Rising veterinary costs have driven an ever increasing number of people to try pet health insurance to manage the financial end of their pet's care. Many have been disappointed in the policies, stating that they did not realize any savings in cost.
Just as Human health care costs and incredible dependence on pharmaceuticals has prompted many to seek a holistic approach. So too, are some pet owners.
The holistic approach to pet care really focuses on prevention of the onset of disease, with a variety supplements and strict dietary habits.
Dr. Shawn Messonnier, a well-known veterinarian on the speaking circuit and great proponent of the holistic approach describes 5 principles to the holistic plan.
1. Preventing disease, this is to be accomplished by eating a natural chemical and dye-free food, minimizing vaccines, and reducing toxins in the body by the use of supplements. This is believed to prevent illness.
2. Say NO to drugs. Holistic treatment plans may include the use of herbs, homeopathic, magnetic therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture. Conventional pharmaceuticals are more expensive, with more side effects which can cause secondary conditions to be treated with even more drugs. When pharmaceuticals are necessary, finding the lowest dose effective for the shortest period of time is best.
3. Heal the pet rather than treat disease. Make sure the treatment keeps the pet as healthy as possible. This sometimes means managing a disease rather than curing it.
4. Offering hope for the hopeless. Many diseases deemed untreatable by conventional methods respond very well to holistic approaches.
5. Saving money on pet care. Natural remedies are most often cheaper than prescription medications. Drug therapies require frequent monitoring to evaluate the therapeutic levels in the animals system and to note any serious side effects occurring.
Another belief in the holistic world of veterinary medicine is that dogs receive vaccinations far too frequently. Recent studies support this claim, stating that vaccines should last 2 to 3 years and not be annual. Now, though not common practice, some are asking for a blood titer to see if the vaccine is still active in the pet's system. This reduces unnecessary toxin exposure.
Though the holistic veterinarians shy away from vaccines, etc., they recognize for prevention of heartworm, for example, there is no effective natural cure that has been discovered.
So does the holistic approach mean we can turn down pet health insurance? Dr. Messonnier, a famous holistic veterinarian recommends having a policy, with the wellness feature in it. It may not cover the holistic treatments, but there is accident protection and an encouragement to get to the routine checkups on time. The preventive aspect is what he is accentuating. The basic concepts of health care and health insurance for your pet are the same for you and your pet.
Keeping your pet on natural foods and supplements will make for a longer and happier life. Adding pet insurance for the times when you need extra or emergency treatment keeps your pet's healthcare costs manageable.