Wellness

Proper nutrition is the foundation of optimal pet health.  We offer detailed nutritional consultations with our nutritionist to help you formulate the best diet for your pet.  Our plans are based on feeding fresh, whole food, and ideally raw diet. This consultation will step you into an easy and affordable diet plan for your pet

This consultation will cover the following:

• The dangers of feeding kibble and other processed foods
• Benefits of raw feeding
• Where to get quality raw food for pets
  • Transitioning to raw from kibble or canned food
  • Balancing a raw diet
  • Specific recommendations for your pet based on current health concerns

Here are some healthy tips for your pet’s diet:

1. Feed the freshest diet possible, ideally a balanced raw diet. All dry and canned foods are processed at high temperatures which can both destroy nutrients, and make some others toxic.
2. Home-prepared meals are challenging to prepare properly.  It is typically more cost-effective and better nutrition for your pet to buy an appropriately balanced and well-sourced commercial raw diet.
3. Nose to tail nutrition helps complete the diet.  Most meat-based diets focus on the muscle portion, which is actually the least nutritious part of the animal.  Organ meats such as liver, kidney, heart, lung, brain, and others are incredibly rich in vitamins and minerals.  Feeding an adequate amount of these in the diet is an ideal way to provide complete nutrition in a whole food formulation.
4. Be sure that all ingredients are well-sourced – organic, pasture-raised, and fed an appropriate diet.  Ruminants such as cows and sheep are not meant to eat corn and other grains.  In fact, they are toxic to them and fed in large amounts only to add weight before slaughter.
5. A ketogenic diet is particularly important for cancer patients but can help with a number of other health issues as well.
6. Use only filtered or spring water.  Reverse osmosis is the most complete form of filtration but you will need to add a mineral supplement afterward.

Vaccines can provide some degree of disease prevention, but are often over-used, causing serious disruption to the immune system and chronic inflammatory conditions.

We want your pet to be healthy and safe, and we will use titer testing to determine when adequate immunity has been reached so that no further vaccines are necessary. We use minimal vaccine protocols and titer testing to keep your pet healthy without the side effects of over-vaccination.

This visit will include:

• Vaccine protocol information and recommendations.  We encourage you to check your local ordinances for requirements on the Rabies vaccine
• Physical exam if one has not been performed in the last 90 days
• Vaccine administration or blood draw for titer testing

Prior to vaccinating your pet, I use the following steps to assure maximum safety:

1. Determine your pet’s vaccination history.
2. Evaluate the current level of immunity by doing a titer test to measure antibody levels.
3. Consider your pet’s risk of exposure to the diseases that we have vaccines for.
4. Evaluate the overall health of your pet.  Only completely healthy pets should receive vaccinations.  In Colorado, a Rabies exemption is an option for pets with any disease process.
5. Check for upcoming or past medical treatments or procedures. Pets should never receive vaccines within 14 days of any anesthetic procedure.
6. Please be aware of legal requirements from your county and state, plus requirements from facilities such as daycare, grooming, and boarding

There is sometimes a need for more conventional pharmaceuticals when treating your pet. For short-term use, or when improving quality of life, they are sometimes the best option. I never consider them a first-line though, and treat with natural options whenever possible.

It is impossible in today’s world to completely eliminate the exposure to toxins. There are toxins that damage cells irreparably, compromise the immune system, and contribute to the expression of genes that lead to disease formation. Feeding well-sourced, pastured animal products is an important start here. We must also look at water, chemicals in the home environment and where you take your pet for walks and other activities. Food dishes, toys and bedding can be laden with chemicals, as can the carpeting and furniture in your home. Electromagnetic frequencies from electronic devices have been proven to have damaging effects on the cells in the body. In addition to minimizing exposure to toxins, we will use herbal support to assist the body in eliminating toxins that may have already accumulated.