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Rating: 
Summary: His Basics are Timeless
Review: As man becomes more technologically advanced, the application of this knowledge tends to change society and its practices. In the field of communication for example, just look at the difference between the first Morse Code transmission and the Internet. But still, there is nothing like sitting down to dinner with a good friend and having a great talk. The same can be said about veterinary medicine. Although change has been huge and constantly upgrades, there are basics which will stay fundamental. Especially in the field of holistic veterinary medicine which already tends to be a throw-back to older medicinal practice, some of the basics are just common sense and timeless. Will's manual is a fine representation of these principles. It is always handy around our clinic!
Rating:
Summary: Changed My Life
Review: I love the intelligent way Dr. Winter wrote his holistic book. It's very didactic and his treatment plans are very effective. As a Vet I have experimented in my patients many of his recommendations and had many succesful healings.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Essential Reading
Review: This book is written primarily for vets and features basic treatment plans for various behavioral, digestive, CNS, mouth, eye and ear, skin, respiratory, glandular, urinary, reproductive, heart/circular disorders plus basic treatment suggestions for cancer and trauma/infection utilizing a variety of holistic therapies including acupuncture, homeopathy, nutrition, herbal medicine, and massage. Dr. Winter has also included numerous "client handouts" with info on everything from dealing with flea problems to treating hypothyroidism naturally. There's also a dosage table for herbs and nutritional supplements and a resource guide.
The treatment plans are *very* basic and I would consider them no more than a very general guideline. There is virtually no treatment plan I would implement "as is." While published in 1997, this book somehow seems quite a bit older. Much of the information presented wasn't cutting edge even in '96/'97 and it seems even more dated now. Those looking for information on preparing a natural diet for their animals will also be disappointed. While Dr. Winter recommends feeding homeprepared food, the client handout included does not provide adequate information on preparing a properly balanced diet for dogs or cats. One of the problems with the diet he recommends for dogs is that it includes just 20%-25% animal products (meat, eggs, dairy) which is way too low for a healthy carnivore.
For people who are relatively new to holistic veterinary medicine, there are many better books available. On the other hand, if you already have a collection of books on natural nutrition and holistic health care for dogs and cats and are looking for more information and treatment ideas, you may want to add this one to your library.
Rating:
Summary: Not Essential Reading
Review: This book is written primarily for vets and features basic treatment plans for various behavioral, digestive, CNS, mouth, eye and ear, skin, respiratory, glandular, urinary, reproductive, heart/circular disorders plus basic treatment suggestions for cancer and trauma/infection utilizing a variety of holistic therapies including acupuncture, homeopathy, nutrition, herbal medicine, and massage. Dr. Winter has also included numerous "client handouts" with info on everything from dealing with flea problems to treating hypothyroidism naturally. There's also a dosage table for herbs and nutritional supplements and a resource guide.
The treatment plans are *very* basic and I would consider them no more than a very general guideline. There is virtually no treatment plan I would implement "as is." While published in 1997, this book somehow seems quite a bit older. Much of the information presented wasn't cutting edge even in '96/'97 and it seems even more dated now.
Those looking for information on preparing a natural diet for their animals will also be disappointed. While Dr. Winter recommends feeding homeprepared food, the client handout included does not provide adequate information on preparing a properly balanced diet for dogs or cats. One of the problems with the diet he recommends for dogs is that it includes just 20%-25% animal products (meat, eggs, dairy) which is much too low for a healthy carnivore.
For people who are relatively new to holistic veterinary medicine, there are many better books available. On the other hand, if you already have a collection of books on natural nutrition and holistic health care for dogs and cats and are looking for more information and treatment ideas, you may want to add this one to your library.
Rating: 
Summary: Helpful for Pet Owners
Review: This is an excellent book! I purchased The Holistic Veterinary Handbook 3 years ago, and this book has been my most widely used reference book from my library on pet health. As an "ordinary" dog owner, I find this book to be very straightforward and thorough in its descriptions of the various medical problems that a pet might face - from behavior issues to digestive problems, mouth diseases, eyes, ears, nose, traumas and infections, skin problems, joint/extremity problems, respiratory, cancer, heart problems, problems found in geriatric animals, etc - and provides the holistic ways of approaching the treatment of these problems. It's very apparent from reading this book and the successes I've had by using the various recommended treatment plans that Dr. Winter is highly knowledgeable in integrating the various therapies for alternative veterinarian medicine, for he outlines herbal treatments, homeopathics, flower essences, vitamins, glandular supplements, plus a natural diet and other modalities, such as the benefits of massage, opening chakras, acupuncture, etc to help restore and maintain the pet's health. The individual treatment plans for many common diseases are the main focus of the Handbook. I particularly like and appreciate the clear and concise format of these recommended treatment plans. Each page is devoted to one disease, and then each disease is broken down into 3 parts. 1) "Holistic Rationale" which provides a practical description/explanation of the disease itself, which gives me as the pet owner a better understanding of the specific medical problem or a simple explanation as to what probably caused the problem in the first place; 2) an easy-to-follow, step-by-step diagnostic and Treatment Plan for tackling the problem - the recommended supplements, vitamins, herbs, are listed one-by-one, just like ingredients in a recipe book, so there aren't paragraphs of information to read through to find the information you're looking for; and 3) "Holistic Challenge" which gives a brief challenge to the pet owner or veterinarian on how to continue the alternative approach for the particular problem you're dealing with. The last part of the book rounds out the holistic challenge by providing different recipes for things like nutritional supplement mixtures, 2 invaluable recipes for cats who have stopped eating or that are critical or anorexic, as well as a homemade tick repellent so that you can stay away from the highly toxic tick collars and vaccines! I've used the tick repellent recipe on myself and on my dogs each spring and summer (I live in a very high deer tick region) and it works wonders. It's all natural ingredients, so I don't have to worry about threatening my dogs' health or my own. There's also a great dosage table in the back for the various recommended supplements, so you can easily find your animal's weight and dose accordingly. The client handout section includes one-page descriptions of information on various topics from heartworm disease, flea control products, fleas and flea infestations, hairballs, making a homemade diet for your animal, urinary problems in cats, etc. Plus, there's a "Product Sources" section which tells you where you can purchase various supplements. This is the type of information that is so extremely useful to have on hand for any pet owner, and it's all right there for you in the book! I HIGHLY recommend The Holistic Veterinary Handbook to any veterinarian who would like to move toward alternative ways of treating their patients and to pet owners who would like to be more proactive with their animals' health on a holistic basis. I have used many of the recommended treatment plans from this book for treating my animals successfully. This is the one book I've found in all my years of searching for a thorough, yet easy-to-read book that combines several different modalities for the overall health of the animal. It truly is a Holistic Veterinary Handbook and an excellent book that every pet owner should own!
Rating:
Summary: This book is a friend for "my best friend".
Review: This is the first book review that I have ever written. I am drawn to do so because; "The Holistic Veterinary Handbook" by William Winter is such a gem. I am very thankful for William's hard work to compile such a great reference for a holistic approach to animal health. William's veterinarian knowledge and schooling has been brought to a place of insight, understanding and wisdom through his gifts of writing, organization, clarity and seeing from a bigger picture a larger more "whole-listic" point of view for health.
"The Holistic Veterinary Handbook" is a quick, complete, and usable reference that resources from several modalities of treatment; diet, herbs, flower essences, vitamins, exercise, and massage just to name a few.
I also enjoyed how the book was lightly peppered with quotes of wisdom and consciousness from shamans and philosophers. The handbook is complete with over 40 pages of handouts for clients. These handouts are time saving, well written for the layperson, and full of information that will help keep the client educated and involved with the healing and health their pets. In short, I am very thankful for William's dedication to animal health demonstrated through the writing of this book....
Rating:
Summary: This book is a friend for "my best friend".
Review: This is the first book review that I have ever written. I am drawn to do so because; "The Holistic Veterinary Handbook" by William Winter is such a gem. I am very thankful for William's hard work to compile such a great reference for a holistic approach to animal health. William's veterinarian knowledge and schooling has been brought to a place of insight, understanding and wisdom through his gifts of writing, organization, clarity and seeing from a bigger picture a larger more "whole-listic" point of view for health.
"The Holistic Veterinary Handbook" is a quick, complete, and usable reference that resources from several modalities of treatment; diet, herbs, flower essences, vitamins, exercise, and massage just to name a few.
I also enjoyed how the book was lightly peppered with quotes of wisdom and consciousness from shamans and philosophers. The handbook is complete with over 40 pages of handouts for clients. These handouts are time saving, well written for the layperson, and full of information that will help keep the client educated and involved with the healing and health their pets. In short, I am very thankful for William's dedication to animal health demonstrated through the writing of this book....
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