I just found a wonderful holistic doctor for my pets. How is that many animal lovers don't realize this is an option?

Finally, as you have realized, you are responsible for your animal's health, not just your practitioner. If you feel the practitioner you are using is palliating or suppressing, not curing, talk to them of your concerns and suggest a referral or simply choose another one yourself.

With a cure, the symptoms slowly go away, and the animal feels better in every way. Palliation will see a quick resolution of symptoms, but they keep coming back and need to be retreated frequently and there is no overall improvement. Suppression causes the symptoms to quickly go away and more severe symptoms appear along with the animal feeling no better or even worse. Read, talk to other people, talk with your animal health care providers, and take courses. Pay attention to what works and what does not work.

Keeping a journal is important so you can look back and see what has gotten better and are problems getting less frequent and less severe, which is your goal. This journal will help you patiently wait for problems resolve because you can see the pattern of the whole being changing for the better. Patience is definitely an unsung virtue on the road to health. Even if the modality you choose turns out not to be curative, your animal will be healthier for using this approach.

You may have a wonderful veterinary acupuncturist who thinks you should vaccinate and feed canned food. You certainly can use her for acupuncture, but follow your heart and feed raw meat. Stand firm with what you feel is working. You need to be flexible enough to realize you (or your practitioner) have made a mistake and it is time for a change. Again - you are responsible for deciding what needs to be tried next for your animal - maybe conventional drugs, maybe homeopathy, maybe intuitive healing.

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian. She graduated from the University of Georgia Veterinary College in 1980, began using homeopathy in her veterinary practice in 1983, and has used primarily homeopathy since 1988. A dynamic teacher, Dr. Chambreau is a founder of the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy and is on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School. She also teaches her own 1 and 2 day courses, and lectures at conventions, schools, clubs and to anyone who is concerned about improving the health of animals. She has written and is quoted in many magazines and appears on many radio shows. She is married to Dr. Mort Orman, author of the 14-Day Stress Cure and How to Have a Stress Free Wedding. They have a 14-year-old daughter Tracie and live near Baltimore, Maryland.