Vet points to pet acupuncture as a way to heal, NC March 3, 2009

Source: Chapel Hill News, by Deborah Meyer, March 1, 2009

If there’s ever a fan club for veterinarian Doug Knueven, it’s likely that Jenn Merritt will start it.

Merritt attended two lectures Knueven gave at an Association of Pet Dog Trainers conference on topics such as natural diets and minimal vaccinations.

“I was just so impressed with his perspective,” said Merritt, who owns Blue Dog Creature Coaching. “I just thought I have to get him to North Carolina so I can share that knowledge and common-sense perspective with other people.”

Knueven integrates traditional veterinary medicine with alternative modalities, including acupuncture, in his Beaver County, Penn., clinic. On March 21, he’ll give an all-day Canine Health Seminar at Paws4Ever (the former Orange County Animal Protection Society) in Mebane.

Knueven received his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Seven years later, frustrated with the limitations of conventional veterinary medicine, he took the 150-hour International Veterinary Acupuncture Society Course.

“It was an eye opening experience,” he said. “Chinese medicine is a totally different way of looking at the body, health, and disease. Once you become aware of this new paradigm of medicine you start to apply it.”

The first case where Knueven used his new knowledge and ability involved a cat with mouth cancer. The cat had stopped eating and was hiding. Knueven told the owners he would try acupuncture at no charge because it was experimental for him. The cat started eating and stopped hiding, despite the cancer.

Another early case involved a little Yorkshire terrier with kidney failure. He too had stopped eating. The owners brought him in to euthanize him.

“I was on my way to get the solution and I came back in and said, ‘Let’s try acupuncture,’” said Knueven, who did a quick treatment and sent him home.

He didn’t hear from the owners for three days and decided the dog had probably died. When he finally called, the owners told him the dog had started eating and was bouncing around like a puppy again.

“We treated him weekly with acupuncture and the dog stuck around for another six to eight months,” Knueven said.

Knueven is the author of “Stand by Me: A Holistic Handbook for Animals, Their People, and the Lives They Share Together,” (ARE Press, 2003) and “The Holistic Health Guide: Natural Care for the Whole Dog” (TFH Publishing, June 2008).

In December, Merritt took her dog Big Sandy to Knueven. In Louisville, Knueven had talked about spondylosis, a degenerative spinal condition in dogs and people too. Big Sandy was diagnosed last year.

“I have been working with him to treat her using a natural diet and Chinese herbs. She is [no longer] having a lot of the other issues she was having like bladder infections, incontinence and kidney problems,” Merritt said. And though she loves her local vet, acupuncturist and chiropractor, “Dr. Doug brings it all together because he is all of those things.”

TO REGISTER

Dr. Doug Knueven’s March 21 seminar costs $80. Topics include canine nutrition, vaccines, massage herbs, spinal health and homeopathy. Register at www.paws4ever.org or call 304-2300, ext. 233.

Natural Remedies for Dogs December 4, 2008

Source: DogChannel.com

Organic products can help keep pests that bother your dog under control.

For dog owners who prefer to go the natural route in flea and tick control, products using organic compounds can also work to keep pests under control.

Dr. Cass Ingram, D.O., author of 16 books on natural medicines, including The Cure Is In The Cupboard (Knowledge House, 2003), recommends a combination of oils of oregano, bay leaf, lavender and basil to kill fleas and repel ticks. “Oil of oregano applied topically burns the fleas out of the skin,” he says. “Apply by adding a few drops of the oil to a cup of water and spray your pet.”Dr. Ingram also cites cumin as a strong anti-microbial, effective against mites. “If the pet licks or touches [any] natural remedy, there is no risk or concern,” he says. “Plus, high-quality natural remedies can be used repeatedly.”

Wild oils of lavender, oregano, basil, cumin and calendula (a palliative cure for itching) are widely available in commercial sprays, and as additions in many natural grooming and first-aid products. The whole herbs can also be used as fumigants in the home, or boiled and steeped as medicinal teas for external use on skin and coat.

Sprayed once or more daily on the coat and in the ear, essential oil preparations can kill and repel fleas and mites on contact, and repel pests (including ticks) for up to two hours per application, according to one study by the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada.

Revolution, Preventix collars and Amitraz June 5, 2008

I wanted to share the following post from a friend regarding his recent experiences with his dog’s flea treatment…….

It’s Flea, Tick and Heartworm season and your veterinarian may prescribe Revolution and a Tick Collar called Preventix which contains Amitraz a potent MAOI (Monoamine Oxidate Inhibitor. We just went through a terrible experience with this product.

Since our dogs believe themselves to be hunters they disappear into the brush perimeter of our backyard, returning at times with ticks. We applied the Preventix collar Sunday evening. Within an hour one of our dogs, Jack began vomiting. Deciding that the collar might have been the problem we removed it and the puking stopped. Our daughter’s Yorkie Charlie did not demonstrate the vomiting so we thought there was no problem. Within 12-24 hrs he became listless, seemed drowsy, then clumsy. Barbara was sharp enough to note the changes and removed the collar. The drowsiness proceeded to ataxia, and confusion. We gave him a bath to wash off all traces of the Amitraz, called the Vet. Apparently we did the right thing and he is starting to come out of it.

The real problem is that there is a paucity of information on the web about this drug. Most of it says to call your vet. The problem is that our vet (who is excellent) couldn’t give us much information on this himself.

Amitraz is a potent neurotoxin that is used for tick and mange but is in effective against fleas. It is deadly to cats. If you have cats and they are anywhere near your dogs, they are in danger.

If you use this collar or dip and see any signs of the reaction. Get the collar off your dog. Wash off all traces. Keep him or her warm and supported. There is an IV antidote Yohimbine.

I’ve attached the only valuable resource we could find on the web: http://www.peteducation.com/article_print.cfm?articleid=2230

My advice: we are staying away from both Revolution and Preventix. We are going back to Heartguard and a more homeopathic tick/flea repellent. The company’s website, when you look carefully says that only three reported deaths occurred from this agent. That’s too many for us.

Good Luck & God Bless

John & Barbara
Bar-John Cavaliers and Shih Tzu

Natural Flea Remedies May 26, 2008

Summer is coming and people are starting to worry about fleas. There are so many great natural options out there, when so many pet owners fail to have hear about the hundreds of dogs that get sick and/or die from commercial flea products. Here are just a few quick pieces of info on natural options as summer approaches….

First and foremost is a healthy diet. Fleas prey on weak immune systems, not just all dogs. A healthy diet is the key to a healthy dog. My raw-fed dogs are 6 and 4 years old and the only time we have ever seen a flea and that was when our youngest dog was a puppy. Puppies are most likely to attract fleas as all pups have a lower immune system than adult dogs.

We treated both our dogs, as well as our house with the following “products” and have never seen another flea. Let me also just mention that one of our dogs is a pointer, who frequently accompanies my husband in the woods for hours at at time and under all conditions.

Garlic and B-1 (thiamine) help repel fleas. I tend to add a small amount of garlic on occasion to my dogs food (fresh minced garlic) and find it helps. Oma’s Pride also sells a great product called Actif Allium, a german product that is like a treat roll filled with garlic. My dogs LOVE this!

There are many great natural flea shampoos by companies such as Halo Purely for Pets and other natural product companies. Starting out as a horse person, we always sprayed our horses in Avon Skin-So-Soft for the flies and Ive used this ever since for myself, my kids and my dogs!

For your home you can keep certain types of herbs around that tend to repel fleas. Catnip and eucalyptus and two good examples of scents that help keep fleas away. I used to keep dried eucalyptus around the house and you can even drop essential oils near your doorways to help keep them from entering during the summer months.