NEW to Companion Animal Practice is an ever growing array of Holistic Treatments. Dr. Dohmen has been trained in several different holistic modalities. Nutrition
Simply, this is adjusting the diet to relieve a disease process or enhance optimal health. A common example of this is removing a food from the diet that a dog is allergic to in order to relieve skin and ear infections. Underlying nutritional imbalances are subtle changes that veterinarians are trained to notice. Owners usually see dramatic improvements when dietary changes are made. We will be changing our dietary recommendations on a case-by-case basis. Herbal Medicine
Herbal Medicine is the use of herbs as drugs. Most drugs are derived originally from plants, but just the desired chemical is extracted. Herbal medicine uses the actual plant - roots, leaves and/or flowers. This is much better because many plants when used in their entirety do not have the irritating or even dangerous side effects of the one active chemical. Other chemicals in the plant work symbiotically to make the whole herb a safer and better way to get the needed medication. There are many ways to use herbs: tinctures and extracts (concentrated oral formulas), capsules and tablets, teas, lozenges, ointments and salves, and aromatherapy (inhaled essential oils in baths, candles, etc.). Essential oils are the oils of herbs extracted and used for aromatherapy, ointments, massage, etc.
We will be growing many of our own herbs and making our own products here at Companion Animal Practice. Bach Flower Remedies
Dr. Bach believed that all physical problems were actually just physical manifestations of emotional problems or personality disorders. He tried to fix the underlying emotional distress with preparations of flower essences. There are 38 flower essences for 38 different "personality disorders." Each individual animal gets their own specifically tailored combination of 6-7 flower essences suited to its personality. There is also one general remedy called "Rescue Remedy" that is good for any stressful situation for an individual. We recommend everyone have a bottle of this on hand at all times.
Acupuncture
This is a form of Chinese medicine based on the theory that the body is comprised of meridians. Meridians are basically channels of energy flow (called "qi") in the body. Acupressure is a steady firm pressure to a site and acupuncture is the insertion of a very fine needle at a site. For example, there is a meridian from the webbing between the thumb and forefinger that is connected to the temples. Acupressure to the webbing of the hand can relieve a headache. The idea behind acupuncture is to unblock the channels and return the body to homeostasis. Heat, electricity, and other impulses can be used to stimulate the acupuncture sites via the needles.
New patients are currently being accepted
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Companion Animal Practice
5121 Dupont Pkwy
Smyrna DE 19977
(302) 653-9970