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Holistic Veterinarians Discuss Holistic Healing

My dog has Qi; your dog has Qi; all God’s creatures have Qi. In fact, the earth below, the heavens above, and the entire universe around us has Qi. More than energy, more than air, more than life itself, Qi is an ever-present essence that gives us, our animal comrades, and our surrounding environment the vitality we call life. Qi, pronounced “chee,” is also spelled chi or ch’i. In Japanese, it is expressed as Ki. Prana is Qi’s sister from India, and some of the other “relatives” of Qi include the “vital force” of homeopathy, chiropractic’s “innate,” and Wilhelm Reich’s “orgone.”
nativity, puppy

Signs a Dog Is Going into Labor Soon

Your dog’s body temperature is an early indication she is going into labor.

Pain’s Effect on Behavior

Behavior problems such as anxiety or aggression are commonly diagnosed in pet dogs, and, as many dog owners have discovered, can be quite challenging...
golden retriever licking feet

Why Do Dogs Smell Like Fritos?

If your dog’s feet have a slight eau de corn chip, don’t worry. This smell is just from the normal bacteria that end up on dog feet throughout daily life.

Preventing and Treating Kennel Cough

You're not likely to forget it if you've heard it even once: the half-cough, half-choke – sort of like a Canada goose in need of a Ricola lozenge – that signals your dog has come down with kennel cough.

Cataracts in Dogs

Cataracts develop in dogs in stages. Learn what cataracts look like in dogs, what the symptoms are, how (or whether) they are treated.

New Lyme Disease Test for Dogs

Researchers at Cornell University's Animal Health Diagnostic Center have developed a new test for Lyme disease in dogs. Available as of June 15, the Lyme multiplex assay is capable of distinguishing between infection and vaccination when vaccination history is available, and between early and chronic disease stages, from a single blood sample. Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, migrate by way of the tissues to the joints, nervous system, and organs, causing fever, pain, lameness, and sometimes kidney failure (Lyme nephropathy). By the time these clinical signs show up, the infection may have been present 6 to 8 weeks or longer.

Behavior Modification for Itchy Dogs

Excessive self-licking and chewing can be caused by a medical issue. It can also be a behavioral problem, a classic example of an obsessive/compulsive disorder. Either way, it's annoying to the dog's human companion, and dangerous to the health of the dog. Here are tips for dealing with dogs who self-lick and chew excessively. To begin behavior modification, determine your dog's stressors and start eliminating them. Make a list of everything?you can think that is stresses your dog – even just a little bit, even if the stressors don't seem directly related to the licking. Your list might include thunder, small children, dogs on television, cats, riding in cars, visits to the vet, shock collars, medical issues, and many more. Most owners can identify between 10 and 20 stressors for their dogs.

Fecal Transplants for Dogs

A healthy microbiome destroys harmful pathogens, including disease-causing viruses, fungi, bacteria, and parasites. As a result, the microbiome is the immune system's first line of defense. Differences in microbiomes help explain why some dogs exposed to diseases like parvovirus, distemper, leptospirosis, Lyme disease, canine flu, heartworm, or kennel cough get sick while others remain symptom-free.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier dog lying on his side on grass smiling, looking at the camera taken at ground level. He is looking at the camera.

Syncope Episodes in Dogs

Syncope (or fainting spells) can look a lot like seizure activity. Learn how to tell the difference between seizures and syncope and what can cause syncope in dogs.

Dogs Going to Pot?

I was watching a television show about a veterinary clinic the evening after completing an early draft of this article. One of the clients was a young man with a very sick dog, who lay at his feet, moaning softly. He's not himself

Latest Blog

Parallels between Force-Free Training and Gentle Parenting

Both gentle parenting and force-free training emphasize empathy for the living being you're responsible for, and patience with their behavior as their core tenet.