Awareness and reverence for the healing power of nature has been a constant theme of my own research and practice over the last ten years. What I have found is that too often, many of the "traditional" approaches taught to us in medical school offered little hope for the treatment of chronic disease. In short, standard Western medicine is very good at managing trauma, acute bacterial infections, surgical emergencies, and other medical crises. However, it does not enjoy the same kind of success when attempting to treat viral infections, degenerative diseases like arthritis, chronic allergies, and immune dysfunction and cancer. My goal is to bridge this gap, and offer pet owners safe and natural alternatives that will enhance their pets' natural healing ability to prevent and reverse diseases.

The study and use of herbs has been practiced in ancient times. Herbology is the use of specific herbal leaves, roots and flowers to stimulate the natural healing process. As compared to their pharmaceutical counterparts, herbs exhibit healing properties without harmful side effects. When looking for an alternative to using standard drug therapy, herbs and natural supplements can often be used with great success. Natural therapies can also be used along with conventional approaches to modify the use of drugs.

Nutritional medicine can be used as a safe and non-toxic method for the treatment and prevention of many diseases. By taking a more holistic approach, our animal companions can benefit from the wisdom that surrounds us in nature and the scientific advancements of modern medicine.

Paula Terifaj, DVM