vets and barefoot

I just wanted to share this.
Day before yesterday Cath (who used to share the fields with me) had one of her horses back at our yard lame in both hind feet - she doesn't yet have any stables up at her new place. She told me the vet had diagnosed laminitis but both she and I weren't sure about that.
Anyway, yesterday evening the vet was back - she called him out again cos she didn't believe the laminitis thing. He had another good look and then diagnosed gravel in both hind hooves, which is what Cath had thought all along. The horse is barefoot because it only gets ridden about once a month.
The vet then said that horses don't cope very well with the really stony paths round where we are, some of them manage (his exact word) barefoot if they are not doing much work but most need shoes and she should really put shoes on it...and here am I standing 6 feet away with Dancing and Kitty who have been barefoot ten years and do more work in a week than most shod horses do in a month.

He didn't take into account the fact that Cath trims her own horses feet and it makes me cringe to see her do it - she has no idea, and the way she does it exposes and spreads the white line so no wonder the horse gets gravel in it. When will vets get with the modern world? I know they have a lot they need to know but why do they continue to spout recieved wisdom instead of thinking? Chees.

Don't even get me started on that whole thing LOL

Apparently, at the vet clinic that I use for Fanny (I'm transferring all my pets there), there are some vets that have more of a "holistic" approach, which I appreciate. I have no idea who they are, so I don't know who to ask for. Not sure if any of the equine vets have that sort of approach, but the one who has always dealt with Fanny doesn't. When he diagnosed Fanny with laminitis he wanted her to be on stall rest and have shoes put on her. That certainly didn't happen. He suggested the same thing for Preacher...and again that didn't happen According to my natural farrier, Preacher is doing really well and is being ridden by his 10-year-old owner.

I wish that doctors and vets would relax a little and at least be more open to alternative ideas.

Everytime my vet comes out to have a look at my horses for whatever the reason may be, he always comments on how nice my horses hooves are. He just thinks they look healthy and great. I told him my trimmer is actually, oh, and here I go to rock the boat, STRASSER TRAINED! OMG!

Back to my vet though, he is quite willing to listen to my holistic hippie views and is open to discussion about issues regarding hoof care. He is the first to admit that he only has a general knowledge about it. Just like my GP has a broad spectrum of knowledge of health care but will quickly refer you to a specialist if need be for certain issues.

It's nice when vets and doctors admit to not knowing much about 'alternative' methods, and are open to hearing more.

My doctor is very much "by the book". I took some info in to her on thermography for breast cancer screening a couple of years ago, and although she admitted she'd never heard of it before, she still recommends mammograms. Thermography is supposed to be way more advanced and catches more than a mammogram would, and sooner. When the time comes, I might just pay to have the thermography done (through a private "alternative health" office). It's much more comfy than a mammogram. Now, how did I get so off topic?? My apologies.

Off topic? we're talking alternative health here aren't we? Did you know that there is some evidence that a mammogram can cause cancer? It's surely not normal to have your boobs so badly squashed that they hurt for days after - my friend just had one last week.
As usual you are hot on research - send me a link to that thermography, cos i'm due one soon

My naturopath told me about thermography for breast care a number of years ago, but I'm still not at the age where I "have" to have one done, so I still haven't had it done, nor have I had a mammogram. I should start thinking about it though, since my grandmother died of breast cancer and my mom has had a couple of lumps removed (the last one that was mostly removed has a 10% chance of becoming cancerous in the future). The biggest problem I have is refusing a mammogram when my doctor suggests that I have one done. She will be angry, I know, and with a shortage of doctors around here I don't want her to tell me to find another one. I pretty much only see her for yearly physicals anyway, and I suppose I could just go to a woman's health clinic for those.

Here's a site for the UK that I just found. The others below it are mainly Canadian, I think.
http://www.wholisticmedical.co.uk/dynamicdata/value%20of%20thermal%20imaging.php

http://www.breastthermography.com/
http://www.breastofcanada.com/newsletterapril.html

And here's a site that talks about the 'dangers' - it was on a tv show by a station that is government owned, and I'm sure they would stand behind conventional health care, not alternative. http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2006/05/23/breast-thermography.html

I remember going to see a deep muscle massage therapist quite a few years ago - a lovely soft-spoken lady who is very much for natural health alternatives. She is the one who warned me against having a mammogram because they can actually cause cancer. So now I've heard it from two of you!

Sidenote: This massage therapist is a Mexican (Mexican Mennonite) who still has family there, so she goes back there from time to time. Another thing she warned me about (may be more important to my Canadian and American friends) is buying any produce that is from Mexico. Wash it all very carefully before you eat it, or avoid it altogether!!! The produce in Mexico is irrigated from open irrigation ditches, and the sewers are drained into these same ditches! Ewwwww!!! She said to just be careful because of parasites.

thermography - just found this blog and at the bottom of the page starts a really interesting story about it. I'm going to look it up, because they keep sending me mammogram appointments and I keep not going because of all the bad stuff I have heard about it
http://inthenightlife.wordpress.com/category/primal-lifestyle/cancer-prevention/

What an interesting blog. Thanks for sharing it.

I really should book my annual physical, because by the time I get in it'll be summer. I just hate being at odds with my doctor when it comes to mammograms, though. I wish I could find a naturopath who did paps and so on, cuz then I wouldn't even need a physician.

I picked up some stuff at one of my fave health food stores this morning. There is a well-respected naturopath who sees patients at the store (in a private room, of course) once a week (or once a month - I can't remember), and the store owner (whom I know) said that if I want to see him, she'd get me in, even though he's technically not taking on any new patients. I might take her up on that. One of the things I picked up this morning is a supplement that the above-mentioned naturopath has developed (he has a whole line of affordable supplements) for arthritis pain, so I'll see how it works. A lady in the store said that it took her pain away within a couple of days. That would be nice.

Fanny has another trim booked for this evening. Will see how that goes. Praying that she is better behaved than she was last time!!

I didn't know you have arthritis - do you know that a huge part of that problem is often diet related?