Holistic animal health care

The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, by C.J. Puotinen (Keats Publishing, 2000)
A comprehensive resource book for anyone interested in natural or alternative medicine/healing for animals. Includes information on Food/Nutrition, Herbs, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, Hands-On Treatments, Flower Essences, Light and Color, Holistic First Aid, and more. A fantastic resource!

Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, by Dr. Richard Pitcairn, VMD, Ph.D.
A classic, comprehensive guide to natural health care for dogs and cats. Includes information on home-made, healthy pet food, holistic and alternative therapies, and a useful Quick Reference guide to many common health problems.

American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association
www.ahvma.org - This is the official website of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and contains an extensive directory of holistic veterinarians all over the country, by state, along with a description of what their specialties are.

Sandy Rakowitz is a Holistic Health Practitioner who owns and operates One Heart Healing Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. Sandy weaves together 25 years of experience to create a highly effective combination of services. Sandy is a certified TTouch Practitioner for Companion Animals, TTEAM Practitioner for Horses, Centered Riding Instructor, and Brennan Healing Science Practitioner for people using energy-healing medicine. Along with Animal Communication and Therapeutic Essential Oils, Sandy offers deep human and animal healing, holistic perspectives and empowering wellness resources. Private consultations via telephone or in person is available. 434-973-8864. (www.onehearthealingcenter.com)

Dr. Adriana Sagrera. A skilled homeopathic veterinarian who does phone consultations. Very highly recommended. “I treat animals with homeopathic medications primarily. I also utilize herbal medicines, nutritional supplements, and healthy diet to improve their constitutions and their immune systems. My goal is to make my patients as healthy and as strong as possible so they may live long and productive lives.” 504-834-2023. (www.drsagrera.com)

Patty Smith-Verspoor, (patty@homeopathy.com)
DVH, HD(RHom.), DMH, BSEd.   (www.homeopathy.com/clinic/animals.html)
Patty has pioneered Veterinary Heilkunst over the past 14 years, with excellent results. Heilkunst, which is the complete system of medicine that was created by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (who is known generally for one small piece of that medical system, homeopathy) is particularly effective in the treatment of animals, because it treats the health-destroying effects of the iatrogenic diseases suffered by most animals (vaccinations, surgeries, wormings, other medications) and the inherited predispositions to disease (miasms) as well as emotional shocks and traumas. It also takes into account the animal’s regimen (nutritional needs, exercise, etc.) and other factors and issues going on in the animal’s environment. Mini-course and full diploma program in Veterinary Heilkunst are also available. Visit www.homeopathy.com/dvhh.html for the full diploma program and www.homeopathy.com/basics.html for the mini-course.

Raw food diet for cats and dogs

Certainly the healthiest and most natural way to feed your dog or cat. Here are just a few sites offering general information on the subject (your own google search will reveal many more).

There are also many wonderful companies that will deliver complete, balanced frozen raw food (ground animal carcass) to your door (these are just two... there are many more):

And, finally, there are now some freeze-dried raw grain free kibbles on the market for dogs and cats... a wonderful, healthy alternative for those who can’t quite handle dealing with raw animal carcasses.

Holistic equine parasite information

Many of us are told to deworm our horses every 6 weeks (or even daily) with harsh chemicals. I’ve been researching for years to find another, more holistic way to approach (and resolve) the problem of equine parasites. Finding the folks at Farmstead Health was certainly a breakthrough. They sell microscopes and teach horse owners how to use them, so we can see for ourselves how many parasites our horses have. I’ve been amazed how low the egg-counts in my herd really are, and what a relief it is to finally keep track of this myself. (www.farmsteadhealth.com’

There are also several herbal de-wormers on the market now:

Healing for Horses: the essential guide to using hands-on healing energy with horses, by Margrit Coates. A funny, inspiring, honest account of one woman’s journey into energy healing for horses.

Holistic Horse and Rider
A wonderful, in-depth, well-researched journal on holistic horse care, riding, and training. (www.holistichorse.com).

Linda Tellington-Jones
Linda's work is a profound and wonderful resource for anyone who spends time with animals. Her Tellington TTouch system is wonderful for so many things, from calming wild or feral animals to keeping injured animals from going into shock, to curing neurological symptoms and even colic. (www.tellingtontouch.com/)