Integrative VETERINARY CARE
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR PRACTICE
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2
HEALING THE MICROBIOME
A CLOSER LOOK AT INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE DIGESTIVE HEALTH.
PANCREATITIS IN SMALL ANIMALS
MICROBIOME RESTORATIVE THERAPY
THE SHARED SPACE PRACTICE MODEL
DO YOUR PATIENTS NEED DIGESTIVE ENZYMES?
CALMING FEARFUL PATIENTS
TREATING DIARRHEA IN HORSES
How diet and herbal medicine can help treat – and even prevent – pancreatitis in dogs and cats. – P. 18
www.IVCJournal.com
SPRING ISSUE 2018
Sharing hospital space with other practitioners offers many benefits, including reduced overhead and a wider array of services. – P. 38
Vet visits can be a real headache if a dog or cat is scared or aggressive. Stocking your pharmacy with these stress-busting therapies can help ensure better behavior. – P. 32
Used with great success for human patients with IBD, MBRT is also healing companion animals – P. 48
A lack of the right enzymes can lie at the root of many digestive issues. Supplementing with these crucial nutrients can give your patients’ GI health a big boost. – P. 12
Equine diarrhea can be challenging to treat; the good news is that alternative therapies can resolve the problem safely and effectively. – P. 42
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FEATURES
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DIGESTIVE ENZYMES IN DOGS AND CATS By PJ Broadfoot, DVM
Supplementing with digestive enzymes can enhance the health and well-being of our canine and feline patients in many crucial ways.
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STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING PANCREATITIS IN SMALL ANIMALS
By Steve Marsden, DVM, ND, MSOM, Lac., Dipl.CH, CVA, Grad Dip Vet Acup, Grad Dip VCHM, AHG
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Herbal medicines and low-fat meat and vegetable diets can prevent pancreatitis in dogs and cats, and can also be used to resolve acute and chronic stages of the disease.
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NUTRITION NOOK
PROBIOTICS, THE MISSING NUTRIENTS – PART 1
By Doug Knueven, DVM
A balanced intestinal microbiome is crucial to good health in small animals as well as humans. Probiotics can play an important role in maintaining this balance.
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BUILDING GOOD BEHAVIOR IN YOUR PATIENTS
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INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE
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MICROBIOME RESTORATIVE THERAPY IN COMPANION ANIMALS
By Holly Ganz, PhD
A procedure in which fecal material is transferred from a healthy individual to the gastrointestinal tract of an ailing individual, MBRT can effectively treat digestive issues.
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TECH TALK
COMPLEMENTARY TRAINING FOR TECHNICIANS
By Joni Kamlet, RVT, CCRA
Credentialed veterinary technicians are in short supply. Training in integrative therapies helps empower vet techs and strengthens the field overall.
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HOMEOPATHY AND INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE FOR CHRONIC CANINE BOWEL PROBLEMS
By Christopher Day, MRCVS, VetFFHom, MA, VetMB Diarrhea and other bowel conditions are common in canine patients. Homeopathy, along with other therapies such as probiotics and herbs, may effectively resolve these issues.
By Christina Chambreau, DVM, CVH
Fear and aggression in canine and feline patients can make life unpleasant for everyone, especially during vet visits. Try stocking your pharmacy with these stress-easing therapies.
A SHARED SPACE PRACTICE MODEL
By Jordan Kocen, DVM
It takes time to develop a veterinary practice based on a shared space model, but it has many benefits, including a decrease in overhead and an increase in offered services.
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INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO DIARRHEA IN THE EQUINE By Joyce Harman, DVM
Diarrhea is common in horses, and can be stubborn to treat. Alternative therapies offer a safe and effective way to resolve the problem.
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18 COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
5 Advisory board 8 Editorial
advisory board Dr. Richard Palmquist, DVM GDipVCHM(CIVT) CVCHM (IVAS), graduated from Colorado State University in 1983. He is chief of integrative health services at Centinela Animal Hospital in Inglewood, California, president and research chair of the AHVMA, and an international speaker in integrative veterinary medicine. Dr. Palmquist is a consultant for the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) and codirector of the AHVM Foundation. He has published two books, one for conventional veterinarians and a second for clients discussing how integrative thinking works.
Michelle J. Rivera, MT, VDT, is an instructor at the University of Wisconsin and The Healing Oasis Wellness Center, a post-graduate educational institution offering state-approved programs. She is co-owner of The Healing Oasis Veterinary Hospital, offering massage, rehabilitation, chiropractic and Chinese and Western Herbology. Michelle completed the Chinese Herbal Medicine program from the China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center, and is certified in Chinese Medicine by the Wisconsin Institute of Chinese Herbology.
Dr. Joyce Harman, DVM, MRCVS, graduated in 1984 from Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She is certified in veterinary acupuncture and chiropractic and has completed advanced training in homeopathy and herbal medicine. Her practice in Virginia uses holistic medicine to treat horses. Her publications include The Horse’s Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book – the most complete source of information about English saddles.
s new 11 What’ 31 From the AHVMF 52 Veterinary resource guide 53 From the IVAS
Dr. Steve Marsden, DVM, ND, lectures for the IVAS, the AHVMA and the AVMA, and is co-founder of the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies. He is a director of the National College of Natural Medicine, and authored the Manual of Natural Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Marsden is extensively trained in alternative medicine, including Chinese herbology, acupuncture and naturopathic medicine. He has a veterinary and naturopathic practice in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2010, Dr. Marsden was named Teacher of the Year by the AHVMA.
53 From the VBMA 63 Industry Innovations 64 From the VMAA 64 From the WAEO 64 From the AVH 65 Marketplace 66 Events
Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM, received her veterinary degree in 1964 from the Ontario Veterinary College. In 1986, she moved to Southern California to establish Hemopet, the first non-profit national blood bank program for animals. Dr. Dodds has been a member of many national and international committees on hematology, animal models of human disease, veterinary medicine, and laboratory animal science. She received the Holistic Veterinarian of the Year Award from the AHVMA in 1994.
Dr. Barbara Fougere, DVM, CVAA graduated in 1986, and was named the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association Educator for 2011. Dr. Fougere is the principal and one of the founders of the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies. She has continued studying over the last 26 years, and has three Bachelor degrees, two Masters degrees, three post Graduate Diplomas, several Certifications and numerous other courses under her belt.
Dr. Christina Chambreau, DVM, CVH, graduated from the University of Georgia Veterinary College in 1980. She is a founder of the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy, was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School and has been the holistic modality adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program. Dr. Chambreau teaches classes in homeopathy for animals, and lectures on many topics. She is the author of the Healthy Animal’s Journal and the co-author of the Homeopathic Repertory: A Tutorial.
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nutrition nook
PEER-REVIEWED
Probi tics – the missing nutrients Part 1
By Doug Knueven, DVM
A BALANCED INTESTINAL MICROBIOME IS CRUCIAL TO GOOD HEALTH IN DOGS AND CATS, AS WELL AS IN HUMANS. PROBIOTICS CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MAINTAINING THIS BALANCE.
M
aintaining a healthy and balanced intestinal microbiome in our patients (and in ourselves) is becoming increasingly difficult. This can lead to a multitude of health issues, in which probiotics can be of significant assistance. In the first of this two-part article, we’ll look at the discovery of probiotics (see sidebar on page 28) and how they can alleviate microbial imbalance in the gut and support the integrity of the intestinal lining.
THE MICROBIOME “The intestinal microbiota is the collection of the living microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses) inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract.”1 The term “microbiome” includes the organisms, their interactions and their environment.
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IVC Spring 2018
Microbiomes are extremely unique between even closely-related individuals. Each gut hosts thousands of bacterial species and strains. There are between 100 and 150 times more bacterial genes than human genes in our bodies. And there is an intricate interaction between the host and both the intestinal bacteria and their genes. About 500 cultivable species of bacteria exist in the gut. An additional 1,000 species have been identified by modern molecular techniques (specifically ribosomal RNA sequencing, known as metagenomics). “This microbial community…varies quantitatively and qualitatively along with the different environments from the stomach, small and large intestines…. This complex community is metabolically active and contributes to homeostasis.”2 A functional microbiome breaks down foods to liberate more nutrients, manufactures several vitamins, inhibits disease-causing bacteria, and nourishes the enterocytes by producing the short-chain fatty acids used for fuel. Thus, the intestinal microflora maintains the integrity of the intestinal lining that protects the entire body from the inflammation associated with leaky gut syndrome.3 Furthermore, the microbiome acts as a detoxification organ; an imbalance in the bacteria can stress the liver. Gut bacteria influence the systemic immune system. They also affect brain chemistry and structure. Animals have co-evolved with their microbiomes, and so they have developed a symbiotic relationship with them.4 In fact, some researchers assert that the microbiome should be considered an organ of the body5 – an organ as vital as the kidneys or liver. At a phylogenetic level, the gastrointestinal microbiomes of humans, dogs and mice are similar.6 This indicates that microbiome research from one of these species applies to the others. In dogs and cats, more than ten bacterial phyla have been identified, with Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria and Actinobacteria constituting more than 99% of all gut microbiota.7 Some of the gut bacteria that are beneficial for people are also helpful for dogs. In one study, Lactobacilli were isolated from the jejunal chyme of five fistulated beagles. They found that Lactobacillus acidophilus was dominant.8 According to recent research, “The symbiotic relationship that exists between GI microbes and the host is critical for proper function of nutritional, developmental, immunological, and physiologic processes in animals, and thus contributes to host health… Decreased GI pH also results in IVC Spring 2018
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