ILLogic Archives - Vital Animal § The Natural Path

The Prejudice Against Homeopathy

July 3, 2017 by Richard Pitcairn 9 Comments

You can believe me. I wear a stethoscope and look serious.

In the last few years there has been an increasing criticism of the use of homeopathy as a medical treatment system. My suspicion is that this is happening because more and more people are using it and the other medical practitioners and the pharmaceutical companies are starting to feel it in their pocket books. In any case this is happening and it is increasingly annoying.

I want to give you a recent example of this and show how it is an example of prejudice, not the comments of a neutral observer. [Read more…]

Damn The Diagnosis: Get On With the Cure!

April 2, 2017 by Will Falconer, DVM 18 Comments

Cat counting money: too much is spent on diagnosis. — Lessee, if we get a bit less fish this year, maybe we can find out what I’m allergic to.

You’re spending way too much money on your animals.

In the name of diagnosis.

You tell me about it regularly.

And I cringe when I read your emails. How can I break it to you gently?

There’s a way to get so much more “bang for your buck” than learning the umpteenth thing that Rosie is allergic to!

But, first things first.

Let’s take a 30,000 foot view of how you can spend money on your pets.

Prevention Spending

You can (and I hope you do) spend money on prevention.

But, we live in dicey times.

While there’s truth to this old saw,

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

…it’s woefully out of date.

Here’s what I think is more fitting:

An ounce of conventional prevention could lead to multiple pounds of disease and attempted cure…
OR
An ounce of wise prevention is worth a boatload of cure.”

[Read more…]

How to Legally Avoid Rabies Vaccine

December 10, 2016 by Pam Roussell 37 Comments

Aylen’s Story of Rabies Vaccine Avoidance

My husband and I currently share our home with five cats. The baby, Aylen, is now sixteen months old. When she reached nine months we finally decided it was past time to get her spayed. I always dread these things, and knowing she’d only had one round of vaccinations when she was eleven weeks of age, I was dreading more the inevitable discussion of requiring vaccines from the vet who would do her surgery.

I had started to follow Dr. Falconer a few months prior and emailed him for advice. We had tried numerous vets over the years and even had one experience where I, too, was bullied by one. I remember exactly what Dr. Falconer had told me: Look for a vet who is sympathetic to your beliefs, and if they’re not, take your business elsewhere. [Read more…]

Groomers as Cops

May 29, 2016 by Will Falconer, DVM 61 Comments

Dog in tub of at spa — Dahling, be a dear and ignore my vaccine records, won’t you?

“How do I get my dog into the groomers or a kennel if he’s not current on his shots?”

I hear this question a lot.

And it’s lately come to the fore as a recent issue of Vital Animal News spoke of a client who’s getting ready to relax her requirements for kenneling.

That’s just plain refreshing, isn’t it?

So, I’m reposting this blog to bring it out of the archives and make it visible. I’ve also updated the survey below, so we can get a community effort to list good groomer and kennel folks.

A Brief History of The Why

I’ve carefully explained the dangers of repeating vaccinations throughout an animal’s life (allergies! itchy, funky ears! ADD behavior, aggression! thyroid disease, autoimmune disease, tumors, etc. etc.), and your lights have gone on.

Sometimes the lights really go bright and crackle with this thought provoking question:

Does your physician send YOU reminders every year to come back for more vaccinations?

Ummm. No.

[Read more…]

Reason #4 to Fire Your Vet: Selling Fear

May 22, 2016 by Will Falconer, DVM 37 Comments

scared dog fear sells

Myths That Play on Your Fears

I heard a veterinary myth again recently that I’d almost forgotten. Pack member Stormy had just been out pounding the pavement for a holistic vet to consult with on her Chihuahua.

Dr. Falconer, the vet I drove 45 minutes to get to was fauxlistic! When I told her my 3 lb. Long Coat Chihuahua had never had a rabies vaccine and never would, she gave that same old refrain “what if a bat flies in your apartment?” I tried setting her straight to no avail. I knew right away I’d come to the wrong vet…

I have 3 vets in my town very close to me. I went to all three to check them out. They all pushed vaccines, and tried to scare me into getting her spayed. She is intact (no intention to breed) so I’m living with the fear of a future Pyo, or Mammary Cancer!

[Read more…]

Prevention Spending

Aylen’s Story of Rabies Vaccine Avoidance

A Brief History of The Why

Myths That Play on Your Fears

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