Alternative Health Information Sources for Pets

This article is about finding alternative and natural health sources of information for pet care.  I believe that vets (who have very little time for research), pet sitters, and anyone wanting access to alternative health information may find this reference list useful.

First, though, I’d like to tell you why this is important to me.  If that isn’t interesting for you, scroll down this article to the list.

One of the inspirations behind starting my business website (CampingDogSupplies.com) is my 7-year-old black lab, China.  A couple of years ago, it looked like I might have to put her down then because of the constant pain she was in. Her joints hurt; she was lame, in pain and a mess for no obvious reason.  Western medicine vets and alternative vets tried all kinds of things, ran tons of tests, and her problem was ultimately diagnosed by a naturopathic vet as a rare disorder that causes her bones to grow. Fully body x-rays showed she had bone growth all over her body – along her spine and on every joint.

I was told by everyone that the only treatment was pain management – there was no cure and it would only get worse as time passed.  I was told that when it was no longer possible treat her constant discomfort, it would be time to let her go.

As a result of a serendipitous event, I started giving her Vitamin C.  Within two weeks, the lumps on her spine started to vanish.  Two years later, she is able to run, retrieve, and chase her favorite toy (a giant red horse ball) with gusto.  I can no longer let her run for hours because she does get lame and unable to stand without help, but she can run for a half hour or more and be fine.  The most important thing is that she’s happy and reasonably pain-free most of the time.

This led me down the path of researching the quality of what we give our pets – from foods, treats and supplements through the toys we give them to play with.  I began to realize that many of items that area easily available can actually be harmful to our pets.  This is one of the reasons I decided to launch of dog supply website that only carries healthy and safe products and also to start a blog that discusses natural alternatives and simple home remedies and habits that can help.

Having a friend who is a Chinese medicine acupuncturist, herbalist, and medical chi gong practitioner has been great – she has referred to me to some wonderful sources of alternative pet health information, which I’m happy to share with you.

Although tons of information is available on pet health, it can be hard to distinguish the truly useful from suggestions which can be outright dangerous.  This article is intended to point you to books that include quality natural care for pets. 

All of these authors are well respected in their fields and provide useful information on animal physiology, psychology and often offer different methods to treat common pet ailments and maintaining health. One or two of them are a bit more “purist” than I personally prefer, but their information is still worth reading. 

 “The Veterinarian’s Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs” compiled by Martin Zucker

This is a fascinating book that includes suggestions from top alternative vets throughout the world on dog care.  It lists common ailments and includes suggestions from different vets about dealing with the issue.  I like this book because it includes perspectives from different alternative vets who focus in different areas.

“Natural Pet Cures” by Dr. John Heinerman

This guy covers it all – everything from specific health issues to behavior problems.  He also includes useful information about the “why” of things that happen.

“New Choices in Natural Healing for Dogs and Cats” by Amy D. Shojai

If you’re interested in seriously alternative therapies, this is a must-have reference book.  It covers everything from natural diets, acupressure and massage, homeopathy and the use of healing energy.

“Four Paws – Five Directions” by Cheryl Schwartz

If you have an interest in Chinese medicine and want to know how to apply it to your pets, this is the reference book for you.  It is considered a classic and contains illustrations of energy channels, information on herbal supplements, healing methods such as massage and acupressure, and more.

“The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat” by Juliette deBairacli Levy

As the name implies, this book covers all sorts of herbal remedies for a wide variety of ailments.  Originally published in 1947, it still contains useful and informative ideas and tips.  Personally, I find the wording style charming, if dated.  This book can be hard to find, but Amazon or other online stores can sometimes have a copy.

Each book contains gems that make them worth perusing.  If you’re looking for one good general reference book, I’d suggest “The Veterinarian’s Guide…”  Of this group of references, it is the most broad ranging, but is dog-specific. 

I’ve found these to be handy sources of information – and I hope they will help you, too.

If you find any particularly great gems, I hope you'll add them to this group.  Share an article or post a comment and share the wealth.

Mostly, I wish you happy reading and healthy pets.