Rating: 
Summary: This book will really make you think!
Review: "The Nature of Animal Healing" is what I would call an awesome book. Goldstein covers a ton of information with an open minded attitude that makes it different from so many other books. This book is an excellent book to add to a pet health care library. It is full of information on alternative medicine, which may not be new to anyone who has read books on the subject, but it is covered in a refreshingly "new" way. It may even make you want to change your diet as well as your dogs. There is tons of information on kibble, vaccines, and holistic treatments which will change the way you think about caring for your pet. Rather than targeting problems, Goldstein focuses on total health: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Also there is a chapter on cancer that covers tons of therapies that anyone with a pet facing cancer should be aware of. Goldstein truly shows his love for and commitment to pets in his book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book if you care about your pets.....
Review: Dr Goldstein is right on target! This book will not only change your pets health for the better, but will also change yours. There is no doubt that he can help heal your pet safely. Aside, I have a friend whose playful Irish setter got Lyme disease (we live in CT). Her dog could no longer swim or walk up stairs. After seeing Dr Goldstein, her dog is cured without antibiotics. I believe in this book and his methods.
Rating:
Summary: Knowledgeable, Useable, and Practical
Review: Dr. Goldstein really does a great job of giving you an overview of animal health and what works and what doesn't. My puppy had a cough even after having shots and I was happy to find that Dr. Goldstein's remedies worked for him and kept him from getting a full-blown case of kennel cough. I also found out how bad the dog food was that I was giving my puppy. Not only does Dr. Goldstein provide what's bad and why, he gives you reasonable means to correct what is wrong. It's wonderful to find a professional who has the credentials for everyone to believe who cares enough to tell the truth about some of the animal practices by vets and who enlightens those of us who care about our animals and are trying to do the best for them -- even when we're wrong about what's best. I would recommend this book to anyone with dogs and cats -- and especially to people who have animals with severe or chronic ailments.
Rating:
Summary: #1 for learning about holistic animal care
Review: Dr. Goldstein started his career as a traditional allopathic veterinary. However, over the years he discovered (often through taking better care of himself) that maybe traditional medicine wasn't really healing, or creating healthier animals, but merely suppressing symptoms. Over time, his way of dealing with illness and creating wellness changed. The Nature of Animal Healing provides information on diet, disease and treatment for dogs and cats. He discusses the various modalities, herbs and other products useful in treating animals. There is an excellent chapter on specific ailments and how to treat them. Dr. Goldstein devotes an entire chapter to treating cancer -- a disease state far too common with our animal friends. This book is highly recommended as an introduction to natural healing and wellness. It is also valuable as a reference text for those more familiar with alternative veterinary care.
Rating: 
Summary: A nice reference book . . .if that's what you're looking for
Review: Honestly, I was diappointed with this book because there was no hands on advice. I was looking for something more straightforward with practical applications. There are lots of appendicies in the back which list places to buy some of the herbs, minerals, flower essences, etc -- but no instruction on how to apply these to your pet...
Rating:
Summary: This will change your views of the veterinary profession!
Review: I have been providing our dogs with alternative health treatments since 1995. I was fed up with conventional care--too many pills that merely masked underlying illnesses and no real treatment. Our dogs have glowing health and everyone remarks on their vigor & beautiful coats. Dr. Goldstein, because of his successes with cancer & chronic illnesses, has conventional veterinarians quaking in their boots. So much of medicine is run by the profit motive, totally denying the Hippocratic oath taken by doctors and vets. Think of the marketing of pet foods and vaccinations in the office of the vet--two of the biggest money-makers in the industry. It is no wonder those boots are quaking. I implore you to read this book for the sake of your pets' health.
Rating:
Summary: "Path" less traveled... a refreshing approach to pet care!
Review: I have been waiting SO long for a book like this! Little did I know that Dr. Goldstein had finally granted the hopes and wishes of people across the nation begging for an alternative to the drugs, disease, and unnecessary treatments plaguing our pets. His book is one enormous exposé on the veterinary and pet food industries! **Highlights**
The first 4 chapters; if you read nothing else, I beg you to read chapters 1-4.
- Chapter 1 & 2 make the concept of disease and infirmity completely understandable. Basically, sickness is the absence of health! Restoring health, instead of squelching the symptoms of illness, is the only way to your pet's ultimate wellness, longevity, and quality of life.
- Chapters 3 & 4 are about food and vaccines respectively. Dr. Goldstein covers all of the basics of what is wrong with that bag of kibble in the closet, and why our companions deserve the best we can give them... not to mention the numerous health benefits of feeding them a wholesome food! In chapter 4 he goes on the expose the facts about vaccinations, why the could be HARMING our pets instead of helping them, and what vaccines are really necessary (if any). Best Points:
· Very inspiring and motivating! If you've ever had excuses for doing things "just because I've always done it this way" this book will definitely change your perspective.
· Dr. Goldstein is a real person. Not gimmicky like other authors, he actually admits his faults and explains his own reasoning. He is extremely credible (see his credentials as a vet) and believable.
· The book is very well-written and easy to read
· Back section has an "Alphabet of Ailments" from allergies to worms, and how to treat them effectively with natural remedies
· The book is "open" and very fit-to-your-lifestyle Things some people may be uncomfortable with:
· The "evidence" for his theories is largely anecdotal... but since half of healing and medicine is mystery, there is no way to test "wellness" or a degree of healing really. The volume of evidence is enormous, yet still the extremely scientifically minded may have a problem with it.
· He does discuss topics like animal "spirituality" which some may not agree with. He also talks about animal communicators and his own qualms about such things though, so it's fairly balanced. An entire chapter is devoted to the "big C"... Cancer. From causes to cures he sheds an interesting light on the role of veterinary medicine in cancer. Overall, this is THE best book I have read on the subject of healing in general. I urge any pet lover to read it, especially if you are skeptical about holistic/alternative therapies. It is explanatory, helpful, and inspiring!
Rating:
Summary: An Animal's Best Friend
Review: I only read Dr. Goldstein's book after I had the supreme pleasure of having him treat my 11-year-old cat, who was dying from feline squamous cell carcinoma of the jawbone. Anyone who has had the opportunity of knowing Dr. Goldstein, or Dr. Marty, as he likes to be called, will tell you he is a true humanitarian. His book comes from the heart & is a valuable guide to pet care. The chapters on "The Death of a Pet" & "Taking on Cancer" were lifesavers for my husband & myself, when we we had to make the final decision to euthanize our pet. His extraordinary efforts with cryosurgery gave our pet 3 pain-free months she would not have had, otherwise. In addition, it gave us the time we needed to accept her eventual death. I have referred countless people to Dr. Goldstein & I have given his book as gifts to friends. Thank goodness someone like him, who is not afraid to take calculated risks & who ignores naysayers, exists in a profession that tends to acquiesce to scientific proof. God bless him!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful source for alternative health for animals
Review: If you are interested in alternative health for pets this is a wonderful book. There is information on the application of homeopathic, herbs and cell salts. It is very similar to Dr. Pitcairn's Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. Dr. Goldstein's explainations of the disease processes are a little more detailed and there are more examples from his own practice.
There is an excellent source guide and web site list. Dr. Goldstein touches on areas that are not often addressed in most dog books holistic or not. The spiritual realm and how it relates to disease in animals and a wonderful sensitive chapter on the death of a pet.
Rating:
Summary: Pet owners, read this book!!
Review: If you do not to read, hire someone to read it for you!! Your pets will thank you. I lost a cat to cancer two years ago. My feeling that I was somehow responsible for his demise at such a young age wasn't entirely grief related. For instance, was there something wrong with feeding an animal the same old stuff day and night for his/her entire life, often dried stuff at that? If so, what other options were there? And how about tap water? If we the people are concerned about drinking it, what about our pets? Inquiries about diet to everyone, vets included, almost always elicit the same response: do not feed table food or "scraps." Trouble is, most of us just do not have a scientific and/or medical background with which to argue the point. Dr. Goldstein discusses food and tap water and how it affects health in this book. All that is required for reading this book is an open, active mind and the ability to strive for something better. People who have added lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and, yes, even soy products to their diets know that they feel better, look better, and are healthier. And so it would be with animals. My 3 remaining cats are doing much better after only two weeks on real MEAT, grains, and vegetables. I know my cats so you can trust me on this point. Some people will want studies. Well, scientists have concocted chemicals for making the RENDERED BY-PRODUCTS in commercial pet food appealing to animals via smell and/or taste. But show me a study which says it's GOOD for our animals. Isn't it golden age advertising and hasn't it worked, especially in this busy world!! Incidentally, several natural pet food brands are mentioned in the book for non-cookers. Finally, I've concentrated my comments on diet (and maybe one or two too many on my own opinions :)) because health starts with food and food is one aspect we pet owners really have control over. However, Dr. Goldstein covers many other topics including vaccines, herbs, supplements, natural remedies, and devotes an entire chapter to cancer. Many of his patients are very sick. He explains why he believes in helping an animal heal itself by treating the disease rather than the symptoms. Feeding real food is part of the process. Dr. Goldstein writes from experience. He even admits he doesn't understand how or why some of the holistic methods work; he's just seen it work year after year. His final chapters deal with the spiritual realm, including our relationship with our pets, and death of pets (choosing when to let go, euthanasia, grieving). There is an extensive resource guide at the back. I also recommend FOOD PETS DIE FOR by Ann N. Martin. She spent 7 years investigating the ingredients in commercial pet food. If you read that book first, you'll surely want to read this one (or vice versa). Whoa, did I get ever get carried away here. But I've waited a long time for this book. Thank you, Dr. Goldstein, for writing it.
| 
