About 6 or 7 years ago Heidi, our schnoodle, lost all her toenails. The condition was diagnosed as Symmetrical Lupoid Onychodystrophy and there was no traditional treatment for this auto-immune disease. I am convinced the root cause was an apparent poisoning Heidi barely survived a couple of years previous (contaminated chicken jerky made in Chine suspected). At any rate, my acupuncturist (mine, not Heidi’s) told me about a veterinarian in Pittsboro NC who is a homeopathic veterinarian.

In June 2012 our then 15-year old Australian Shepherd Dexter was diagnosed with maxillary osteosarcoma. We had a partial mandibulectomy done and were recommended nothing else but palliative chemotherapy and radiation. The oncologist and dental/oral surgeon were in unison that this would stall the tumor from coming back for a while. But re-occurrence was a given since the necropsy of removed tissue showed dirty margins. I was told that this method of treatment would give us 3-5 months with our beloved boy.

Haley is One In A Million. How Integrative Medicine Helped Her Beat The Odds Against Hemangiosarcoma

Haley is a 14-year-old golden retriever and a cancer survivor/thriver. She was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma subsequent to a catastrophic spleen tumor burst in June 2012 when she was 13. She spent four days at the emergency hospital and had several blood transfusions, but she recovered through an integrative approach of traditional and alternative medicine. We knew that the prognosis for Haley was not great: one to three months post-surgery, but we decided to take a chance and make those months the best they could be.

Hannah was born in March 2004. Her life has been mostly holistic and fairly uneventful.  Holistic medicine helped her ACL issues when she was younger. In typical newf fashion,  it didn't slow her down anyway. She made a full recovery. She is stubborn and does what she wants. And when a 125 lb dog pushes thru or pulls a particular direction,  she typically gets her way.

Diablo

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.

When my dog was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma of the front leg, I was absolutely devastated. When her veterinarian told me she had about 2-4 months to live I was completely shattered, scared and totally lost.

I was willing to do whatever it took to not allow this to happen. We went to see a veterinary oncologist where we started chemotherapy. Then to a surgeon, after her leg fractured, who amputated her leg. All of this is what they had told me I had to do, but none of it felt right... I was scared.

Then I met my integrative veterinarian.