Last week we had the opportunity to read about the pet’s "support team". They are the people in your life, and when you cannot be there in person, they will voluntarily and promise to be "present" for your pet. They will help you when your situation changes and you are temporarily or permanently unable to provide the care your pet needs. They may be family members, friends or neighbors.

But what about professionals who work with you and your pet to provide services that treat and ensure pet health? In addition to services that many novice pet owners may not be familiar with, I asked online what professional services pet owners are using.

You can learn about the many services available for pets in your area through thorough searches and due diligence on the education, experience, and reputation of each professional provider. Your trusted veterinarian should be a good starting point, and can advise on the details of which services may be suitable for your pet and your pet’s current needs, as well as which suppliers your veterinarian would recommend. Then you can make an appointment and meet with professionals.

Debby McMullen (Pennsylvania) Kenzo has a general veterinarian, a family acupuncture veterinarian, and a chiropractor. He receives cold laser treatment from regular veterinarians every week. He receives home acupuncture treatment from an acupuncture veterinarian every month, and adjustments by a chiropractor every two weeks. All of these contribute to his arthritis and mobility and basic health. I am a behavioral consultant, so I make sure that his behavioral health is top-notch.

Kenzo likes lasers and adjustments. He likes his acupuncture vet. I'm not sure if he always likes acupuncture itself (but it helps), and he absolutely likes the light therapy she brings. He also received semi-regular ascixicin treatment, but I bought one, so I did. It is tPEMF (Target Electromagnetic Field) technology. It can reduce inflammation, thereby reducing pain. It can be used for almost any problem. This technology is also used in humans, but it is usually not used in Assisi Ring, because Assisi Ring is made specifically for animals. [Using Assisi Cycle] Need to discuss with the overall veterinarian. Few conventional veterinarians have explored the use of one.

Holistic veterinarians receive traditional western medicine and complementary therapies, including oriental medicine, as well as acupuncture, chiropractic and Chinese herbal medicine.

I should probably add that a few years ago, when Kenzo was in the ICU for three days, he needed not only an internal medicine specialist, but also a cardiologist. He also has/has a plastic surgeon/doctor.

Colette Kase (Mexico) Our boy has a similar situation. Currently, his team consists of his main veterinarian, who is also a physiotherapist, an orthopedic specialist and a neurologist. He is now undergoing intensive laser and acupuncture physiotherapy. So he goes three times a week.

Mandy Collins (UK) veterinarian, Galen Myotherapist and acupuncturist. Belle has acupuncture to relieve pain; acupuncturists also do galenic therapy, which is a form of massage based on selection. She and my veterinarian are researching drugs together.

Jaxon Riley (Washington) beautician, veterinarian, animal ophthalmologist, dog trainer. From the time he was nine weeks old, Pickle has been regularly treated at the veterinary ophthalmology clinic. They have two ophthalmologists, and the clinic only treats eyes. I have seen dogs, cats and horses as patients there. When Kimchi is born, one eye is small and does not shed tears. We gave her four kinds of medicine twice a day, and regularly instilled eye drops throughout the day to keep her eyes healthy.

Stephanie Nilles (Washington) Massage therapist, acupuncturist, spa therapist, dog trainer, veterinarian (modern and holistic).

Shelly Keel (California) Veterinarian and staff, trainer, breeder, extended family, friends and me. It takes a team to raise a happy, well-adjusted, social puppy, who happens to struggle with time alone.

Annette Lanker (Washington) Holistic Veterinarian, Massage Therapist, Chiropractor, Reiki Master.

Sue Heron (Florida) My team of veterinarians-our regular veterinarian, holistic veterinarian, and our oncologist-and a friend who instructed us to use Chinese herbal medicine to help our guy fight cancer.

Sarah Richardson (California) veterinarian, pet sitter, dog walker, trainer (but that’s me, so I can’t put it first).

Julie Casal (Argentina) At this moment, my veterinarian and cancer specialist for one of my dogs.

Dale Ward (North Carolina) We have an excellent team of veterinarians, including a general practitioner, an orthopedic specialist and a dental specialist. Even in this difficult COVID situation, they are all excellent. I also invited colleagues who trained dogs to help me with cooperative care. We work in pairs to help our dogs learn to deal with strangers. This becomes especially important because until recently, we did not allow our dogs to enter the veterinary hospital. Some hospitals still do not allow owners to bring dogs in. Working with a colleague allowed me to practice various veterinary holding methods with others besides me, gently restraining my dog. Cooperative care is great if you are present, but when your dog must be taken away without you, the veterinarian staff will use their own techniques, which are usually unconstrained. I hope my dog ​​can happily deal with this relaxed restraint of strangers.

Sarah Adams (Oregon) is just a veterinarian at this time. I have used chiropractors and massage therapists, but I don’t need them at the moment.

I have an ordinary veterinarian, although I am switching, so I have a "new" ordinary veterinarian who has only seen two of my four dogs. Plus I got it from the veterinarian. This is what Merlot has recently received most of the treatments, because they can make him adapt faster the first time. I think I should keep the same. In any case, I usually only receive a major veterinary practice once.

Then I have a breeding veterinarian, which I see when I do breeding; she is great. And the veterinarian who performs the required health checks. .. I'm not sure if they will be considered "part of the support team" because it is not really integrated? Before they go home, they usually receive an ophthalmologist's examination during the puppy period, and then check the adult's eyes more or less once a year. For babies, we go to the office, but there are several options, and I don’t always use the same options. Adults most often go to the ophthalmology clinic during performances (this will be one or the other of the same veterinarian, it's just more convenient). For OFA X-rays, I have another veterinarian that I prefer to use. I have changed it several times, but it is always an interested, well done, and affordable average veterinarian. In any case, this is usually done only once in each dog's life, so continuity is not important-just a good movie.

Recently, I have staff in the emergency room/specialty department where I brought Melo. They may have saved his life, so I don’t want to exclude them, but I really don’t want to need emergency room/specialty work.

The following is a short list of professional services available for pets in your area:

Pet sitter and dog walker

Amy Suggars (Ohio) Most professional pet sitters/dog walkers have liability insurance specifically for pet sitters. It covers events that may occur when you guard/control another person’s pet in another person’s home (as opposed to boarding insurance that covers the care/guardian/control of another person’s pet in your own facility (including your home)). It is strongly recommended to conduct pet first aid/CPR training. No specific certification is required to become a professional pet sitter. However, International Pet Sitter provides an educational program to become a "certified professional pet sitter".

An important skill of a professional pet sitter is organization. She needs to be able to manage the ever-changing schedule of customer visits and a database of pet care information for all customers. In addition, there is a need to maintain a security system for the keys/codes used to access the customer's residence. A successful pet sitter not only needs a broad understanding of how to take care of various pets (cats, dogs, reptiles, birds, pocket pets, farm animals, etc.), but also requires good interpersonal skills to acquire/maintain customers. She also needs to accept the fact that pet sitters must work at night, weekends and holidays. This usually means missing family activities or gatherings with friends. Finally, pet sitters need reliable transportation.

Steven Cogswell (Colorado) The rules for canine massage therapists vary depending on the state you live in. In Colorado, where I live, I can provide two types of services. I can provide general health work. I evaluate the dog’s gait and then make a plan to improve the dog’s forward movement. This is very useful for agility and performance dogs, and can improve the overall quality of life of any dog.

As part of a multi-modal team, I can also provide more specific work on medical issues under the guidance of a veterinarian. In Colorado, as long as I have a veterinarian’s signature for release, I can do this in my own practice. In some states, I have to work in a veterinarian's office, and the on-site veterinarian supervises my work. In other states, only licensed veterinarians can perform canine massage. No matter where you live, if you suspect an underlying medical cause, your first stop should be your veterinarian. Massage can never replace veterinary care.

It may take some time and multiple treatments for a dog to get used to the massage. The early meetings may be brief, because we always hope that it will be a positive experience for the dog; it is not something that will be done once and for all. However, incorporating canine massage into a dog’s overall health plan can be very effective and bring considerable long-term benefits.

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