Supplements ...Is this Holistic Vet Crazy???? - Page 1

My husband has taken our two year old GDS to a Holistic Vet. The vet puts different things, like the food or dog eats and carpet ... and something with metal....all kinds of things to test if our dog has some problems going on where he needs supplements in his diet. Our dog has skin allergies that a dog allergist could not get under control.  A person told my husband to go to this holistic guy…I could not believe what I was told he does.  His tech touches our dog with items and also is touching this Vet and if his arm goes up or down he decides what your dog needs.  Never blood test this is all done through his arm?????????  Our dog is now taking 12 different supplements and seem one is added each time my husband takes our dog.  I think this is a bunch of crap….. My husband is a very smart man..Usually….please tell me what you think…can all these supplements hurt our dog?  Last time his arm told him my dogs liver was working up to full function…his arm told him this.  


Thank you

quack, quack, quack. lol

It's called Kinesiology.

Wendy Volhard, same one who came up with that well known puppy aptitude test, makes great mention of it in her book "Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog." She says she has had great success with it, and has been promoting it since the 1980s, despite skepticism from others.

It opperates, theoretically, on the basic principle of muscle-testing and energy transfer. Basically, one person touches the patient, while another tries to push the tester's arm down. If they can easily, it indicates a weakness or allergy in the patient is being transfered to the tester.

Typically it's the deltoid muscle that's used because, according to Wendy, it locks into the shoulder joint. According to the theory, a healthy muscle from a healthy energy transfer withstands a lot of pressure. A weak muscle folds easily.

The doctor or vet focuses on something, kind of like a yes or know question to the patient, and then has someone push on his arm... or he pushes on the tester's arm... and if it goes down that shows whatever the doctor's asking has a negative effect. Something like "Fido, are you allegic to corn?" Arm goes down, and according to theory, then apparently Fido has issues processing corn.

I'm pretty into the whole Holistic scene, but I take everything with a degree of skepticism. Of course, I'm also respectfully skeptical of conventional chemical medication as well. I'm up in the air as to whether or not kinesiology is valid or not; same way I feel about iridology -- a technique that guages health by looking at and for specs of unnusual color in the iris of the eye -- and other practices.

I guess my basic view on a lot of the more obscure holistic diagnosis tools is: if it's used and the treatment yields positive results, great! However, just because it's "natural" doesn't mean it's any more effective than conventional medication. At the end of the day, whatever works best with the least side-effects is what I consider the best treatment.

Sounds like, from your story, it ain't working out so well. Maybe time to find a new vet.

A friend of mine had a bad experience with a veterinary homeopath who was NOT a DVM. Make sure the person you're dealing with IS a DVM. Sometimes folks who are in natural medicine aren't too quick to dispel the misconceptiont that they're actual doctors. 

For the record, I've used holistic vets with a lot of success, but they haven't done the kinesiology thing. 

Dogis brings up a great point!

If I stand correctly, in many states you don't need any sort of licensing to become a homeopath for humans or animals. Maybe that's changed. When I was studying under a few people, it was pretty much homeopath OR doctor (or vet). Not a lot of crossing over between the two. Nice that's changing at least ^_^ I was never big into kinesiology. Seemed too much like a human Magic 8Ball, with two much room for the tester's subconscious to affect results. Some theories say you don't even need to touch the patient with the item in question, just visualize it or write it on a piece of paper and hold it on the patient to get the same results. I am open-minded about testing with actual items, but by-proxy I start becoming more skeptical. Too many bridges and proxies in the energy transference. I am much more receiving to direct links than fillers.

I will tell you the same thing I told others, and it took me years of studying to figure this stuff out...every dog's digestive system is different so kibble may be a factor.

My first German Shepherd had such bad skin problems, her skin would become bloody raw..the only thing that helped was Cephalexin but it always came back, spent thousands trying to cure her but no vet could then I took over, it got so bad she was either going to have to be cured or put down.  Hopefully what I used to cure my first dog will help yours....every dog is different....what I have listed below is highly cost efficient, use everyday for the rest of the dog's life.

Wholistic Salmon Oil (It's a brand can be bought from k9power and other places) helps with more then just skin

Enzymes (Prozyme) supports a healthy digestive system, even with premium kibble is cooked, killing enzymes needed to digest nutrients, helps to keep skin issues at bay or cure them, among other things like prevention of boat, etc. 

Vitamin C Powder Of course a natural antioxident and fights off infection...can be bought by k9power "Wholistic Ester-C" or Azmira's "Super C Powder"

and most importantly Probiotics... also helps A LOT with allergies it puts the good bacteria necessary back into your dog's immune system so that they can fight yeast overgrowth, disease and infection...it's especially useful before, during and after antibiotics since not only do antibiotics kill the bad bacteria but the good, so once the dog is off of the antibiotics, your dog's immune system is defenseless and vulnerable.  For Probiotics I would get Miracle Probiotic.....use all of these suupplements everyday.  There are other supplements as well that I have had good success with,  Aller'G Free by Azmira, and if Holistic Salmon Oil doesn't have enough vitamin E in it, don't hesitate to add more.

Please don't hesitate to contact me as I have been there before and know how vets can be con artists.

What kind of kibble are you using?

As other's have said, you need to find out if the practitioner is a DVM. If so, what have you got to lose other than some money? The traditional approach hasn't worked, so it's worth  exploring other options. How long has your dog been on the supplements? It will take time for the supplements to work, possibly a month or more. Of course there is no guarantee, just as there is no guarantee with traditional treatments. 

What a load of twaddle regarding the touching of an arm to test this and that etc
I am refedeting to ic carrolls post, Not that i am getting on at he or she because that person is just explaining it the way they have probably read about it, IT is the content of what has been said that i am refering to
I can tell you and it matters not if you are a muscle bound man or a puny one, i will guarantee that if you stand against a wall i can touch you with ONE Finger on a certain part of your body and you will not be able to move lift an arm, leg  or head or anywhere else in your body you will remain in the same postilion against the wall until i take my finger away. you will feel no pain before or after unless i apply pressure on my finger above then of course you will, but move a muscle or even twitch a finger you will not be able to
Steve1
If a Dog has skin problems it is probably due to the feeding with grains in the diet, and the environment in its living conditions, So change both and you should see an improvement

I thank all of you for your replies.
 
Yes, the this Holistic (kinesiology) man is a DMV he had a regular vet practice and said he just decided to try this.
 
Our dog is a GSD from Germany, is in Schutzhund Training, he won the Mid Eastern Regional’s and he was an excellent dog with all the drive you could ever want.  His future in Schutzhund was very promising
 
The Dog Food he eats NOW is Orijen 6 Fish Formula. 
 
List of his Supplements:
Multizyme
Parotid PMG
Antronex
Cataplex B
Canine Hepatic Support
Lactic Acid Yeast
Metagenics Glutagenics Powder
Tuna Omega-3 Oil
Immuplex
Cholacol 11
Congaplex
 
He also has to take Temaril P Trimeprazine/Prednisolone because even with all the Supplements his itching would be so bad he gets sores.
 
Also he is becoming very cagey about letting people touch him, his includes me and my husband, the dog growls.  I believe that touching him may cause pain or upset his skin to where he itches.
 
Would like to hear what you think.
Thank you,