Resources for the Washington DC area

Book Review - Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M. & Susan Hubble Pitcairn

This is a terrific book for anyone with a dog or cat (or, animal companion, to be politically correct).

It's well organized, so you can easily find a section you might need quickly. There's a section addressing specific health issues, with treatments broken down into "Herbal" and "Homeopathic", as well as directions for prevention.

There's a comprehensive section addressing behavioral problems, even breaking it down by breed. The authors address natural grooming and skincare.

There's a big section on preparing your own food from scratch for your pet. It may seem like a lot of work, but worth it, particularly if you have a sick pet or one with a weakened immune system. The authors also address special needs diets, such as pets who are allergic to specific ingredients, appetite problems, and the relationship to what your pet eats and behavioral problems. The authors are advocates of "raw diets", and have 17 years experience with them.

There's an explanation of how commercial pet foods are made and why you just might want to avoid them (it's pretty gross reading).

And very importantly, the book gives strong validation that often a natural treatment is a good approach, or maybe the best approach for a health issue. Many veterinarians now realize many people prefer a natural approach to the pets care, and are trying to learn how to integrate natural methods into their veterinary practice. Many vets use the Pitcairns' book as one of their major references.

about the authors:

You can find out more about the Pitcairn's work at drpitcairn.com.