Holistic Surgery Options
What to Do When Surgery Is Not an Option
This little Yorkie Weighs 1 Kilo (2 1/2 lbs) Do you think she will have surgery for collapsed trachea, crooked knees, stiff neck from old injury? We do yearly deep dental cleanings under anesthesia.
Sometimes surgery or humane euthanasia are the only options you have been given by a veterinarian evaluating your pet. There are some diseases that in Doc Truli’s experience, this happens more often than other conditions. Here is a list of illnesses and conditions that may be helped with alternatives to surgery.
Reasons Surgery May be Prescribed, But not a Valid Option for You
Most holistic options have no scientific consensus that they are as good or better than surgery; definitely better than nothing when you cannot partake of surgery at all.
- Your pet is old and weak and may not survive the surgery or recovery
- Your pet has an autoimmune condition like ITP or IMHA and may have significant risk of life-threatening complications from the surgery
- Your pet has unstable heart failure
- Your pet has breathing and throat and lung compromises that may not withstand returning to regular breathing after they are taken off the ventilator during surgery
- You do not have access to 24-hour intensive aftercare in your area of the country, increasing your risks of post-operative complications that could leave your pet debilitated or worse
- Your pet gets so stressed by car rides and hospital environments that they may need to be in ICU, sedated for a week, or may get so sick they cannot move after the procedure
- The side effects of the surgery are unacceptable to you: an example is 50% chance of facial nerve paralysis after a TECA
- The positive surgical outcome does not seem positive enough for you: an example is a return to pet function after a lateral suture procedure knee cruciate ligament tear when you are in training to hike the Appalachian Trail with your dog
- Non-surgical options are proven just as good as surgery in scientific studies: an example is electroacupuncture after intervertebral disc rupture and paralysis is proven as effective as emergency decompressive surgery and more effective if the paralysis has lasted 24 or more hours.
- The value of the chance of full recovery or good quality of life, or the expected lifespan left for your pet does not seem to warrant the pain of recovery and/or the financial cost to your family
- It is flat-out too expensive for your budget
A Brief Note About Cryosurgery
In certain special cases, cryosurgery may be a good option for you. In a house call, in a few seconds, small skin tags and lumps than are noncancerous can be frozen in a medical procedure called cryosurgery.
Surgical Solutions that have Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicinal Protocols for Care
I do not want knee surgery!
- Total Ear Canal Ablation (TECA)
- Femoral Head Osteotomy (FHO)
- Cruciate Ligament and Luxating Patella Surgeries
- Collapsing Trachea
- Lipomas and Small Tumors
- Sinus and Nasal Cancers
- Hyperthyroidism in Cats
- Renal Transplantation in Cats
- Small Inguinal, Umbilical and Perineal Hernias
- Intervertebral Disc Disease
- Kidney & Bladder Stones Under 2 cm (about 1 inch to Americans), especially for female dogs
- Prostatitis, Prostate enlargement
- Hemangiosarcoma
Conditions that Surgery is Clearly Superior to Holistic Medicine
- Broken Bones – TCVM herbal medicine and acupuncture helps tremendously in the post-op recovery
- Dental Surgery- broken teeth, Periodontal disease Grades 2 through 4 of 4. Tooth root abscesses, etc
- Heart Malformations
- Kidney, Bladder, and Gall Stones larger than two centimeters
- Emergency dysfunction or detachment of a body part, including but not limited to the eyeball prolapsing out of the socket.
Please remember holistic should encompass any treatment that may help, especially if it has scientific consensus and / or a long historical record of effectiveness. Do not discount Western Medicine or a trip to the pet ER because you do not want Western Medicine. It is excellent for saving and extending lives. We can use holistic care to replenish and help the body recover after you are through the crisis.
Schedule an appointment (877) DR TRULI , 877-378-7854
or Phone/Text 813-714-7863
Dr. Sandra Truli Springer, VMD, CVA, CVFT, CVTP, CVCH, CTCVMP
“Truli holistic veterinary services” | Care provided in your home!
Greater Tampa Bay, Florida, USA
Call toll-free 1 (877) DR TRULI | (877) 378-7854
