Riley

A Joyful Boston Terrier's Allergies Helped With Holistic Veterinary Care

Holistic Veterinary care can be a very helpful addition to your pet’s health. After many years as a conventional veterinarian, I became interested in treating my patients with a holistic approach. I wanted to expand my ability to treat difficult cases. Allergies can be a very challenging problem. One of the most difficult and rewarding patients I have treated with holistic medicine is Riley, a severely allergic dog.

Riley is a joyful Boston Terrier, who I began treating three years ago, when he was five years old. Riley came into my exam room like he owned the place, intermittently stopping to sit down and scratch. His belly, underarms, and muzzle were red and inflammed. As his mother and I discussed Riley’s history he snooped around the exam room occasionally jumping on his mother’s lap, as if to put his two cents into the conversation.

Riley had begun to itch before six months of age. He was constantly itching and would get frequent bacterial infections on his underarms and belly. Allergy testing had shown that Riley was allergic to mold, dust, grass and leaves. He took antihistamines daily, steroids every other day, allergy shots monthly, as well as antibiotics for the bacterial infections. Despite the medications, the scratching, inflammation and bacterial infections continued. His mother desperately wanted relief for Riley.

A Treatment Plan

We developed a treatment plan that included diet change, nutritional support, homotoxicology(oral drops and injections of homeopathic remedies), Chinese herbs, glutathione injections (potent antioxidant), and ozone therapy (boosts immune system, oxygenates tissue, and kills bacteria, viruses, fungi). Our goal was to treat the symptoms while also treating the underlying cause, which would result in a healthier life for Riley and less maintenance.

We changed Riley’s diet to an all-meat, high quality dry food and all-meat canned food. He was given Chinese Herbs in his food twice daily, as well as probiotics to restore and maintain the bacterial flora in his gut and bovine colostrum to boost his immune system.

We discontinued the monthly allergy injections. Initially, I treated Riley weekly with homeopathic remedies in acupuncture points, glutathione injections and ozone enemas. For his occasional skin infection Riley was treated with homeopathic remedies and antibiotics.

The Frequency of Treatments Decreased

During the first 1 ½ years of treatment, we were able to stop the antihistamines. We slowly decreased the steroids and eventually stopped them as well. The frequency of his treatments in the clinic have decreased from weekly to every 2-4 weeks.

Riley continued to have mild outbreaks of skin infections on his belly, although they were less frequent. Over the past 1 ½ years, the frequency of Riley’s treatments have decreased to every 1-2 months. He no longer experiences bacterial skin infections. His muzzle and underarms rarely get inflamed.

In March of last year, Riley was experiencing severe itching. I made a house call and saw golden Juniper pollen covering the back patio. There was a row of Juniper trees on the back fence line. That was the cause of Riley’s outbreak. Riley’s mother cleaned up the patio and we treated Riley with homeopathic remedies, glutathione, and an ozone enema. I also added two homeopathic oral medications. One is called Allergy(Great Plains) and made for pollen, grasses, and mold in this part of the country, the other is called Skin Itch and Irritation.

Success!

Since March, Riley has done very well. I no longer need to give him injections with the homeopathic remedies. His treatment consists of a glutathione injection and an ozone enema every 1-2 months, depending on the season.

At home, he continues to eat a high quality, all-meat diet of dry and canned food. His supplements consist of Chinese herbs and the homeopathic oral remedies. When he starts to itch, off to the tub he goes for an oatmeal bath which soothes his skin and removes any pollen or mold that may have gotten on his coat.

Riley was a very difficult dog to treat. He had been on steroids for many years; therefore, it took two years to get him to a place where he is treated infrequently. Riley still comes into the exam room as if he owns the place, says hello and joyfully jumps on a chair, from the chair to the exam table and looks for his treat.