I apologize for the delay in updating my blog site but a lot has been going on in the past few months.  I am excited to share some very interesting tidbits that I learned at the American Veterinary Medical Association conference in Atlanta, Georgia a few months ago.

1.  Alkaloid salts (herbal derivatives) are an option for cancer treatment in your pet.  Traditional veterinarians and oncologists aren't typically aware of this treatment modality but at the conference I heard some amazing stories of clinical efficacy.  They can be administered by mouth, topically, and by injection.  It is possible to treat some tumors with this method primarily but it can also be used in conjunction with traditional treatment methods (ie. growth removal).  To learn more visit www.buckmountainbotanicals.net.   Select the category "Tumors and Warts" on the bottom left-hand side of the page to read clinical papers and case studies.  I currently carry the Neoplasene products and have used a few of the herbal extracts.

2.  Homeopathic remedies are a treatment method that may be very useful in conjunction with acupuncture and/or traditional medicines as a way to stimulate the body's own response to heal.  At the conference homeopathics for skin disease was discussed with an explanation of the medications working on the spaces between cells for their efficacy.  These medicines are wonderful because they are very safe.  I have experience with a few cases where we incorporated them and had a more rapid response to the acupuncture therapy and the acupuncture sessions where able to be spaced out more quickly. 

3.  Not all fish oils are created equally!!!  I am thrilled to offer a new product line that I discovered at the conference.  The Canadian company Ascenta originated as a manufacturer of fish oil for humans with very stringent guidelines for quality assurance.  Now Enhance Animal Wellness (www.enhanceanimalwellness.com) is proud to offer their products through licensed veterinarians.  I had used omega -3 fatty acids when I was still in general practice but the level of purity was no where near this lineup (they test for over 400 contaminants and you can view the results for every lot number online).  The company manufactures omega-3 supplements for dogs, cats and horses.  They are in liquid form to be poured on food and so far widely accepted by my patients as far as palatibility.  This is the first fish oil that I have been exposed to that is not real "fishy" in smell.  The only product that smells a little fishy is the cat line because it is ocean fish flavor.  The dog product smells like a smoked beef bone and the horse product smells like green apples.  There is only natural flavoring used to make these products more palatible.  Nothing artificial is added.  A very cool thing about this company that I have to mention is how "green" they are by utilizing sustainable practices and being a member of 1% for the planet (www.onepercentfortheplanet.org).

Please check out the above links if you have a few minutes.  They are great!

Until next time.........by the way, I said I would follow up regarding the metal recycling efforts for my acupuncture needle handles and it has been denied.  Too many concerns with biohazard disposal.  :(