DR. ANDREW JONES, DVM, SPEAKS

I was reading a canine blog and was linked to yet another vet who is questioning the wisdom of traditional allopathic veterinary medicine. As we all know, human allopathic medicine tends to make people sicker, and the same is being proven with some traditional veterinary care. Read what Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM, learned after losing his young dog.

It seemed ironic that I should come across this the same day I posted Dr. Jean Dodds' vaccination protocol. I checked this information on Snopes and Hoaxbuster before posting it and did not find any references to false information.

I am sometimes reluctant to post controversial information that departs from the norm, but that is the only way we can start to consider embracing new ideas.

Dear Fellow Pet Lover,

If you're not ready to make some simple changes to the way you provide veterinary care to your pet, beginning today... your dog or cat could become seriously ill and live a "shortened" life! Here is how I know. My dog died young, only 8 years old. He was a specimen of health, given a ton of attention, exercised three times a day, fed only Veterinary approved food, and given all his vaccines...

Hoochie passed away in my arms from a massive tumor bleed at 12:02pm on April 12, 2003 - the saddest day of my life. I asked myself... why? I thought that he was incredibly healthy.

But I later discovered I may have contributed to his death, because I believed ONLY in conventional veterinary medicine. You see, I am a Veterinarian. I'm Dr. Andrew Jones, and I have practiced Veterinary Medicine for over a decade. Over the past 17 years I have treated thousands of pets for a variety of problems, and I currently own the Nelson Animal Hospital in Nelson BC, Canada.

Today, I'm going to explain why conventional veterinary medicine is harming your pet and step-by-step what you must do to prevent it. "Regular" veterinary care has lost its effectiveness over the years, and in some cases is causing illness in our pets.

Although alternative pet health care has grown, the simple truth is that Veterinarians have STRONGLY discouraged pet owners from treating their pets outside of the vet clinic. The entire pet health industry has a vested interest in discrediting alternative medicines which can safely, naturally, and effectively allow pet owners to care for their pets at home.

STOP AND READ THIS!
Slowly, I began to notice something unusual about Hoochie. He just wasn't the same. He was reluctant to go for his morning dog walk, which was always the highlight of his day. I dismissed it as him feeling a bit off or maybe a touch of arthritis... but it didn't pass. In fact, it got worse.

I eventually did a blood test on Hoochie, thinking that he had a tooth infection. However, much to my horror, I quickly found out that he had a spleen tumor. I performed surgery on Hoochie right away, and removed the tumor. But it was too late - the cancer had already spread to his liver, and I knew that very soon, he would die. How did an apparently healthy mixed breed dog die so young?

I did all the "right" things - or so I thought. After grieving, I came to realize that I had played a role in him dying at too young of an age. I came to question exactly what I did to my own pet and what was I doing to other people's pets. Eventually, I realized the obvious - that most Veterinarians (including me as well, at the time) are just not "getting it" - that in the process of trying to heal pets through technological advances, we are actually making them sicker.

There are 3 mistakes that I made that contributed to Hoochie's early death...are you making these same mistakes with your own dog or cat?

Mistake #1:Vaccines - Given Every Year
I gave Hoochie his combination of vaccines every year until he died. I advised pet owners to vaccinate their pets yearly, so I gave my own dog the same vaccines. The vaccines likely contributed to him developing spleen cancer. "Recent vaccinations with single or combination modified live virus (MLV) vaccines are increasingly recognized contributors to immune-mediated blood diseases, bone marrow failure, organ dysfunction and cancer."

Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM, one of the world's foremost experts in canine vaccine reactions.

Mistake #2: Diet -
Hoochie was fed a veterinary approved food exclusively, yet he developed spleen cancer at the age of 8, and died shortly after. The "Bright Minds" in the pet food industry have created unwell pets, producing increasing incidences of diabetes, cancer, and allergies. Remember the Pet Food Recall of 2007? This is the trust that we place in pet food companies... we assume that our pets' food is safe, that the 'powers that be have our pets' best interest at heart. In the case of those companies, that is definitely not the case. The food that Hoochie ate was filled with chemical preservatives. The unnatural preservatives played a role in the cancer. "BHA and BHT are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction and are banned in some European countries. Ethoxyquin is suspected of causing cancer, and that propylene glycol, another common pet food ingredient, causes the destruction of red blood cells."

Dr. Wendell O. Belfield, author of How to Have a Healthier Dog.

Mistake #3:Conventional Medication -

He was on anti-inflammatories. Hoochie was showing signs of arthritis, so I had been giving him a conventional veterinary medication. He responded to the medication, but it likely played a role in damaging his organs, making him susceptible to cancer. These are also known as Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatories or NSAIDs. Here is what Dr Stephen Sundlof of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has to say about them... "NSAIDs carry a risk of side effects, or adverse reactions. Most adverse reactions are mild, but some may be serious, especially if the drugs are not used according to labeled directions. Some reactions result in permanent damage or even death. It's important for pet owners to be aware of the risks and benefits of all drugs, including NSAIDs, so that they can make informed decisions about their pets' health care," says Sundlof. "Owners who give their dog NSAIDs need to know the side effects to watch for that indicate their pet needs medical attention. The most common side effects from NSAIDs include vomiting, loss of appetite, depression, lethargy, and diarrhea. Serious side effects include gastrointestinal bleeding, ulcers, perforations, kidney damage, and liver problems.

Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D., Director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)

A very popular NSAID is Rimadyl. It has resulted in all the above reported side-effects. In fact it was first created as a human anti-inflammatory product, but due to the incidence of serious liver side effects in clinical trials, it was pulled from the human market. The drug company, Pfizer, then brought it back to life in the pet industry. It has caused a huge number of serious side effects in pets, including death. Here is what Chris Adams of the Wall Street Journal had to say... "Since Rimadyl's 1997 launch, the FDA has received reports of about 1,000 dogs that died or were put to sleep and 7,000 more that had bad reactions after taking the drug, records and official estimates indicate. The FDA says such events are significantly underreported."

Chris Adams, Wall Street Journal

I, a knowledgeable veterinarian with over 15 years of experience, contributed to my pet's death.
I came to question exactly why I believed in utilizing only "conventional" veterinary medicine to heal pets. I questioned all the "scholarly information" that I had been taught in veterinary school. I did some deep soul searching... WHY did this happen?

It happened because I didn't question modern veterinary medicine, and I gave Hoochie harmful medication. I fed him "veterinary approved" food, and I injected his body yearly with cancer inducing vaccines. WHO was to blame?

I gave him the medication, the vaccines and the carcinogenic food. Yes, my profession, the large drug companies, and the food companies played a role. But, I should have known better.

HOW can I prevent this from happening again to another pet? From the anger, the pain and the despair, a switch happened. I began to read, to research, to discuss with other colleagues the pitfalls of the current state of modern veterinary practice, and I wrote a book. I spent thousands of hours exploring ways for pet owners to administer first aid, improve behavior problems, and even treat illnesses using readily available household products. I began using my "newer" style of medicine in my practice, and my patients benefited tremendously from this research.

July 23, 2009
Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM