Shayna with Pancreatitis and Auto-Immune Disease

Integrative veterinary medicine has provided wonderful care for our Flatcoated Retriever first during a bout of pancreatitis, and lately through an even more troubling auto-immune problem which has her body attacking its own red blood cells.

After we lost our last Flatcoat we searched for and found a veterinarian skilled in integrative techniques. It's a relief knowing that integrative veterinary care has more options. We are excited about the foundation's mission and encourage others to support this group. Medicine simply needs this information in more accessible and usable forms.

As the photo of Shayna shows, even with a debilitating ailment, she's now able to enjoy life even as she fights, with the help of nutritional supplements, to regain her strength.

Needless to say, we have become big believers in this kind of medicine.

Alan Swyer

Categories (Inspiring Stories)

Bailey with Spleen Cancer

“…My beloved Beagle named “Bailey” was diagnosed with spleen cancer in November 2016. She was losing a lot of weight quickly so I took her to her normal veterinarian and he wanted to operate on her. At that time Bailey was over 16 years old. I agreed but after talking to several people, I had second thoughts so I cancelled the operation. When I called the vet it was mentioned to give her the herb “Yunnan Baiyao” and I could get it in the health food store. After trying many stores with no luck I reached out to my good friend Amy that makes essential oils and she recommend Dr. Mary Ellen of Sayre Veterinary Acupuncture... At that time Bailey was only given a few days to a couple of weeks to live. She was that bad.

Diablo - the Comeback Kid

Diablo, cancer
In 1994, my father was diagnosed with cancer. The disease was advanced so alternative treatments, we were told by professionals, weren’t a realistic alternative. The best and brightest minds in oncology decided aggressive radiation would give my dad his best chance.

Two months later he was dead.

My family grieved and while I urged my lonely mom to get a pet, she wasn't ready. Nor was she ready the next year. Or the next. Five years went by until she decided it was time.

We visited a breeder who had five toy fox terrier puppies, all so bouncy they spent more time in the air the on the ground. Of the five, one loomed large and in charge, at a whopping 1.5 pounds. He was more willful than the rest. He wasn't taking no for an answer. He was coming home with us by his choice; we had no say in the matter. And he would go almost two months in our care before being named because we desperately hoped he would outgrow the only name that felt appropriate. He didn’t. So the name stuck: Diablo.