I have a four-year old Bichon Frise who is the greatest dog in the world except for her ongoing health issues. She has already had two surgeries for bladder stone removal (when I asked why the low-calcium dog food she was put on after her first surgery had not worked, her old vet said "she's just a stoner"), and she has chronic allergies that make her constantly bite her paws, scratch herself raw with hot spots and rub her eyes. My current vet prescribed an antihistamine pill once or twice a day and Benadryl, along with a fatty acid supplement, but they do not seem to be helping much. The only other thing they recommended is allergy shots, and I cannot afford that in either time or money; I am already going down that road with my son! I am wondering if there is any such thing as a "naturopathic" vet out there who could prescribe supplements or certain whole foods that might help her without shots. I have to be careful not to give her anything with high protein or calcium content as she does have the tendency to grow stones.
I use an alternative vet in Carrollton. Her name is Dr. Trisha Ballard. her phone no. is ###-###-####. She is not only very knowledeable, but very reasonable in her rates. She's been able to do things for animals when other vets tried everything and failed. I also know several people who use her and really like her. If you have any questions call me. T. O'Connor ###-###-####
Hi L.,
I recommend Dr Shawn P Messonnier at Paws & Claws Animal Hospital in Plano, ###-###-####. I used to work for him, so think he is really good, but have also seen him help a lot of animals using holistic therapy and/or conventional therapy. I had a Boxer myself with terrible skin allergies and did all the allergy testing and shots, which did not help, and decided to give Dr M a try on my dog to convince me that holistic therapy might work. I was astounded. My dog had open, bleeding wounds on her from the allergies, and within a couple of weeks she had healed up. He used acupuncture on her, and from then on (she was two years old) she never needed any more treatment for her allergies. (She was euthanised at 12.5 years old having never had a recurrence.) Bichons are known to have problems with allergies, poor things. They are really sweet dogs.
As for the bladder stones, have they been the same both times she had surgery? I'm guessing it was calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate stones, but I do hope they checked both times to make sure. There are several brands of prescription food you could use: Hill's Prescription diet, Purina CNM, Select Care and Waltham - but it totally depends on what kind of stone(s) she gets. If one food doesn't help, try another - BUT UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A VET. If you chose to go to Dr M, ask him about this as well.
I have, since leaving Dr M, moved out of the country and taken a degree in veterinary nursing, and in my experience, bladder stones (uroliths) are not that common on dogs in comparison with cats. And your dog, having allergies at the same time, can be a difficult one to treat because the food to control the stones could exacerbate her allergies.
Best of luck to you! I know how frustrating it is to have the greatest dog in the world with health problems.
S.
I second Janine's recommendation. Dr. Tricia Ballard at Alternative Veterinary (Frankford at Old Denton) is very dedicated to holistic medicine. She is currently giving my elderly cat Chinese herbs for a thyroid condition (as well as other treatments). I have taken my animals to her for about 10 years and have been very satisfied.
We've also had good experiences with Dr. Ballard.
try Trish Ballard ###-###-#### Alternative Veterinary Hospital - in Carrollton.
Hi L., we had a Cairn Terrier that had major skin issues, so I know what you're going through. After two dogs dying from cancer we decided to go holistic for our dog, Abby whom is a Papillon. Anyway, we go to the Dog Barkery in Preston Center, they do have a website if you Google it. They have all kinds of natural, holistic foods and such and they let you try it in case your dog hates it. There are also shampoos that can give her a little relief from the itching. I'm not sure about the bladder stones though, i've only known a cat to get those. Hope this helps.
L.,
I had problems with both dogs between ear infections, scratching, weight gain and I too was tired of going to the vet and getting "bandaid" on it. I finally switched dog food to Solid Gold - you can google to find suppliers, and have been giving this dog food for 9 yrs. The skin irritation stopped and ear infections. This is a natural dog food that doesn't contain chemicals. I don't give treats to the dogs other than bone with peanut butter. I am highly convinced that the dog foods around are a huge factor to dogs having problems. Dogs are allergic to many ingredients that generic dog food contain - even though they claim to be natural. Read the ingredients.....this was a cure to my problems. It's worth a try. The dog food is considerably more expensive, however, it's MUCH cheaper than the vet cost.
I'm D. that is referred to in the posts below. As the only 100% integrative pet hospital in the area, we would be glad to help any pet moms with wellness care or treating sick pets using natural therapies. Our goal is to say NO to drugs, vaccines, and harmful chemicals unless absolutely necessary. Some of the vets recommended on this thread due a good job of conventional treatment and even offer some "natural" therapies but are not 100% holistic in their approaches. I'm proud of the many pets we've helped and for the referrals we regularly get from happy pet owners AND area veterinarians and specialists. Feel free to give us a call if you need help and we'll put together a treatment plan that will fit any budget!
D.
I was told about Dr Shawn Messoniet (SP?) who is a nationally recognized holistic vet in Plano just last week. Consider doing some research about B.A.R.F. diet. I think it stands for bones and raw food. Basically the idea is to feed your pet a diet that resembles what it would eat in the wild. Many testimonials out there say this has cured their pet of allergies and other illnesses. Dry pet kibble is made of grains. Like people pets can be allergic to these. It is rare for a wild animal to eat any kind of grain, unless it is found in the intestines of a grain eating animal. It's a very interesting subject and there are books and info on the subject.
I have a beagle and just this past week have begun to feed him raw. To make it easier on myself, I started with green tripe can food and frozen raw lamb meat, which I purchased at The Canine Commisary in Plano on Custer. It's expensive if you feed this way by purchasing pre-packaged stuff, but you could buy food from the grocery store or a local butcher that will work too.
I have found this site to be most helpful:
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm
K.
SAHM to 3, ages 7, 5, & 3
www.petcarenaturally.com
Dr. Shawn is in Plano. Thats awesome you want to do this for your dog! Also my dog eats natural dog food . Its Halo brand and really helps with allergies. Ellen Degeneres owns part of the company and she really cares about what its made of.
Good luck. I hope Dr, Shawn can help. Also if you are interested, homeopathy can help too.
L.
I don't know a holistic vet but I do know of a product that might help. It's a nutritional supplement in a powder form that you sprinkle on their food. My dogs love it! It is all natural and does for dogs what Juice Plus+ does for humans. In fact, it's called Juice Plus+ for dogs. Email me if you'd like more info...
____@____.com
Are all the allergies new since you moved to your current home? It sounds like there is something in your yard, or even perhaps some type of mold or mildew. Check your carpet (smell it) and your walls near water sources (smell again) and see if you can find any sign of water puddling that might lead to mold. We had a house like that and when they opened the wall, there was mold everywhere. Once they fixed the hidden plumbing leak and the mold, everyone was much healthier.
D. Kimbriel
Grandma to 2 beautiful boys
I have used Doctor shawn Messonier. Just ask for estimate before he does anything. He is not cheap, but after two years with traditional medicine I needed help. He helped us. What is great he is uses hollistic and traditional medicines.
I have a friend that uses Patricia ballard, and loves her.
I used to call of these vets when I was a sales rep for the veterinary market. I've heard great things about the previous vet posted. I've also met the docs below, and have seen streams of people lined up that swear them. I think your dog would be in good hands with any of them.
Dr. Ward
###-###-####
3205 Alma Drive, Suite 415,
Plano, TX 75075
Alternative Veterinary Hospital
1060 W Frankford Road Suite 120, Carrollton, TX 75007
###-###-####
My sister has been educating me on the problems with the way we feed our pets. Most vets are not trained in nutrition, they go to medical school, just like our doctors. Dogs are not meant to eat kibble, primarily grain food. Even if it says that meat is primary, it is only because they break up the grain (see rice meal, rice flour, etc.) You put that all back together and rice is the primary ingredient. Raw food is the most natural form of nutrition, with freedom from allergies, help with weight loss, teeth and improved skin and coat. Go to www.naturesvariety.com to find a store near you that sells their frozen raw patties. I guarantee you will see a huge change in your dog. Or go to one of the holistic vets, and ask them about raw food diets. They are better educated in that area. By the way, my mom's bichon gets stones, too. Good luck! J.
