I recently had the pleasure of lecturing on veterinarian/client communication skills at the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA) annual conference. Dr. Doug Knueven, a holistic veterinarian (combines Eastern and Western medicine) in Beaver, Pennsylvania was the conference coordinator. Much to my delight, Dr. Knueven has graciously offered to provide you with some pearls from the conference (thank you Doug!). Take it away Dr. Knueven!
Before I give you the goods, I’d like to start with a little background. The AHVMA was founded in 1982 by a hand full of veterinarians who were interested in complementary medicine. It has grown to an organization that is almost 1,000 members strong. AHVMA members practice diverse therapies including acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy, natural nutrition, massage therapy, energy medicine and much more. Most of us continue to practice Western medicine as well (we haven’t thrown the baby out with the bath water) using an integrative model of health care.
The AHVMA 2011 conference provided 122 hours of continuing education for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Lectures spanned the range of therapies mentioned above as well as client communication (thanks Dr. Nancy!), integrative oncology, nervous system issues, emergency preparedness, and electromagnetic biophysics (Yikes!!). Most lectures applied to pets but we also had a stampede of information for vets who work on horses, cows, and goats.
Approximately 400 professionals attended. Most were AHVMA members but a fair number were conventional practitioners who were interested in learning more about some of our fascinating topics. Attendees came from as far away as Europe, Japan and Australia. Our lecturers had varying backgrounds and areas of expertise. We had several veterinary speakers who are board certified specialists.
So here are some pearls of wisdom from the AHVMA conference:
Dr. Greg Ogilvie, who specializes in both internal medicine and oncology, spoke about how diet influences cancer:
Cancer cells have a “sweet tooth.” Pets with cancer should be fed a low-starch diet.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid can help prevent cancer, fight cancer, increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy, and decrease the side effects of chemotherapy. The best source of DHA (highest concentration of active ingredient) is from oils that come from algae.
Do not give your pet high doses of anti-oxidant vitamins A, C, and E concurrently with chemotherapy as they can interfere with the action of the drugs.
Dr. Mona Rosenberg is a conventional oncologist who works with holistic veterinarians to provide an integrative approach to treating cancer.
She turned me on to a great website for the Society for Integrative Oncology (www.integrativeonc.org). Although this group is meant for human patients, most of the basic concepts are equally true for pets.
Dr. Barbara Royal addressed pet diets.
She uses integrative therapies with zoo animals and found lessons for pets from problems encountered while working with wild animals kept in captivity. The bottom line is that zoo animals encountered health problems when their diets varied from what they would get in the wild. Mother Nature is not easily fooled. Many pets benefit by being fed diets with little to no heat processing since this is what they evolved eating.
Dr. Lea Strogdale, an internal medicine specialist discussed diseases common to cats.
It turns out that slow motion video reveals that cats are inefficient at drinking water. This is why some cats like to drink from faucets or fountains. This makes sense since cats evolved from desert creatures where puddles are scarce. Because they do not drink efficiently, cats are prone to chronic dehydration. The bottom line is that many of the chronic diseases we see in cats, such as urinary crystals, chronic kidney disease, and constipation, may be due to the dehydrating effects of dry cat foods.
Do not feed your cat dry food. Many cats benefit from high-moisture canned or raw diets.
To entice your cat to drink more water, keep the bowl topped off or use a very broad bowl so she does not bump her sensitive whiskers against the sides.
I hope you have found these holistic pearls helpful. One final note, if you would like to find a holistic veterinarian in your area, check outwww.ahvma.org and click on the “find a holistic veterinarian” button.
Dr. Doug Knueven
_________________________________________________________
Now, Dr. Knueven will be happy to entertain your questions!
Best wishes for good health,
Nancy Kay, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Author of Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life
Recipient, Leo K. Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award
Recipient, American Animal Hospital Association Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award
Recipient, Dog Writers Association of America Award for Best Blog
Recipient, Eukanuba Canine Health Award
Recipient, AKC Club Publication Excellence Award
Become a Fan of Speaking for Spot on Facebook
Please visit http://www.speakingforspot.com to read excerpts from Speaking for Spot. There you will also find “Advocacy Aids”- helpful health forms you can download and use for your own dog, and a collection of published articles on advocating for your pet’s health. Speaking for Spot is available at Amazon.com, local bookstores, and your favorite online book seller.