If Holistic Is Not Enough: When is a Conventional Vet Really Needed?
Posted by Jewel on Oct 20, 2023
Many people choose conventional veterinary care because it’s the easiest way to go. It is based on drugs or surgery and not actually getting to the source of the problem for true healing, however. There are times though when a conventional vet is the only solution for the condition or disease the animal has.
It’s vital to remember that holistic veterinary care doesn’t exclude conventional, Western medicine. The whole point of holistic healing is to think about the whole picture, which often involves a synergy of conventional, natural, and homeopathic healing practices.
As a holistic health practitioner I’m the first person to admit when conventional veterinary care is required. It’s in the tenets of naturopathic healing to do no harm and advise pet parents on the best available course of action. I know Western vet care is expensive and often harmful to our fur babies, which is why it should be kept at the absolute minimum and under the watch of an experienced holistic veterinarian or animal naturopath.
Having said that, here are some situations when it’s a good idea to have an animal treated by a conventional vet.
1. Health Emergencies and Acute Conditions
When your dog, cat, or other animal suffers a sudden and serious medical crisis, it’s often a good idea to consult a conventional vet for help. Some of the most common animal health emergencies include the following:
- Poisoning
- Serious cuts, wounds, and bleeding
- Severe eye injuries
- Broken or fractured bones
- Choking and breathing difficulties
- Burns
- Heatstroke or hypothermia
- Repeated vomiting or bloody vomit
- Seizure or unconsciousness
Hundreds of years of development in veterinary health have led to some wonderful knowledge, practices, and tools in modern healing. We cannot discount the help of many of the modern results of surgeries, certain drugs and X-ray & laser machines, despite some of the undesirable side effects.
When your dog or cat first suffers a medical emergency, you must follow first-aid protocols to reduce the extent of injury before you can get the injured animal to the vet. That includes stopping bleeding, performing CPR, or restraining broken limbs.
Of course, you don’t need to rush your fur baby to the vet every time they take a watery poo or vomit. It’s impractical, expensive, and often harmful to your pet’s ultimate well being. If the animal isn’t in immediate danger, talk to a holistic and homeopathic expert first. It could save you thousands in needless veterinary visits, not to mention the unnecessary toxic medication your fur baby will not have to suffer.
2. When Surgery Is Required
As painful as it may be to you as a pet parent, your fur baby may require surgery to help treat a condition or disease. This requires an extremely high level of expertise and access to sophisticated equipment and medicines that most naturopathic healers simply don’t have.
There are numerous reasons why your fur baby would need surgery. It may be a foreign object in their body, trauma, a urinary or gut blockage, abscess, tumor, internal bleeding, broken limb or anything like that.
The important thing to know is that there are necessary surgeries and elective surgeries. If your pet doesn’t need surgery or an alternative exists, you must spare them any unnecessary invasion of their body. Some examples of surgeries where it helps to pause and get a second opinion include:
- Exploratory surgery
- Broken leg pin
- Cancer surgery
- Amputation
- spaying/neutering
- Dental extractions
- Ingueal hernia
Surgeries cause immense trauma to your fur baby’s body and spirit. They may take a long time to recover their high-vibe state, or never at all. Not to mention that surgeries are obscenely expensive!
Luckily, some veterinarians are aware of the alternative treatment options we now have in homeopathic and naturopathic treatment. If the surgery is not an emergency procedure, we highly recommend talking to an expert naturopathic animal practitioner or holistic vet for some sage advice.( We have a list on our contact page of some choices)
3. For Required Vaccinations
Many pet parents are conflicted about vaccines. We also know that vaccines, especially unnecessary over-vaccination, have serious health effects on our beloved fur kids. They lower immunity and diminish vital life force.
My position on vaccination is clear, but every pet parent must make up their minds on what’s best for their fur kids. Many pet owners opt for the core vaccines recommended by their veterinarian, including those against rabies, distemper, and hepatitis.
Each state has local laws requiring every pet to be vaccinated -So pet parents feel they must get their fur baby vaccinated to meet local regulations.
There are many other vaccines vets “recommend” from time to time. There’s a culture of greed resulting in mass ignorance and fear, creating a ripe environment for vets and the entire pharma industry to prey on pet parents who just want to keep their fur kids safe and healthy.
Over-vaccination is real and very common. You can see it easily in animals that suddenly develop strange new allergies, itching, infections, epilepsy, and even seizures. This is a condition called vaccinosis that severely reduces the quality of life and vitality of our fur babies.
So, what is a concerned puppy parent to do? Here are a few thoughts:
- Build natural immunity, use nosodes, feed raw.
- Rabies vaccines are some of the most harmful due to the side effects
- A strong immune system is the best way to protect your fur baby against diseases. A holistic, natural way of life does far more to keep your pet healthy and high-vibe.
- If you’re considering any vaccines, think about your pet’s potential exposure. There’s no need to vaccinate against a disease your pet may never be exposed to.
- Never vaccinate a sick animal.
- Where possible, opt for single vaccines and space them over several weeks, instead of the combined shots that have much higher chances of negative effects.
Whenever you’re in doubt, talk to someone with extensive experience in naturopathic animal healing who can guide you on what to do.
4. When the Animal Is in a Lot of Pain
Naturopathic treatments can have fabulous results when it comes to alleviating chronic pain in animals. Treatments such as acupuncture, laser therapy, and herbal treatments help to manage pain and inflammation from conditions like arthritis, intervertebral disc disease, and various neurologic diseases.
However, acute pain caused by conditions such as bone cancer or traumatic injury may require strong pain management medication and tactics. When natural pain relief methods are insufficient to comfort your fur baby, it may be necessary to switch to stronger synthetic medications such as opioids.
Of course, we believe that pain should be used as intended, to point towards the part of the animal that isn’t functioning the way it should. It’s a bad idea to dull pain when you don’t know the cause because you would be treating the symptom, not the root cause. It also makes your fur baby dependent on toxic chemical medication.
However, there are situations when there’s no option but to explore conventional pain therapies. When that happens, it may be helpful to combine the medication with homeopathic and naturopathic pain treatment to enhance the overall effect.
Holistic Healing or Conventional Treatment?
Any pet parent who is conscious of the dangers of conventional veterinary treatments should be very cautious of the many “necessary” treatments being peddled around. The greed and misinformation that govern the veterinary industry is well known. Unless you keep your beloved fur baby away from the most exploitative of these conventionally trained veterinarians, your animals will suffer needlessly.
Conventional veterinary treatments can be part of holistic or integrative healing, but they require immense wisdom and knowledge to navigate safely. We all want the best for our fur babies. We want them to live fully at their best high-vibe energy. Most of all, we want to protect them from diseases and negative health conditions.
Be proud of standing up for your fur baby’s natural health and vitality. We’re all here to help you walk this journey and ensure your beloved fur kids live their best, highvibe lives.
