I am ecstatic to announce that I recently enrolled in a western veterinary herbal course that is very extensive and will take almost two years to complete with part-time study.  The international college that offers it is based out of Australia and they have a few levels of western herbal training of which this course is the most comprehensive.  Two well-known veterinary herbalists have designed the course and it covers many ailments in veterinary medicine in great detail.  The benefit of this particular herbal course is that it is designed specifically for veterinarians, so the particular physiology and dosages required by the four-legged patients will be emphasized.

As my training proceeds, I will incorporate herbs into treatment protocols where appropriate.  For example; boswellia, turmeric, and others are useful for anti-inflammatory action.

My personal goal is to gain a very strong appreciation for western herbs so that I may pass along knowledge to my clients.  Some herbs (i.e. rosemary, thyme, catnip) may be easily cultivated in your own garden.  

Sustainability and great medicine all at the same time!!!!!  Music to my ears!

Warmly,
Dr. Becky

In recognition of this festive time of year, I decided to post an easy recipe for a tasty dessert that you may share with your dog or cat.  This recipe features pumpkin which can easily be sourced locally at your local farmers' market.


                  Pumpkin Popsicles                    
                   
Ingredients (choose local and organic when possible):

1 1/2 cup pureed freshly cooked pumpkin or canned pumpkin
1 cup plain yogurt 
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves

1.  Combine pumpkin puree/canned pumpkin, yogurt, agave and all spices in a bowl.  Mix well.
2.  Pour the mix into an ice cube tray or a freezer tray designed for popsicles.  Place on a flat area in the freezer.
3.   Wait 10-15 minutes then place popsicle sticks in the mix when it is firm enough to support the sticks but not too frozen. 
4.   Enjoy in about an hour!  If you are sharing with your pup, make sure he/she is not able to ingest the popsicle stick or just make some popsicles without sticks!

*Adjust sweetness and spices to your liking.  If adding more agave nectar to the recipe for yourself or if you would prefer not to give any sweetener to your pet, omit the agave nectar from a portion of the pumpkin/yogurt mix. 


My daughter loves these, as well as myself!

Enjoy :)

Since my relocation to the Portland area, I have decided to drop the lower end of my acupuncture sliding scale to $100.  This will hopefully allow more frequent treatment as necessary for your animal companion or in the very least make it more affordable for less frequent sessions.

New sliding scale;
$100-$140 per session (1st animal)
$80-$100 (each additional animal on same visit)

Paying at the lower end of the scale will save $160 if your pet is receiving weekly treatments.

Contact me if you have any questions!

Dr. Becky :)

Here is a simple recipe that you can vary according to your own taste preferences, but if you are going to share with your dog please make it mild or separate his/her portion and omit the curry paste.

                        Curry Vegetables

Serves 2

Ingredients (use organic and/or local when possible):
1 cup of coconut milk (full fat or dilute with water to decrease calories)
1-2 tsp of curry paste (choose a mild curry or use less paste to minimize the spiciness)
4 small-medium potatoes 
1-2 large carrots
1/3 to 1/2 bunch of chard (or use other dark leafy greens)

Directions:
1.  In a saute pan on low to medium heat, warm the coconut milk and add desired amount of curry paste (remember only a small amount if feeding your dog as well, ie 1/2 tsp).  
2.  Add to the sauce; potatoes cut into small squares (less than 1 inch) and carrots cut into coins.
3.  Lower heat to simmer the sauce, potatoes, and carrots until cooked (approx.10-15 min).
4.  Add chopped chard or other dark leafy green and cover the pan for 4-5 minutes to "steam" the chard and soften it.

Serve and enjoy!!!!


**************Nutritional Tidbit*******************

  Coconut products such as coconut milk and coconut oil are high in saturated fats but should not be condemned.  The type of fat in coconuts is a medium-chain triglyceride which means that it can be converted into useable energy in the body rather than stored.  The fat content does contribute to a high calorie count though, so use moderate amounts and be mindful.  Virgin coconut oil is processed in such a way that the fat profile is more favorable so keep this in mind when purchasing some.  Try some coconut oil instead of butter on a slice of whole grain organic toast....creamy and yummy!  :)   

With this intense interest in nutrition and wanting to share it with those around me, I thought it would be fun to devise some simple recipes for you to share with your dog or cat (some kitties may be a little more picky).  I do believe that HEALTHFUL homemade food can make a nice addition to that which your pet already receives.  I emphasize HEALTHFUL because your pet should NOT be eating foods such as pork rinds or ice cream.  :)  

I will also be posting little nutritional tidbits with these recipes.

                  Recipe#1 Gourmet Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:

Hello all,
 
I am wanting to get the word out that acupuncture services will be more readily available in the Portland area (including some Saturdays!) versus the once weekly trip I was making from Corvallis. 

I am also expanding my services to include consultations that don't involve acupuncture.  I would love to see your animal companion for an exam and thorough discussion of his/her history to help devise appropriate nutritional supplementation in the form of Standard Process products and/or diet changes and/or whole food recommendations.  These sessions will also be very thorough and last about an hour.  The charge per session will be on a sliding scale of $80-$100.

Holistic nutrition is a strong passion of mine; both for people and animals!  I will be more than happy to answer any questions that you have prior to scheduling an appointment.

Remember.....you are what you eat.  :)

Warmly,
Dr. Becky

Hello all,

After becoming reacquainted with Corvallis for the past several months, I have become very moved by the strong community ties and sustainability actions.  This wasn't as evident when I was here for undergraduate and veterinary schooling but I was also in a very different place then.  

One such individual who has inspired me recently is Leyna at Corvallis Community Acupuncture.  She is also an entrepreneur but on the human side of acupuncture.  I am impressed with her motivation to fulfill her business dream and bring acupuncture "to the masses".  While I cannot have large numbers of dogs and cats receiving acupuncture simultaneously in the same room, I can try to make the sessions more affordable.

This being said, I have decided to use a sliding scale for my treatment sessions.  Instead of $140 per session, you decide what part of the scale works for you to allow your pet to be treated with the preferred frequency.   

Treatment with trip fee (1 animal) is now: 
   Portland and surrounding areas $120-$140
     
Additional animals on the same visit:
   Treatment $80-$100 each  

My hope is that more patients may receive the treatment they need and with the appropriate frequency.

Example of savings:
     Typically patients are treated weekly for the first 2-4 sessions.  At the former scale this would cost $280-$560.
     Now 2-4 sessions at one week intervals could be as low as $240-$480 if that is what works best for you!

I am trying to make this a pleasant experience for you, your pet, and your wallet!  :) 

****Also, I wrote a brief article for the Coop Thymes for the month of February (page 13).  Check it out if you get a chance.

Sincerely,
Dr. Becky

I am very pleased to announce that my business logo is now complete!  This has been in the works for several months and is the result of many kind individuals.  Check out the home page to take a peek.  There is also an ad for NHVA in the online version of the Natural Choice Directory for the Willamette Valley.  Check it out at http://www.healthygreenpages.com/sec2/veterinary.htm 

Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

Warmest regards,
Dr. Becky

I wanted to alert everyone that I have added an email contact method for those of you who are more computer savy.  The address is info@drjester.com and can also be found on my contact page.  As always, I am much quicker with the phone than the computer but I will be able to get back to you within 48hrs. 

When I have the opportunity I will begin to work on new patient forms that can be completed and returned to me via email before the first appointment.

This will also make communication easier if pictures are useful in determining a patient's likely prognosis or treatment approach.

Thanks for reading!

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.  :(