Izzy went to the vet this week. It’s funny because some people I meet think that I should be anti-vet because I work in the field of complementary therapies for dogs.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Traditional veterinary care is essential – it’s like going to the family doctor – or GP as they are called here in New Zealand. Your dog will need things like check-ups and vaccinations during the course of its life; many dogs end up with injuries that require surgery of some sort and your vet does these, too. The work I do with dogs integrates well with traditional veterinary care.
(I’m not anti-vet – but I do meet vets that are anti-complementary therapies. That’s a whole other subject for another day and not the purpose of this post.)
In Izzy’s case, this week we were visiting so she could have another injection of SYNOVAN™ and to get a repeat of her gabapentin, which we use for pain relief for her arthritis.
I always bring a mat for her because the floor is slippery and not nice to lay down on when you are an arthritic senior dog. Her mat is also useful because it is her safe place – a Fear Free technique – because often vets do things that are ouchy and frightening. We bring the mat with us to the exam room, too, so she has a surface that is comforting and familiar.
What do you do when your take your dog to the vet?
Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
I’ve been wanting to watch the documentary The Dog Doc since March 2020 – when New Zealand was heading like so many countries into a Covid-19 lockdown. The film had just been launched and sadly, also due to Covid-19, its many planned showings had been cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions and the temporary closure of movie theaters. The film’s producer had then opted to make the film available on-demand.
Unfortunately, due to licensing restrictions for New Zealand, Amazon Prime would not allow me to hire this film. And then other priorities took over for a time….I finally contacted the film’s producer, Cindy Meehl, through the film’s websiteto ask how I could view the film from New Zealand so I could write about it in my column for NZ Dog World magazine.
I was pleasantly surprised when Ms Meehl responded to me the same day and put me in touch with MadMan Entertainment, whose Communications Director also responded to me the same day (I was on a roll) to say that the film was available on Doc Play. All I had to do was to sign up for my 30-day trial. (Score!)
Dr Marty Goldstein’s story is inspirational to anyone who has had a beloved pet facing a health challenge – terminal or otherwise. Sometimes, traditional veterinary care just isn’t enough to give the dog quality of life while preserving as much time together as possible for the human family.
Because Dr Marty has made it his life’s work to use integrative therapies – traditional veterinary medicine alongside homeopathy, massage, physical therapy, cryotherapy, herbal remedies, and other options. For someone like me working in complementary therapy, he is one of my idols. We need more Dr Martys.
The film follows real clients who presented to Dr Marty’s Smith Ridge Veterinary Clinic in New York State – in real-time. As a Fear-Free certified practitioner, I was dismayed to see two dogs in the film wearing prong collars and also a scene where veterinary technicians are physically restraining a dog with strong force.
Before we cast judgement, though, we must remember that documentary film making is designed to capture the moment without stage management. I was lucky enough to have Madman Entertainment organise an interview with Dr Marty via Zoom, where I asked him about the prong collars. He replied that the owners would have been spoken to during their initial consultations about the use of these aversives, which he doesn’t support:
“When you impart stress on a dog, such as through the pain of a shock or prong collar, you add to their immune system load and add to the disease rather than the ability of the body to fight the disease. A strong and relaxed mind helps to re-build a strong body.”
There is a wonderful scene in the film where Dr Marty explains the use of titre testing to a client. Dr Marty is not an anti-vaxxer but he is clearly anti-over-vaccination and a titre test can show whether a dog has sufficient immunity without requiring a re-vaccination simply because of a date on the calendar.
Dr Marty explained in his interview with me that there is proven science behind titre testing, but that for a range of reasons – commercial veterinary practice is not following the science but rather the profit motive. (See my 2013 review of the book Pukka’s Promise – a great read for those wanting to understand canine health and longevity).
An added benefit for me was that Dr Marty counts a greyhound as part of his pack (Izzy liked this, too).
I thoroughly recommend a viewing of The Dog Doc. Dr Marty’s wish is that the film is an enduring resource for pet parents to help them ask informed questions about their pet’s care and to seek the support of integrative specialists when there may be no options in their local community.
For my New Zealand clients, stay tuned for my October newsletter which will include a special offer to clients of The Balanced Dog to access Doc Play for an extended free-trial period.
Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Southern Cross Benefits Ltd announced this week that it has purchased Ellenco Pet Insurance. Although some may lament the loss of a ‘mom and pop’ operation that has operated for 22 years, I think the ownership transfer is a good thing for New Zealand dog (and other pet) owners. Why?
Only 8% of dog owners in NZ currently have pet insurance (according to the NZ Companion Animal Council’s Companion Animals in NZ survey, July 2011)
The Southern Cross Healthcare Group, of which Southern Cross Benefits Limited is one company, is the largest healthcare insurance provider in NZ
Ellenco’s owners could not afford to put up the $3 million bond required by new legislation and its previous bond of only $500,000 was a potential risk to policy holders
In my opinion, Southern Cross is a trusted brand in NZ and should encourage more pet owners to seriously consider the purchase of insurance
Southern Cross has acknowledged that surveys of its clients have shown that there is interest in pet insurance – so an audience that hasn’t been reached so far by insurance providers is aware of the benefits of pet insurance – but hasn’t had the confidence yet to buy a policy
Southern Cross Benefits Limited has an A+ (Strong) financial strength rating from Standard & Poor’s, is a Registered Financial Service Provider, and is a member of the Insurance & Savings Ombudsman’s Disputes Resolution Scheme
Insurance, like other business markets, matures over time. This is a huge step for NZ in its recognition of the importance of pets and the associated costs of their healthcare.
Another big step in the pet insurance market here was when The Warehouse started offering Petplan insurance, furthering the marketing of pet insurance generally through a very popular retail outlet.
In the words of Ian MacPherson, CEO of Southern Cross Healthcare Group, “Pet insurance is a natural extension for Southern Cross. Many New Zealanders count their pets as part of the family. However, currently very few owners have pet insurance, meaning they are exposed to what can be very high bills should their pet be affected by an unexpected illness or injury.”
It is important to note that the policies of all pet insurance providers in NZ have coverage of some sort for complementary therapies. Read my pet insurance fact sheet for more details.
Footnote: Credit must be given to the founders of Ellenco, Rodger Cox and Jenny Ellenbroek. Ellenco was the first firm to offer pet insurance in New Zealand, others have followed. Many policy holders have benefited from the coverage of their company’s policies. Alas, time has caught up with the small Christchurch-based operation.
The Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Act 2010 required insurers to put up higher bonds and the small firm could not afford this change. Policy holders are lucky that the owners negotiated with Southern Cross for the purchase of the firm’s policies. Until operations are transferred to Hamilton in 2013, there will be no change to Ellenco’s policy provisions.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
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