In 2011 I returned home from a two month trip to India and Thailand to a cat named Chloe who was distraught, skinny, and had both developed and passed kidney stones during my absence. A few months passed with her continuing to look distraught and unhealthy and then I decided, after multiple visits to the Veterinarians, to try massage to help her. In one month or so of daily massages, she regained the weight she had lost and she looked healthy and glowing. The veterinarian was very happy remarking on how great she looked. She had regained about a pound of weight and her coat was shiny and healthy. She looked like she felt better emotionally as well.
Doing massage for my cat involved using deeper pressure than normal petting, where you feel the muscles being compressed under the fur and skin, and covering the whole body in a systematic way. I'll post a video soon of the massage method I created and used to help Chloe!
In spite of Chloe's weight gain and appearance of regained health, she still had a problem of chronic UTI's or urinary tract infections, which prompted multiple visits to the Vet and the suggestion that I place her on pulse antibiotics for two weeks out of every month, to treat the recurring infection. I asked about supplements and none were suggested save glucosamine which she was already on.
A friend listened to this scenario and made the observation that it was time to try something different. Could I take her to a Naturopath? After all, traditional care had gotten Chloe nowhere for several years. Chloe had been suffering from chronic UTI's for years. My friend also thought that giving an animal antibiotics two weeks out of the month would have deleterious effects in the same way that it has on human beings who take too many antibiotics.
It turned out that a place called Holistic Care for Animals was in my neighborhood in Colorado. I took Chloe in. It was the longest and most unusual appointment I'd ever had for my cat. The doctor asked me questions about Chloe's personality. Was she always so clingy? Was she always so grumpy? Chloe did appear grumpy and clingy that day. From these holistic questions, the doctor formulated a homeopathic remedy for Chloe to be taken every day. I was also given some supplements in the form of cat treats that were made for urinary problems.
The end result is Chloe has not had a UTI infection since she started taking the homeopathic remedy and the supplements. There is less strain on me because I am not trying to take care of a constantly sick cat. Since I work in a holistic center in Denver as a massage therapist (http://denvermassage.abmp.com), this move to give my cat holistic care also seemed to fit who I was. This experience with Chloe can't help but bring to mind those old adages about if you want different results, you have to try something else.
Doing massage for my cat involved using deeper pressure than normal petting, where you feel the muscles being compressed under the fur and skin, and covering the whole body in a systematic way. I'll post a video soon of the massage method I created and used to help Chloe!
In spite of Chloe's weight gain and appearance of regained health, she still had a problem of chronic UTI's or urinary tract infections, which prompted multiple visits to the Vet and the suggestion that I place her on pulse antibiotics for two weeks out of every month, to treat the recurring infection. I asked about supplements and none were suggested save glucosamine which she was already on.
A friend listened to this scenario and made the observation that it was time to try something different. Could I take her to a Naturopath? After all, traditional care had gotten Chloe nowhere for several years. Chloe had been suffering from chronic UTI's for years. My friend also thought that giving an animal antibiotics two weeks out of the month would have deleterious effects in the same way that it has on human beings who take too many antibiotics.
It turned out that a place called Holistic Care for Animals was in my neighborhood in Colorado. I took Chloe in. It was the longest and most unusual appointment I'd ever had for my cat. The doctor asked me questions about Chloe's personality. Was she always so clingy? Was she always so grumpy? Chloe did appear grumpy and clingy that day. From these holistic questions, the doctor formulated a homeopathic remedy for Chloe to be taken every day. I was also given some supplements in the form of cat treats that were made for urinary problems.
The end result is Chloe has not had a UTI infection since she started taking the homeopathic remedy and the supplements. There is less strain on me because I am not trying to take care of a constantly sick cat. Since I work in a holistic center in Denver as a massage therapist (http://denvermassage.abmp.com), this move to give my cat holistic care also seemed to fit who I was. This experience with Chloe can't help but bring to mind those old adages about if you want different results, you have to try something else.
Thanks for sharing and love that last bit of wisdom. I also appreciate how hard it can be to apply it:-) Kudos for you.
ReplyDeleteYep, it's hard to apply. I was glad when a friend of mine took the time to point out the obvious. I as doing the same things for Chloe over and over and getting the same results. It was time for something else.
ReplyDelete