Great Vet Visit

Today's visit (our second with holistic vet Keith Weingardt) went smoothly. Vida was much more comfortable - flirting shamelessly for salmon jerky.

My favorite part? When he looked in her mouth and then looked at me and asked "Where was it?" Yep, no sign of it, except that her gum is pink instead of the black that's around it (she has both colors throughout).

We discussed what had happened since the last visit, and looked at a timeline of maintenance. Everything looks so good as far as "cancer" goes that how to maintain through the seasons and keep the stagnation from manifesting physically again was the main discussion.

We'll come back to see him in early Spring, and plan on quarterly visits unless something unexpected happens. We'll keep up with the general food supplements (wholistic pet, antioxidants, joint supplements, fish oil), as well as the NK-9. And of course keep up on checking her pulse and other acu-type things to notice, as well as energy work (reiki, and the bloodstone every so often).

We'll finish this month-long round of Max's Formula (Chinese herb blend for phlegm clearing) and then stop. We'll hold off on the Quantum Herbal A/T-B/C until Spring (we'll see him just before we plan to use it), and plan to use it quarterly.

A new part of the plan for maintenance is to use milder alterative hebs on a tonic basis. Alteratives are blood-cleansers. The A/T-B/C tincture is an alterative blend, but it contains some really strong herbs that should not be used constantly. I'm going to use ones that can be used more tonically, and try using them as teas, which is a better format for tonic use too.

My plan to try first is two blends that I alternate weekly. I'll brew a medicinal-strength cup of tea and feed it on weekdays (probably a tablespoon each meal), so her body gets a rest on the weekends. Dandelion and Burdock will certainly be included - maybe in both blends. Nettle, Oregon Grape, Red Clover, and something nice like Calendula to round it out - I'm sure it will change somewhat as I go, and as I see how Vida does with them. I'll post when ready.

Are you wondering how I keep this all straight? Well, this blog helps, but I write it down in my appointment book. It's the best way to keep track of when to start or stop herbs, or to note when something unusual happened, or when you changed something, when you did bodywork, etc. A weekly roundup wouldn't be a bad idea. If you use an appointment book you might as well really use it, eh.