Complementary & Alternative Medical Practice
All Pet Care Hospital Offers Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) means we use evidence-based therapies and treatments that are not traditionally taught in veterinary medical school to augment the conventional medical treatments.
CAM Therapies we use daily at All Pet Care
- herbal remedies to help cure (at least the following):
- “scooter powder” for anal sacs that need constant emptying
- chronic kitten/cat diarrhea
- skin treatments “inside & outside”
- kidney support
- cardiac support
- feline urologic syndrome, spastic, uncomfortable urethra in cats
- herbal arthritis treatment
- reduce anxiety
- disc disease in dog
- natural and mineral remedies
- heal wounds without surgery
- herbal insect repellent (excellent if you live by water)
- natural periodontal care
- homeopathic remedies
- Bach flower remedies
- pheromone treatments
- nutritional adjustments
- neutraceuticals
- home-cooked and raw diet advice (book with Dr. Springer)
For example, if your pet is suffering from diarrhea, we may prescribe a pharmaceutical medicine to help heal the intestines, and also a complementary herbal gel to promote healing, stop the diarrhea and cramping, and re-establish healthy bacteria in the intestines. Then we will send you home with probiotics made for your pet which will reseed the intestines with healthy bacteria and supply you with food or a home made diet to soothe and heal the intestines. This comprehensive approach is comforting for your pet.
What do the different terms mean?
integrative
Integrative medicine implies combining alternative modalities for healing with allopathic “Western” so-called conventional medicine. It also has been used to imply integrating the mind, body, and spirit in the treatment plan.
“We chose to identify All Pet Care Hospital with complementary and alternative medicine, rather than integrative medicine because of the spiritual component to an integrative approach. It’s so difficult to define spirtuality for a species other than human,” says Doc Springer. “Part of my treatment plan considers your ethical, moral, and spiritual points of view.”
holistic
Holistic medicine generally means the approach of looking at the whole being to determine the best course of action. In humans, this is the social, spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of a person’s life. Technically, if the patient is viewed holistically, then the treatment could be all allopathic – or not- depending on the doctor.
“The social aspects of a pet’s life can be essential to understanding their health issues. For example, a cat that gets a touch of blood in his stool when the doorbell rings does not need strong pharmaceutical mediciation to solve his problem,” says Doc Springer. “The spiritual life of pets is unexplored, contestable territory. Fascinating.”
naturopathic
Naturopathic medicine focuses on the individual and does not define diseases. This means, instead of diagnosing a “disease,” a naturopathic doctor will characterize the person in order to best understand how to help them help naturally. Homeopathic medicine is very useful for a naturopath. In many US States, naturopathy id regulated and licensed, and the physician is an “ND” or naturopathic doctor.
“I love the idea that I can help a patient, even if the diagnostic tests are inconclusive,” says Dr. Springer, who is not a naturopathic doctor, but is a veterinary doctor.
