New Senior Appreciation Day at Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center

Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center is offering a once monthly senior appreciation day for our senior human friends.  Each month’s senior appreciation day will feature a different service or product at a discounted rate.  We have a schedule of events available in the clinic and it will be regularly updated on our blog. 

Here’s the calendar for the rest of 2015

September 24th – Free Nail Trim Day

October 22 – 10% off one veterinary grade product of your choice 

November 19 – 10% off blood work including heart worm tests and total body health

December 17th – Free gift with purchase

Meal Toppers Featured at Holistic Veterinary Pet Store Buffalo Grove IL

Raw Meal Toppers Holistic Veterinary Pet Store Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center

Grove Adds Holistic Veterinary Pet Store

Stop by our new holistic veterinary pet store featuring many new brands and services designed to enhance the health of your pet.

See our website for more information on the new foods, treatments, services and products available for your pet from Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center

Pet Dental Health Month Begins

 Time to get your pet’s dental appointment scheduled!  February is Pet Dental Health Month and a great time to take advantage of savings on dental cleanings.  This year we are offering a discount on the scale/polish for stages 1-2.  Additional discounts apply for pets who have dental disease stages 3-4, dental xrays and extractions.

Not sure your pet’s stage of dental disease?  Our technicians can help you in a quick, free exam.  Just call Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center to schedule: 847-541-4005.

Why Your Pet Needs a Vaccine Risk Assessment

No part of veterinary medicine, or even human medicine, is more controversial than vaccinations.  Does your pet really need them? Do they really have the efficacy online forums claim?  Is bogus science or greed to blame for current vaccine protocols?

When it comes to vaccines, your pet’s health really is the most important thing to consider.  A comprehensive vaccine risk assessment can help you and your veterinarian come up with a plan that’s customized for your pet and your lifestyle.   I’ve used a vaccine risk assessment form for many years in my practice because sometimes vaccines are truly needed and sometimes they aren’t.  Some of the questions include:  Does your pet swim in open water?  Play in puddles?  Regularly walk in woods?  Your answers to these questions help us base vaccine recommendations on your pet’s health and lifestyle.

While some owners are anti-vaccine others still believe in vaccines and their need.  The alternatives to vaccination that I recommend are titer testing and rabies exemption letters for pets that have health conditions (chronic illness, age) barring them from vaccination.  But I don’t prescribe that many vaccines anyway and when an owner and I come to an agreement to vaccinate, the treatment is often broken up in different appointments.  Vaccine risk assessments should be used by every practice to truly understand the way a pet lives.  It’s cut my vaccination rates by at least 60%.

Dr. Carlson

Holistic Help for Hip Dysplasia in Dogs

It’s heartbreaking to see an active, vital dog develop hip dysplasia.  The genetic problem keeps a pet’s hip permanently out of joint.  “The hip becomes more shallow allowing the femoral head to move out of the socket,” said Dr. Jim Carlson, owner of Riverside Animal Clinic of McHenry and Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Any breed can develop hip dysplasia, but it’s more commonly found in large breed dogs like German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labs and Dobermans.

Dr.Carlson prescribes a mix of many holistic elements.  “Most veterinarians prescribe an NSAID or other pain reliever. That’s not necessarily wrong and works in the short term.  But those drugs come with severe side effects and can cause serious, irreversible damage to your pet’s organs without actually solving anything,” said Dr. Carlson.

The mix of holistic treatments include: cold laser therapy to drive out inflammation in surrounding soft tissue and to deliver an analgesic effect, acupuncture and herbal compounds specially made for joint problems like hip dysplasia.  All these options improve range of motion, circulation and provide greater comfort to your pet without any long term side effects like organ damage or stomach upset.

Both of Dr. Carlson’s offices are conveniently located in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago.   Visit http://www.groveanimalhospital.com or http://www.riversideanimalclinic.net

Remembering Pets with the Crystal Tree

We are turning a tree on our property into a living memorial for our patients who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  The Crystal Tree is our way of remembering our special clients by hanging a crystal prism for each pet that has passed. The memorial at the Crystal Tree will be completed as the weather warms, but the crystals we are now hanging will sparkle brightly in the sun throughout the year.  We invite you to visit often and hope you find the tree comforting as you pass by.  The tree is located on the south side of the office at the corner of 83 and Buffalo Grove Road.  Anyone in the community is invited to hang a crystal memorial in the tree or visit the space.

Free Vaccines for Life at Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center

Great news! Your pet’s core vaccines are now FREE with Drs. Carlson & Krausser at Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center of Buffalo Grove. You pay a registration fee of $59 and never pay for rabies or distemper combo vaccines for your cat or dog again. You can see our simple contract in the office or shoot us an email and we’ll send it to you. Not a lot of strings involved, just be sure to get back for your pet’s wellness exam within a year to stay in the program. OK.. we are giving you a 30 day grace period, too:)

Below are some frequently asked questions about the program.

Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center is now offering Free Vaccines for Life. The program gives free core vaccinations at no cost after enrollment for the rest of your pet’s life!

Which vaccines are covered?
The core vaccinations as determined by the American Animal Hospital Association are rabies and distemper/parvovirus combo vaccination for dogs and rabies and the feline rhino combination vaccination for cats.

Why aren’t other vaccinations covered?
Other vaccinations are not covered because they are based on age, lifestyle, travel, kenneling, grooming and exposure.

Why does my pet have to have an exam?
This exam is time set aside solely for the annual wellness visit. It allows our veterinarians to look at your pet’s overall health, prescribe medications for the year and work with you on behavioral and other concerns. The free vaccines are not given to pets outside of this appointment.

Is this just a way to promote vaccines that my pet might not need?
No. Our practice’s philosophy is very conservative when it comes to vaccination. We use a lifestyle risk assessment to determine your pet’s vaccination needs. We work cooperatively with you, the pet owner, to find the right balance between vaccination and non-vaccination.

How good of a deal is this, really?
If you figure in the cost of your pet’s vaccinations for the rest of his life, then this program will likely save you a significant amount of money over time.

What about the county tag fee?
The county license and tag fee will appear separately on your invoice and is money paid to your county. This is not included in the Free Vaccines for Life program.

Millie’s Comeback

Millie is an adorable calico cat who has had a long journey dealing with cancer and months of medical treatments. After Millie’s health started to fail, her owner Linda and her conventional veterinarian felt that the time had come to consider euthanasia.

Linda wasn’t ready to let go of Millie so she turned to holistic medicine to see if it could help her kitty. She called Dr. Jim Carlson with the hope that he could help turn Millie’s current health status around. He did! One house call appointment with acupuncture and the Iyasha wand and Millie felt better the next day and truly rallied. Working with her conventional veterinarian, Dr. Carlson has seen Millie in her home for about two months.

We wanted to show Millie’s photo on our Facebook page so we asked her owner if that would be OK. She sent this note along with Millie’s photo and we wanted to share it with you. Her owner, Linda, is the most committed, conscientious pet owner we’ve ever worked with. Linda, Millie is so lucky to have you. XO

Dr Carlson,
…Millie has been an ambassador of good will and hope. I believe she encourages and inspires people who have lost hope to keep trying different therapies for their companions. Even if there is no cure, there may still be good quality time to share.
Millie knows she’s loved and that’s enough reason for anyone to want to go on. She does her part as I believe all sick companion animals do when they have a compelling reason to live, but they all need the right tools and support for a peaceful journey, where ever it takes them. That’s what I think anyway, right or wrong.
I know you didn’t expect me to get on my soapbox when all you asked was to use the picture. I’m just so proud of Millie’s spirit, sweetness and strength. She really is special.

Thank you for walking with Millie on her journey.

Linda

Find the Right Pet Food Without FEAR

No area of veterinary medicine is more controversial right now than food. The questions, opinions and options are endless and confusing: Should I feed a raw diet? Should we go grain-free? The answer lies in the fact that it’s impossible to say without a competent, multi-pronged approach.

Dr. Jim Carlson combines years of practical experience, holistic education and custom testing services to determine which food is right for your pet. This is an individualized, custom plan that can help your pet become well.

It’s hard to believe that even well-meaning food companies manufacture foods that can make your pet sick. The problem with them is that they aren’t made CUSTOM for your pet’s individual needs. “One pet may have a sensitivity to something so specific, such as egg yolk, a grain, a fish or a chemical preservative, that just a bit in a food can totally throw off the best intentioned plan,” said Dr. Carlson.

And beware the blanket approach to foods. Just because a food is right for one dog in the house or a friend’s dog doesn’t mean it is right for another one. “The frustrating part, as a practitioner, is that people just don’t know what’s right for their pet so they take a stab at doing the right thing and fall for slick marketing plans and aggressive, fear-based promotional tactics inside the industry and in fringe groups. They spend a lot of money that only makes their pet weaker and sick,” said Dr. Carlson. “If you’re looking at a new food you should be looking first at a good exam, custom testing, natural food therapy guidelines and a planned holistic approach to your pet’s health,” said Dr. Carlson.

Dr. Carlson is accepting new holistic patients in his practices in McHenry and Buffalo Grove, Illinois.  Please get to know him at http://www.riversideanimalclinic.net or http://www.groveanimalhospital.com.