velvetfinger

I just saw the most amazing thing on the news - alternative therapy for pets! Apparently there are vets actually performing acupuncture, homeopathy, hands-on healing and reiki.

One lady didn't want to put her dog, I think diagnosed with cancer, through "invasive surgery" so a reiki expert used acupuncture to clear the blockages that were blocking the dogs' energy flow.

Another lady, rather than paying for expensive surgery which would have required amputation and chemotherapy, paid $2000 AUS for holistic therapy to have a tumour surgically removed from her dogs' paw and "a mistletoe injection".

At the tailend of the report, they showed a guy representing 'Australian Skeptics' and allowed him a 15 second soundbite where he was the voice of negativity (not to mention reason) in stark contrast to the optimism of the alternative therapy-practicing vet.

Oh, and at the very end, the newscaster added: "The holistic vet also cured a traumatised bird scared of shadows."

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

simian

Pets are part of the family, not merely property. Because of that, we treat them like we treat ourselves.

Is you dog fat? Why just feed it a little less food? Here is a low calorie food, so you can still feed the same amount.

Dog exercise: I would bet there are treadmills, which is obviously much easier than the physical exertion of throwing a ball.

Pet treats - I have seen pet snacks at a cost exceeding $10/lb. This includes a multi-colored corn puff (put oil and cheeze powder on it and you have a "cheese puff" type product - a generic cheeto, if you will), for parrots.

Clothing for pets - including Harley Davidson stuff - now that is spendy! (I plead guilty to getting my dog a backpack - I think if we are going for a long walk, he can carry his own food and water).

Magic herbs in the pet food. Iams puts in omega-3 oils for dog health. I have seen nearly every human herbal treatment in a pet food form. Your dog is stressed, here is some food with St. John's wort.

I spend more $ than I would like to admit trying to save my girlfriend's cat this spring - a stray she had adopted several years ago that had what was ultimately diagnosed as pancreatitis. We had it cremated.

I see the "alternative medicine" for pets as a symptom of the ignorance of the public - they think it will work for them, why wouldn't they think it would work for their pets?

Simian

doghouse

In general, the situation regarding alternative therapy in pets is the same as in human patients. Many people want such therapy for themselves, so they want it for their pets.

One difference though, is that in some cases the alternative practitioner is not a veterinarian and has minimal experience with animals. (In some states this is actually legal due to loopholes in the veterinary practice act – some intentional, some oversights.) Because dogs and cats aren’t just small furry people, this has caused some real disasters. That is, disasters above and beyond those usually associated with treatment of unknown safety and efficacy.

markfiend

A little OT (sorry), but in Britain, it is legal for a veterinary surgeon to operate (in an emergency) on a human, but illegal for a "people doctor" to operate on an animal.