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I'm happy Sebastian is doing well!
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Sebastian is Back at the Vet...Suspected Pancreatitis Again :(
- Thread starter goholistic
- Start Date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #303
Thanks @Roxie!
I was very happy to wake up in the morning and find Sebastian sleeping like this --->
(Don't mind his shaved belly. This was from the "experimental" ultrasound at the regular vet.)
When Sebastian sleeps on his back with his belly in the air, that is when I know he is truly at his best. He hasn't slept like this since before he was first sick in July. It made me very happy.
@LDG and @Carolina - well, this is a problem now isn't it? Not only because Sebastian eats canned cat food (and thus a contributing factor to his issues), but also because a lot of us suggest to people to get their cats off dry food and put them on an all wet diet. I feel like there needs to be a disclaimer: "An all wet diet is superior to a dry diet in terms of protein and moisture, BUT your cat may get BPA poisoning." What?!
Oh...heaven help me.
I was very happy to wake up in the morning and find Sebastian sleeping like this --->
(Don't mind his shaved belly. This was from the "experimental" ultrasound at the regular vet.)
When Sebastian sleeps on his back with his belly in the air, that is when I know he is truly at his best. He hasn't slept like this since before he was first sick in July. It made me very happy.
@LDG and @Carolina - well, this is a problem now isn't it? Not only because Sebastian eats canned cat food (and thus a contributing factor to his issues), but also because a lot of us suggest to people to get their cats off dry food and put them on an all wet diet. I feel like there needs to be a disclaimer: "An all wet diet is superior to a dry diet in terms of protein and moisture, BUT your cat may get BPA poisoning." What?!
Oh...heaven help me.
I know EXACTLY that feeling, when you KNOW they feel well and are happy after a looooooooong battle to get there. :heart2: Oh my heart is singing for you and Sebastian! ....as to the BPA... you know, if it isn't one thing, it's another. Seriously. It is scary how it affects children - which means we do have to worry about our cats. But I still think an all canned diet is far superior to kibble. It's just important we remember stuff like this when people post in the health forum, I guess. :dk:
So happy Sebastian is feeling better.I know what a relief that is.Remy feels so much better since his surgery . He is constantly rolling over and it fills my heart with joy!
This BPA stuff was one reason I wanted to get my cat off cat food, processed food... I found Weruva, and saw bpa-free labeling, but I was pretty much over the whole processed food thing. I would occasionally bring wet Weruva home for kitty as a treat, but felt better about a real food diet! I'm tired of humans poisoning humans and animals! Aren't you?!
....as to the BPA... you know, if it isn't one thing, it's another. Seriously. It is scary how it affects children - which means we do have to worry about our cats. But I still think an all canned diet is far superior to kibble. It's just important we remember stuff like this when people post in the health forum, I guess. :dk:
Look, for me, personally, the concern with BPA hits home because of Bugsy and his IBD, and the fact that it might had been a what was causing his inflammation.... But had he been a "normal cat", I wouldn't think twice in between canned and kibbles (if those were my choices).
Kibbles IMHO is just a bad, bad diet on an inflammatory level, for the kidneys, where diabetes is concerned, obesity....
I learned though to have a holistic approach to the animal's health: I don't mean by that western X a natural approach, but holistic in the sense of treating the animal as a whole.
So to me, when dealing with issues such as this, I approach the situation from all angles. Diet, supplements, and if necessary, medication as well.
Diet for me is the basis of keeping them healthy.
So, my point after all this is, for people like you and I where this can be a factor, I think BPA has to be considered, and probably an elimination trail wouldn't hurt.
If one can avoid, sure. .... But I dot think it is anywhere near a factor to keep people away from canned foods. IMHO the benefits of it are far greater than the risks of feeding it.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #309
Thanks all!
@Maureen Bradley, glad to hear Remy is feeling a lot better!
I can't believe I forgot to mention this earlier. Are you ready? Are you sitting down?
The appointment with the holistic vet is scheduled!
But here's the thing...I talked to the receptionist / office staff person, and was picking her brain about the doctors there. Of course, the owner is the supposedly the big deal, THE person you want to see, so I ultimately made the appointment with her. Her specialty is primarily homeopathy. I kind of curled up my nose at this because I've had little success with homeopathic medicine in my personal life. I'm not sure how successful it is with animals. They don't really actively practice Chinese medicine. This is the largest holistic animal hospital in my area, so it's pretty much I go with them or I don't.
They want me to send over a packet of all Sebastian's records. Before I take the time to do this, I wanted to see what you all thought. The cost of the visit is double the cost of the my regular vet (is this normal?). Only IF she decides she can treat Sebastian with homeopathy, that's another SEPARATE homeopathy consultation that costs extra and takes 1.5 hours. Things are starting to sound a little weird to me. If she decides she can't treat him with homeopathy specifically, then she may have other recommendations. Keep in mind I have never spoken with this doc; the office person is telling me all this. I'm half wondering if it would be more useful to find a vet that specializes in holistic/Chinese medicine that will do remote (i.e., phone, email) consultations with me.
I don't know.
I'm not sure. There are a lot of things I am doing very carefully, so it would be difficult to attribute it to any one thing. He's still on the meds, too, even though we've did reduce the metro.
@Maureen Bradley, glad to hear Remy is feeling a lot better!
I can't believe I forgot to mention this earlier. Are you ready? Are you sitting down?
The appointment with the holistic vet is scheduled!
But here's the thing...I talked to the receptionist / office staff person, and was picking her brain about the doctors there. Of course, the owner is the supposedly the big deal, THE person you want to see, so I ultimately made the appointment with her. Her specialty is primarily homeopathy. I kind of curled up my nose at this because I've had little success with homeopathic medicine in my personal life. I'm not sure how successful it is with animals. They don't really actively practice Chinese medicine. This is the largest holistic animal hospital in my area, so it's pretty much I go with them or I don't.
They want me to send over a packet of all Sebastian's records. Before I take the time to do this, I wanted to see what you all thought. The cost of the visit is double the cost of the my regular vet (is this normal?). Only IF she decides she can treat Sebastian with homeopathy, that's another SEPARATE homeopathy consultation that costs extra and takes 1.5 hours. Things are starting to sound a little weird to me. If she decides she can't treat him with homeopathy specifically, then she may have other recommendations. Keep in mind I have never spoken with this doc; the office person is telling me all this. I'm half wondering if it would be more useful to find a vet that specializes in holistic/Chinese medicine that will do remote (i.e., phone, email) consultations with me.
Sebastian is so beautiful! He looks a lot like my cat Munchkin. That sounds like a lot of time, money and work on your part to see that doctor when she may not even treat him. If she does, will it help or make things worse? Why can't she combine both consultations in one visit? That sounds a little strange. That was just my thoughts as I was reading your post. You have to do what you feel is best for Sebastian. I don't know much about homeopathy medicine or treatment. I hope he continues to feel good and eat. Two out of my seven cats sleep like that! Good luck with everything. Hugs and prayers for you and Sebastian.
Yes it is normal for homeopathic vets to be very expensive. There is only one true homeopathic vet in this area, the others I think just add it to their advertising to get more business. He only charges $19 for the office visit and $22 for the exam but he then charges $73 per 15 minutes of his time. That's more than psychiatrists in this area charge for therapy.
Thanks all!
I'm not sure. There are a lot of things I am doing very carefully, so it would be difficult to attribute it to any one thing. He's still on the meds, too, even though we've did reduce the metro.
@Maureen Bradley, glad to hear Remy is feeling a lot better!
I can't believe I forgot to mention this earlier. Are you ready? Are you sitting down?
The appointment with the holistic vet is scheduled!
But here's the thing...I talked to the receptionist / office staff person, and was picking her brain about the doctors there. Of course, the owner is the supposedly the big deal, THE person you want to see, so I ultimately made the appointment with her. Her specialty is primarily homeopathy. I kind of curled up my nose at this because I've had little success with homeopathic medicine in my personal life. I'm not sure how successful it is with animals. They don't really actively practice Chinese medicine. This is the largest holistic animal hospital in my area, so it's pretty much I go with them or I don't.
They want me to send over a packet of all Sebastian's records. Before I take the time to do this, I wanted to see what you all thought. The cost of the visit is double the cost of the my regular vet (is this normal?). Only IF she decides she can treat Sebastian with homeopathy, that's another SEPARATE homeopathy consultation that costs extra and takes 1.5 hours. Things are starting to sound a little weird to me. If she decides she can't treat him with homeopathy specifically, then she may have other recommendations. Keep in mind I have never spoken with this doc; the office person is telling me all this. I'm half wondering if it would be more useful to find a vet that specializes in holistic/Chinese medicine that will do remote (i.e., phone, email) consultations with me.I don't know.
I'm going to ask Lauren to chime in here, because she worked with a long distance homeopathic vet with Wilbur. 
His issues weren't IBD, but they were endocrine related.
His issues weren't IBD, but they were endocrine related.
I too get a little nervous when receptionists try to guide me to the "head honcho".
The holisitc (not homeopathic) vet I am considering taking Ritz to see charges $170 for the initial consultation. According to her web page, the initial consultation lasts one hour.
• Holistic Reassessment (30 min) $70
• Acupuncture $48
• Chiropractic Care/Cranial Sacral Therapy $48
• Traditional Comprehensive Physical Exam (30 min) $70 [this is about the same as my regular vet charges]
The holistic vet was recommened to me by my human nutritionist, who is also certified in Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. And the holistic vet is supportive of Raw feeding.
I used the homeopathic vet Lauren used; he saved Lauren's animal(s) life.
If memory serves me, I believe he charged $75 for a 15 minute consulation plus a nominal amount for the crystals. You are suppose to apply the cystals to scent glands, like the paw or neck area. But Ritz wouldn't let me (she is really suspicious of any kind of change in her routine), so I ended up putting it in her food. Perhaps because of not following instructions, I didn't see much improvement in Ritz (some UTI issues and a huge hunger issue).
I believe in exploring alternative treatments, of thinking "outside the box" for diagnoses/cures. Could you meet with the holistic vet without your cat, just to get a feel for her? You might have a better raport with the 'less than' head honcho.
The holisitc (not homeopathic) vet I am considering taking Ritz to see charges $170 for the initial consultation. According to her web page, the initial consultation lasts one hour.
• Holistic Reassessment (30 min) $70
• Acupuncture $48
• Chiropractic Care/Cranial Sacral Therapy $48
• Traditional Comprehensive Physical Exam (30 min) $70 [this is about the same as my regular vet charges]
The holistic vet was recommened to me by my human nutritionist, who is also certified in Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. And the holistic vet is supportive of Raw feeding.
I used the homeopathic vet Lauren used; he saved Lauren's animal(s) life.
If memory serves me, I believe he charged $75 for a 15 minute consulation plus a nominal amount for the crystals. You are suppose to apply the cystals to scent glands, like the paw or neck area. But Ritz wouldn't let me (she is really suspicious of any kind of change in her routine), so I ended up putting it in her food. Perhaps because of not following instructions, I didn't see much improvement in Ritz (some UTI issues and a huge hunger issue).
I believe in exploring alternative treatments, of thinking "outside the box" for diagnoses/cures. Could you meet with the holistic vet without your cat, just to get a feel for her? You might have a better raport with the 'less than' head honcho.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #314
Oh yeah, I should mention, I'd forgotten about that extra charge for the initial chinese med (in your case homeopathic) consultation. That first visit WAS expensive, and quite the shocker, because no one had explained that to us before we went. :lol3: Good thing we happened to have the money to cover it on a card then.
But after that, there weren't additional charges (for us).
But after that, there weren't additional charges (for us).
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #316
Thank you! I really don't know. It would be especially difficult because it sounds like I would have to GO BACK for the homeopathy consultation, which means more travel! Wouldn't a holistic approach also be to minimize stress?
I was told the initial "holistic consultation" visit would be $115 (she may have said $150), and the separate "homeopathy consultation" would be $285 (with maybe a small discount since I've already had the first visit). Yikes!
Thanks!I'm going to ask Lauren to chime in here, because she worked with a long distance homeopathic vet with Wilbur.His issues weren't IBD, but they were endocrine related.
Thanks for sharing your experience with a holistic vet. I've been told repeatedly that this vet needs to see the cat, so I wouldn't be able to stop in without him or talk to her on the phone about him (at least for the first time). After she's seen him and we're an established client, then she'll do phone consults.
Well that's just nuts. Do you need the holistic consultation prior to the homeopathic one? If both are required, and they can't be scheduled at the same time (I mean in the same trip), I'd say the universe has answered the question of whether or not to pursue that option.
That's crazy.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #318
Okay, I called them again. They are not both required. The receptionist asked me to give her a very quick rundown of Sebastian's history/diagnosis. She put me on hold to ask the doc if we could jump right into the homeopathy consultation. She came back and said the doc really recommends the general holistic appointment first (of course). This would be a physical exam, an overview of his history and issues, where we are now, where we would like to be, a discussion of diet (they are pro-raw), supplements, etc. The homeopathy consultation is "very specific and involved" and would be difficult to develop a homeopathic treatment plan without that first visit.Well that's just nuts. Do you need the holistic consultation prior to the homeopathic one? If both are required, and they can't be scheduled at the same time (I mean in the same trip), I'd say the universe has answered the question of whether or not to pursue that option.That's crazy.
Hmmmm.... so you could then proceed to the homeopathic consult right after (same trip) as the holistic consult? I'd forgotten this "double" consult part, but yeah, our first visit cost close to $500 with Flowerbelle.
I really don't know what I'd do. I don't know much about homeopathy. I just know Lauren had a really good experience with it. But I don't know if it treats symptoms, or supposedly gets at the underlying problem, as with Chinese meds. :dk:
I really don't know what I'd do. I don't know much about homeopathy. I just know Lauren had a really good experience with it. But I don't know if it treats symptoms, or supposedly gets at the underlying problem, as with Chinese meds. :dk:
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #320
No, we couldn't just follow the first visit with the second. It has to be scheduled separately. They make it seem like the first visit determines IF we'll proceed with the homeopathic consultation. According to their website, there are several branches of treatment that fall under their holistic approach: homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic, nutrition, supplements, herbs, and medical ozone therapy (Hmmmm.... so you could then proceed to the homeopathic consult right after (same trip) as the holistic consult? I'd forgotten this "double" consult part, but yeah, our first visit cost close to $500 with Flowerbelle.
I really don't know what I'd do. I don't know much about homeopathy. I just know Lauren had a really good experience with it. But I don't know if it treats symptoms, or supposedly gets at the underlying problem, as with Chinese meds.
I was looking online for someone trained in Chinese medicine that does phone consults, but this is difficult when I'm starting at zero. I found one in South Carolina.
