“Casey”
Day 1 — February 11
This week, a new client came in with an eight year old miniature Dachshund named “Casey.” Having been fed a diet of highly processed foods his entire life, he was obese (27 pounds!!), had really bad teeth and severe intestinal issues – oh, yeah, and a slipped disc in his neck. Casey was unbalanced and falling to the right side; his face was crooked – the right eye looked like it was going to pop out of his head; and all of this was causing extreme pain.
Prognosis: totally dependent on owner compliance.
So instead of throwing a complicated regimen of nutrition, supplements and physical therapy that may or may not overwhelm Casey’s mom and dad, I offered to keep him for 30 days and adjust and monitor his progress for myself. And share my journey of trial and error of trying to fix this sweet boy – regardless of the outcome.
We managed to figure out a great deal on day one and here’s what we did:
1. Radiographs of Casey’s neck to rule out serious pathology – none was seen.
2. Bloodwork – Casey has low thyroid values. All other numbers are in normal range.
3. Food change – no more processed food for Casey – he will join my pack and eat home-cooked dog food. And, if he doesn’t eat after 10 minutes, I pick it up and he’s done.
4. Supplements —
a. Cervical formula (Jing Tang Herbal) – herbal therapy targeting disk lesions in the neck
b. Prednisone – even I use steroids in cases of acute disc injury – the sooner I can get the swelling out of the spinal cord, the quicker Casey can heal.
c. Takesumi (Mid-American Marketing) – Casey needs heavy metal detoxification. Constant exposure to processed foods, annual vaccinations, use of flea medication, and our environment leads to heavy metal buildup in many of my older patients.
d. Morinda Supreme (Mid-American Marketing) – no great surprise, but Casey’s ears smell and his coat is dry yet sticky.
e. Artecin (Thorne Products) – it’s really alarming how many patients have intestinal parasites in spite of monthly heartworm preventatives, which treat the big three (hooks, whips and rounds). What most people are just now learning is how well everyone seems to respond to artemesia, the active ingredient of Artecin, which has been used for centuries to gently deworm humans and animals.
f. Thyroid supplement – it will be really interesting, once Casey is detoxified, once his intestinal issues are treated, and once his weight is down, to see if his thyroid levels are still low. Bets, anyone?
5. Spinal adjustment – I am confident that Casey is a good chiropractic candidate and I have adjusted not only his neck, but also his pelvis and his cranial bones. He was very relaxed for his adjustment. I also did some acupuncture to help with pain and bone issues. Casey is now able to turn his head to the right and his tongue is no longer purple (which meant he was in pain).
Whew – that’s enough for one day. Stay tuned for Casey’s progress on Monday.
Dr. Cathy Alinovi DVM
As a practicing veterinarian, Dr. Cathy treated 80% of what walked in the door — not with expensive prescriptions — but with adequate nutrition. Now retired from private practice, her commitment to pets hasn’t waned and she looks forward to impacting many more pet parents through her books, research, speaking and consulting work. Learn more at drcathyvet.com
Always consult your veterinarian before giving any herbal supplements.
