I have been a holistic veterinarian for many years. My practice is 99 and 44/100 percent alternative most of my clients come to me because they’ve heard I use acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathic, and herbal therapies. Those are the medicines I use, but over the years I’ve learned that there’s much more to true holistic medicine than what is used by the veterinarian. I’ve watched in awe as one or the other of my magical bullets has worked medical wonders and I’ve also sadly observed the very same magical bullet fail miserably in another case that appeared on the surface to be exactly the same as the previous miracle. I’ve come to expect positive (if not spectacular) results when treating some kinds of diseases with a particular medicine. Musculoskeletal problems, for example, respond so well to a combination of chiropractic and acupuncture, that I think it is just plain bad medicine (and perhaps malpractice) to fail to offer them for those problems. But I’ve also learned that some of the alternative medicines don’t seem to work for me very well, and furthermore, there are some types of diseases I’m not especially good at healing, no matter what medicine I use. And finally, in very rare cases, I’ve seen miraculous cures comes from a treatment that I, as a scientist, would personally debunk as being totally worthless. Healthy dog care most important A good scientist is, after all, only an unbiased observer of phenomena. What I have observed is this: in the big scheme of things, medicines, no matter their origins, play a very small part in the overall and long-term health of the patient. There are other factors that play a far more formidable role in health and healing. And some, if not all, of these factors are hidden from the veterinarian’s scrutiny during a typical physical examination. My observations have taught me that paying attention to these other factors is the most important way to insure that you keep a dog on the road to health. On the other hand, no matter how dramatic the cure you get from any medical treatment, your patient is likely to return, sooner or later, to a dis-eased condition unless you also pay attention to these other factors. So, early on in my holistic career, I developed a protocol that has helped me think in terms of wholism an integrated approach to creating whole-body/mind/heart/spirit health for my patients (and for my patients people). Using the protocol has helped me formulate a long range plan of action that incorporates whole body/mind/heart/spirit healing for each individual patient. For my protocol I use a highly scientific model: one of those stacking ring toys made for toddlers. (Hey, part of being healthy is having fun and enjoying life. My idea for using the toy came as I watched one of my grandkids play and experiment with the rainbow-hued plastic donuts…and what could be more healthy than watching kids or pets have fun?) This protocol forces me and my client to be aware of the holistic perspective of wellness; it helps us apply the healing methods we ultimately select in proper sequence; and from its format we can learn to think about all aspects of health in a logical, sequential manner. Dr. Kidd’s holistic protocol for health The key to using the protocol is to build from the bottom up. Just as you would when building anything with structural integrity, always begin with the base to establish a firm foundation for holistic health. Next, look closely at each of the rings, proceeding from the bottom, larger rings to the top. The larger the ring, the greater the emphasis required from that area of health. Also, remember that as we proceed from the bottom to the top of the model, our ability to temporarily tweak the patient’s vital force (or chi) toward wellness is progressively stronger as are our chances to create harm in the patient, if the method is not applied properly. In a practical sense, this means that we should not use any of the potent medicines, including homeopathy, chiropractic, or acupuncture, unless we have the knowledge base that comes from adequate training in the method. My protocol is based on a direct connection with Mother Earth, creating a basis of holistic health that relies on living naturally. In addition, any truly holistic approach to health will create a natural balance of body/mind/ heart/spirit. I think it helps to seek natural ways to evaluate and perpetuate health. Then, envision an application of the protocol that always includes a natural way to balance all the aspects of body/mind/heart/spirit. Finally, think in terms of the inner animal being able to heal itself, working with its own innate powers. One of the cornerstones of my holistic beliefs comes from the conviction that the animals were sent here to be our teachers a basic belief perhaps best reflected in the ancient words of Chief Latakots-Lesa, of the Pawnee Tribe: In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals; for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell man that he showed himself through the beasts, and that from them, and from the stars and the sun and the moon, man should learn. Tirawa spoke to man through his works. -By Randy Kidd, DVM, PHD
