Preface to Dr. Shawn's article by Kathleen Prasad:
Building Bridges:
I discovered Dr. Shawn Messonier through his regular radio program on Sirius. I was immediately drawn to his openness to alternative therapies, and enjoyed hearing him advise the many callers who asked for help for their beloved animals. I wasn't sure whether he had heard of Reiki, but I sent Dr. Shawn my book anyway, which he endorsed heartily, despite his newness to the modality. This is not always the response of veterinarians, even holistic ones, so I was curious about what it was about his approach and goals as a veterinarian that helped him to be open to the benefits Reiki provides.

I am very interested in building bridges between the Animal Reiki Community and the Veterinarian Community, and so I asked Dr. Shawn to contribute something to this newsletter that might be helpful to my Reiki readers. His article follows below. I think it is a clear and concise description of a truly holistic world view, and a useful guide in finding a veterinarian we can trust. If we can seek out veterinarians who have a similar approach, we will be able not only to find the best solutions to and treatment programs for the health issues our animals face, but also to support the recommended treatments with Reiki, and with the understanding and approval of our vets! Hopefully in time, and with continued communication, education and positive patient responses, more and more veterinarians will not only support people when they offer Reiki to help the healing process of their animals, but also integrate Reiki as an offered service within their veterinary practices.

Q. Dear Dr. Shawn:”What are your goals as a holistic veterinarian when treating your patients?”

A: ”Each doctor has specific goals for his or her practice. When I simply practiced conventional medicine, my goal was to treat disease and bring comfort to my patients. Now, as an integrative, holistic doctor, my goals have changed. Here are 5 goals that I have for my patients.

• Prevent disease-By focusing on preventing problems, my patients stay healthier, so fewer require treatments.

• Say NO to drugs-Whenever possible, I prefer to use herbs, nutritional supplements, homeopathics, diet, acupuncture, chiropractic, and other therapies as these are usually safer than conventional medications yet work as well if not better.

• Heal the pet rather than treat disease-Treating disease is fine, but by healing the pet we don’t have to focus on illness as much. Healthy pets get sick less.

• Hope for the hopeless-While conventional medicine can be helpful in some instances, there are times when conventional medicine doesn’t work. In these “hopeless” cases, holistic therapies can be life-saving.

• Save money on pet care-The integrative approach is usually less expensive than a conventional approach. Taking this integrative approach may not only extend the life of the pet but also save the owner money on pet care.

Using this approach with these goals, I’ve seen many wonderful successes in my practice. I encourage you to consider a holistic approach to preventing and treating problems in your pets as well.”

About the Author:
Shawn Messonnier DVM is author of the award-winning The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats. Also, check out Dr. Shawn's new book, The Natural Vet's Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs. Listen to Dr. Shawn each week on Martha Stewart Radio Sirius 112, Tuesday night from 7-9 PM CST. To get Dr. Shawn's weekly newsletter go to www.groups.yahoo.com/group/naturalpetcare. Please visit his websites: www.pettogethers.net/healthypet and www.petcarenaturally.com.