Natural Food Therapy

No area of veterinary medicine is more controversial right now than food. The questions, opinions and options are endless and confusing: Should I feed a raw diet? Should we go grain-free? The answer lies in the fact that it’s impossible to say without a competent, multi-pronged approach.

Dr. Jim Carlson combines years of practical experience, holistic education and custom testing services to determine which food is right for your pet. This is an individualized, custom plan that can help your pet become well.  It’s hard to believe that even well-meaning food companies manufacture foods that can make your pet sick. The problem with them is that they aren’t made CUSTOM for your pet’s individual needs. “One pet may have a sensitivity to something so specific, such as egg yolk, a grain, a fish or a chemical preservative, that just a bit in a food can totally throw off the best intentioned plan,” said Dr. Carlson.

Beware the blanket approach to foods. Just because a food is right for one dog in the house or a friend’s dog doesn’t mean it is right for another one. “The frustrating part, as a practitioner, is that people just don’t know and believe slick marketing plans from food companies. They spend a lot of money that only makes their pet weaker and sick,” said Dr. Carlson. “If you’re looking at a new food you should be looking first at a good exam, custom testing, natural food therapy guidelines and a planned holistic approach to your pet’s health,” said Dr. Carlson.

Custom Holistic Testing

To learn about Custom Holistic Testing visit our Custom Holistic Testing page.

Custom Vaccination Protocol

Vaccination is an essential part of disease prevention, but the process can sometimes feel intimidating. Dr. Carlson and the Riverside team follow AAHA vaccination guidelines while taking a conservative approach that considers your pet’s individual lifestyle and risk factors. This allows us to develop a customized vaccination protocol that protects your pet, complies with legal requirements, minimizes the risk of adverse reactions, and helps avoid unnecessary vaccinations.

Titer testing to verify immunity to viruses such as distemper and parvovirus may be an appropriate option for eligible pets. Because rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease, rabies titer testing is not accepted as a substitute for rabies vaccination in Illinois. For this reason, our clinic does not recommend rabies titer testing in place of vaccination at this time.

Alternative Cancer Treatments

For a pet owner, facing cancer treatment decisions for a pet can be daunting.  A combination of strategies both holistic and conventional can work especially well.  Dr. Jim Carlson has had tremendous success working with cancer patients by giving them alternative therapies combined with conventional surgery or medication.  Please make an appointment with Dr. Carlson to discuss your pet’s case.

Ovary Sparing Spay

Dr. Jim Carlson, owner of Riverside Animal Clinic & Holistic Center, was the first veterinarian in Illinois to offer the ovary-sparing spay. An ovary-sparing spay is an alternative to the traditional spay that preserves a dog’s natural hormone production throughout her lifetime.

A traditional spay (ovariohysterectomy) involves the removal of the ovaries, uterus, and cervix. This time-tested, widely practiced method of sterilization is highly effective but eliminates the primary source of a dog’s reproductive hormones. As a result, some spayed female dogs may experience changes such as a slower metabolism, coat thinning, urinary incontinence, increased appetite, or an increased risk of certain health conditions over their lifetime. These effects may be more common in dogs spayed at a young age.

In an ovary-sparing spay (hysterectomy), only the uterus and cervix are removed. The ovaries remain intact and continue to produce hormones, while the dog is effectively sterilized and unable to become pregnant.

An ovary-sparing spay is not the right choice for every dog. Because the ovaries are retained, dogs will continue to experience heat cycles, which can attract intact male dogs. They may also stand to be bred during estrus, despite being unable to become pregnant. Additional considerations include the potential for false pregnancy, stump pyometra, ovarian cysts, ovarian cancer, and other reproductive health concerns.

If you are interested in learning whether an ovary-sparing spay is appropriate for your pet, please let our team know when scheduling your appointment.

For more information about ovary-sparing spay, visit the Parsemus Foundation: https://www.parsemus.org/project/hormone-sparing-sterilization-procedures/.

Ovary Sparing Spay in Cats

Cats and dogs have important differences in their reproductive cycles. Dogs typically come into heat every 6–12 months. Cats, on the other hand, are induced ovulators and may come into heat every 2–3 weeks during the breeding season if they are not bred. Because the ovaries are retained during an ovary-sparing spay, cats will continue to experience heat cycles. Cats in heat are highly motivated to escape the home in search of a mate, increasing their risk of injury or death. They may also exhibit behaviors such as persistent vocalization (caterwauling), assuming a mating posture, urine marking, behavioral changes, and decreased appetite. Because of these significant welfare concerns, ovary-sparing spay in cats is widely regarded within the veterinary profession as an unethical procedure. Accordingly, we do not perform ovary-sparing spays in cats.

Canine Vasectomies

Canine vasectomy is an option for sterilizing male dogs while preserving their natural hormone production, similar to an ovary-sparing spay in females. Dogs that have undergone a vasectomy will continue to behave like intact males, while the risk of impregnating female dogs is greatly reduced. Because the testicles remain intact, vasectomized dogs may still exhibit behaviors and health conditions associated with intact males, including urine marking, roaming in search of females, mounting and tying during breeding, aggression, prostate disease, and testicular cancer. Although Dr. Carlson has performed canine vasectomies in the past, we do not currently offer this procedure. Over the years, we have found that most owners seeking sterilization for their male dogs do so for behavioral or lifestyle reasons, and a traditional neuter better meets those goals.  

Integrative Health Examination

Our goal when examining your pet is to look for ways to improve balance and harmony in your pet’s skin, coat, mouth, eyes, ears and internal organs. Our doctors have a well-trained eye with many years of experience in both holistic and conventional medicine. Our examinations follow the guidelines of the American Animal Hospital Association’s standards for veterinary exams with the added benefit of Eastern medicine’s unique take on how the many systems of a body come together. We want your pet feeling great and an exam by one of our highly experienced doctors is a great start.