
Your guys are sweet, but of course I am partial.

Spyglass Sally · 01-31-2010, 05:37 PM

Welcome to the forum, Boxersbff. Sorry to hear about George and the problems you've had. But I think you will be very happy with Dr. Ditonto since it sounds like your health views are similar.

I also am not a believer in vaccines, but Michigan does require Rabies. However, if your dog is not well or has had bad reactions to vaccines in the past, you can probably request an exemption. I don't know which county you live in but it is my understanding that (except for Kent) most counties are open to that. Dr. T can help you with that.

I'm glad you've found the forum too - there's a lot of good and knowledgeable people here.

Keep us posted on what you find out. When you call tomorrow you will probably have to leave a message but don't worry - they are very good about prompt return of messages.

Do you have any pics of George? We'd love to see him!

Sally