Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog – May 1, 2000

Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog (Howell Reference Books) Paperback – May 1, 2000

Author: Visit Amazon's Wendy Volhard Page | Language: English | ISBN: 1582451532 | Format: PDF, EPUB

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Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog – May 1, 2000
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Amazon.com Review

Finding nutritional data for dogs can be a difficult business--and while much of the information in Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog is presented by anecdote, there's still plenty of worthwhile reading here. Aimed at dog owners that are already fairly committed to nonallopathic forms of health care for their pets, much of the book is based around author Wendy Volhard's Natural Diet. The Natural Diet is fairly labor intensive, as Volhard is the first to admit, but she provides page after page of testimonials that credit the diet with improved temperaments, better activity levels, and exemplary physical health. Each ingredient in this diet is discussed in depth, so owners not ready to take the step of providing a complete diet from scratch can still learn about potentially valuable supplements, as well as what ingredients to look for in a commercial diet.

Beyond the dietary information provided, there are several chapters that give solid explanations of different types of health care available, including homeopathy, kinesiology, and the five-element theory. For those who still prefer allopathic care for their dogs, the chapters that cover standard lab tests are extremely useful, finally giving a layman's guide for urinalysis, blood serum, liver function, and thyroid testing. A glossary defines various terms such as acidosis and hepatic, and each description is easily understandable, even by those with no medical background whatsoever. For puppy owners, the chapter discussing vaccinations is informative--Volhard questions the necessity of many we take for granted, and suggests several methods for lowering the required number for your pup.

Ultimately, the majority of this book is geared toward folks who are already committed to providing their pooches with alternative health care and homemade food. No matter how interesting the dietary concepts presented here, if you aren't already a true believer it's not likely that Volhard's anecdotes will provide you with enough statistical proof to completely overhaul your dog's way of life. --Jill Lightner

From the Back Cover

Holistic veterinary care remains one of the fastest-growing specialties in canine medicine. Like the original, the second edition of The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog includes all of the in-depth information readers need to evaluate their dogs' dietary and medical regimens in light of holistic alternatives, and provides them with a new way to look at canine health in general. However, this new edition is updated and revamped with more information on all things holistic for the new millennium. In this updated version of a dog care classic, readers learn more about:

How to read commercial dog food labels and understand what they really mean
The Natural Diet and how to prepare it
Raising puppies and caring for older dogs
What supplements are all about
How to assess vaccinations and lab tests
Kinesiology
Homeopathy
The Five-Element Theory of traditional Chinese medicine and much more.

The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog has tips for everyone. Whether the reader is a new dog owner or an old pro at home remedies and health food for dogs, they will gain insight into canine health as a whole as well as their own dog's health and well-being.

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Direct download links available for Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog (Howell Reference Books) Paperback – May 1, 2000

Series: Howell Reference Books
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Howell Book House; Second Edition edition (May 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1582451532
ISBN-13: 978-1582451534
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #430,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

This is another one of those books that I recommend to everyone interested in holistic care for their canine companions. It's somewhat more technical and scientific in its approach than the equally superb books by Pitcairn and Levy, but that shouldn't put anyone off. Volhard begins with several excellent chapters on canine nutrition which include a very detailed section on supplements. For those determined to feed a commercial food, she provides info on how to read labels, which ingredients to look for and what to avoid. Next she addresses the common problems of allergies and toxins in our dogs' environment, foods, and water, as well as drug and vaccine reactions. Instead of providing the reader with possible alternatives to vaccinating (such as homeopathic nosodes), she recommends a modified vaccine schedule using killed vaccines only for diseases endemic in the area in question and doing titer tests instead of routinely giving annual booster shots. While this is certainly superior to the traditional veterinary practice of needlessly subjecting dogs to potentially very harmful annual combo vaccines, I much prefer Dr. Pitcairn's vaccination schedule for those uncomfortable with using nosodes.
Next, Volhard explains the basics of the canine digestive tract and thyroid and adrenal gland function. This is followed by a chapter on laboratory tests and how to figure out if your dogs' lab results are within normal parameters. After this very technical chapter, Volhard dives into the rather controversial subject of kinesiology which is basically a form of biofeedback. If (like me) you're the skeptical type, this will sound like a bit of hocus pocus to you.

This book is NOT just for people who believe holistic is the only way to go! So although many reviewers write from that perspective, I strongly suggest that people who love traditional medicine consider it because it provides clear explanations of how a dog's system works, the functions of the organs, and what the various nutrients do in and for the dog. It also provdes an excellent explanation of each section of a blood test or urine test and what the results *mean.* And, it has simple but very complete charts in the back which cover various things from *both* the traditional and the holistic points of view in causes and treatments.
What made me respect this book was that they offer traditional medicine causes and effects, tests and medications, treatments and solutions ... as well as holistic ones. So, both "sides" can get plenty out of it, and perhaps learn something from the beliefs of the "other side" too to get a much more balanced picture of what is going on with their dog.
It is not as simple as most of the consumer oriented books, but it is also not as complex as reading the veterinary medicine web sites. It definitely provides more detail than you may be accustomed to in a "pet health" book.
It provides a good base to research from so you can go look at traditional and alternative medicine web sites and know what the heck you're looking for.
If you don't care for the diet they recommend, or any other "holistic" parts, you can easily ignore them. It's a good reference book, and if you are the type who wants to be really involved in your dog's care and want to know more than what the vet told you, then get this book.