For Dr. Ditonto, it's not enough to just make an animal's symptom go away. “That's a traditional medical approach,” she notes. “From my perspective as a homeopath, a symptom is there for a reason. It's the body's way of saying that there is 'dis-ease' or an imbalance. So, we need to look at the whole patient and their particular medical history to understand why the symptom is occurring.” In her practice, Dr. Ditonto discusses behavioral changes, eating and elimination habits and the animal's overall temperament before determining a remedy.
“I might have five different dogs come in with what traditional medicine would call an 'ear infection,' but they would probably all leave my office with very different treatments,” she notes. “One might be better if he stays outside in the cold while another would recover more quickly being inside by a heat vent. One might need to be under the covers with her owner and another will do better resting alone. Those are the degrees of difference that we look at from a homeopathic perspective that many veterinarians don't take into consideration when using a conventional approach.” Dr. Ditonto's practice philosophy also differs in another major respect: she often does house calls for her patients, traveling to many sites across Southwest Michigan.
Many a pet lover has had a difficult time administering necessary medication to a sick or injured animal. The experience can be traumatic for the pet and the human involved. Custom compounding of veterinary prescriptions is a new option available at the Portage Pharmacy on Centre Street. Larry Curtis is vice president and a certified pain and symptom management specialist.
“For pets, we are trying to improve compliance and therapeutic outcome by providing medications that are not commercially available or medications in dosage forms that animals will take more easily,” Curtis explains. “The most common are tasty suspensions and chewable tablets for dogs and cats, anti-seizure medications for dogs and a large number of transdermal medications for cats. Historically, cats are very difficult to dose, so we can put some medicine in a base that can be gently rubbed on the hairless part inside the cat's ear.” Curtis notes that the transdermal ear dosing can allow a pet owner to provide thyroid or pain medication and antibiotics on a daily basis without any shaving of their cat's fur to expose the skin.
Veterinarians and pet owners often consult with Larry Curtis when they are having difficulty giving their animals medications. “It is often a safety issue for both the humans and the animals,” he says. “Some pets can become very mean and bite or cause other injuries to their handlers or themselves when being dosed. Using these different forms of medication can address that issue, making it a much more positive experience while improving and optimizing therapeutic outcome.” Portage Pharmacy is one of only a handful in Michigan and approximately 4000 in the U.S. that prepare these custom compounds for animals.
If you'd like to explore holistic medical treatments for your pet, contact Larry Curtis at Portage Pharmacy by calling 269-327-0033 or you may reach Pamela Ditonto, DVM at 616-554-9905. More information is also available at the website: www.holisticvetoptions.com.
