Holistic veterinary medicine including acupuncture, chiropractic, herbs, homeopathy, rehabilitation, craniosacral and nutrition.
Our Services:
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture originated to the best of our knowledge in Asia thousands of years ago and is now accepted worldwide. According to Chinese medicine the body has energy or Qi (chee) which flows through meridians in the body. Imbalances in the flow result in pain and illness. Acupuncture normalizes the flow of qi, allowing the body to return to a state of health. It has been observed that there are nerve endings at the acupuncture points. From a Western medicine point of view, acupuncture causes effects in the body via the nervous system. Whatever your view, acupuncture can help a wide variety of health issues. Dr. Sarah primarily uses a Traditional Chinese Medicine approach rather than a Western medical approach to acupuncture.
CHIROPRACTIC
Chiropractic treats subluxations, which in chiropractic terms are restrictions of joint motion. These restrictions cause decreased use of muscles, resulting in poorer circulation. This causes local fluid or edema to build up in tissues resulting in a decreased removal of cellular waste. These accumulating waste products irritate nerve cells causing in miscommunication within the nervous system. Pain comes from soreness in the muscles, irritated nerves and local edema. The body can become sore elsewhere as it compensates for the area of subluxation. By restoring normal joint movement, the body can improve the health of the nervous system and normal gait function for the animal. Chiropractic helps after falls; hit by car accidents; injuries to muscles, joints and bones - essentially almost any trauma to the body. It will help in many cases of lameness and can assist in back problems. Because it can help the nervous system chiropractic can also aid in conditions other than musculoskeletal problems.
CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is an offshoot of osteopathic medicine. Osteopathy, similar to chiropractic, uses manipulation of joints and tissues to achieve a return to balanced health of the nervous system and the entire body - not just muscles and joints. Craniosacral work developed to adjust the nervous system and spine but can also affect the entire body as well. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounds the brain and spinal cord within a tough membrane. There is a rhythmic flow of the CSF from the brain down the spinal cord and back up. This is reflected in minute movements of the bones of the skull and the sacrum in the pelvic area. (The sacrum is the fused vertebrae that form a joint with the pelvis.) If this movement is disturbed then various health problems can occur including headaches, poor body movement, jaw problems, headshakers in horses and other behavior issues. CST is very subtle, gentle energy work which restores the normal movement of the cranial wave of the CSF. Animals that have suffered trauma, including birth trauma, can benefit from CST. Animals with temporomandibular (TMJ) issues and horses with dental problems also benefit. Breathing issues related to the larynx may also be helped. Results after treatment are immediately visible with a change in the animal's posture and way of moving. Changes continue to occur over a period of several days.
HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS
Herbal medicine has a long tradition in many cultures around the world. A large number of modern drugs were developed from plants. Unlike a drug which is a purified single substance, using herbs allows for the interaction of all the active components within a plant. This can produce a gentler more harmonious effect. Herbs are still a foreign substance to the body. They are not inherently safer because they are more natural. It is important to know there can be herb/drug interactions for your pet. Please let us know all the drugs, supplements and herbs your pet is taking so we may prevent any harmful side effects. We use herbs that have been safely grown and safely processed - avoiding harmful pesticides and chemicals used to process some herbs in some manufacturing plants. We carry botanical liquids and herbs from American/European traditions as well as Chinese herbal mixtures. We also carry a limited number of supplements and can advise on the use of other supplements you may already be using.
HOMEOPATHY
Homeopathic ideas have been discussed in many cultures including European, American, Indian, Persian and Chinese. Homeopathy is based on the idea that "like cures like." From a Western medical view it seems controversial as it appears that nothing is being given other than a sugar pill or solution. The pill or solution carries the diluted potentised homeopathic remedy. There are no chemically detectable compounds in the remedy other then the lactose of the pill or the base liquids in the solution. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755 - 1843) is credited with developing a holistic therapy system based on "like cures like". The more diluted a remedy is the more potent it is - seeming to fly in the face of traditional Western medicine. From a quantum physics level the remedy carries the energy frequency of the original substance. A remedy is chosen by matching the symptoms of the patient to the symptoms of the remedy if it was given normal medical doses and not the minute multiply diluted homeopathic form. For example if a dog has a rash which is red, itchy and has blisters containing fluid then the remedy that comes to mind is Rhus (poison ivy). Even if the rash is not from poison ivy itself (which dogs do not react to) the rash will heal when given the remedy. Homeopathy has been used effectively in this format for over 200 years. It can be very effective. When it is used in classical form one remedy at a time is used. It may take weeks to months to slowly return the body to optimal health. There are other ways to use homeopathic remedies however. Dr. Are Thoresen, a Norwegian veterinarian and licensed human acupuncturist and homeopathic physician, combines an herb, acupuncture and a homeopathic remedy in some of his treatments. At times his methods are used in our treatments.
HOMOTOXICOLOGY
In homotoxicology a formula of multiple homeopathic remedies is used rather than a single remedy at a time. Dr. Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg founded homotoxicology. It is based on the idea that illnesses result from the body's inability to remove toxins effectively. Toxins come from many sources - bacteria, viruses, yeast, chemicals such as pesticides or volatile compounds from new carpeting or paint, even dietary substances such as msg or gluten. Metabolic deficiencies can create toxins such as free radicals or ammonia from liver disease. Homotoxicology is based on a pattern of disease which starts with problems within the body's excretion system (sweat, digestion, urine, respiration, lymph). If the drainage pathways are not open then it is harder for the body to eliminate toxins which it encounters or produces. Over time the body is damaged by the toxins and diseases progress eventually leading to degenerative issues and further on possibly to cancer. As in homeopathy multiple formulas may be used; sometimes together and sometimes in series. Usually a formula(s) to open drainage pathways and or formulas to improve gut health are used first. These are followed by formulas to remove toxins. Lastly formulas to remind the tissues to return to optimal function are used - rather like giving the tissues a blueprint. These may be used in conjunction with botanical formulas as well.
EQUINE DENTISTRY
Dr. Sarah still performs routine dentistry on horses. Often if there are some moderate to severe corrections needed in the dental arcade then craniosacral work is very beneficial for the horse. We use sedation and a full mouth speculum to evaluate the dental arcades to the back of the mouth. Only hand floats are used. Power floats must be used judiciously as they can heat up a tooth and damage the pulp or nerve. In the hands of a trained professional they are a good tool. However we have found nearly all the horses we see can be treated with hand floats. In the rare case where we do not have the needed tools horses can be referred. Dr. Cory Reng is a travelling Nebraska veterinarian now specializing in equine dentistry. She has made trips to Casper in the past. Craniosacral therapy is capable of correcting poor chewing motion in horses. Poor chewing is what causes many of the equine dental problems. Once a horse chews correctly he wears his teeth down evenly. Our equine patients receiving yearly craniosacral treatments have needed less dental work each successive year.
NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING
Dr. Sarah does not carry any brands of pet foods. She will help clients choose an appropriate food for their pet based on their animals individual needs. Just because a diet is listed as holistic or organic does not necessarily make it the best food for your pet. What works for one animal may not be the best for the next animal. If you have nutrition questions we can help you sort through all of the multitude of diets available or give you resources to cook for your pet if you choose.
