Newsletter - September 2016
Glacier Peak Holistics News
Volume III, Issue IX ~ September 2016 Glacier Peak Holistics Herbal Remedies
Making Miracles Happen... Naturally!
Message from the Pack Leader:
Welcome to Fall! I’m not sure where the summer has gone, but wow… it is. All of us here at GPH hope you had a lovely summer.
The crew and I were busy getting ready for the Holistic Veterinary Conference at the beginning of this month. Hence, the tardiness of this newsletter. We met so many new faces and reconnected with past holistic vets. Two of the lecturers from the conference spoke about how GPH has helped them with so many animals. Wow, does that ever make us happy! We love having the backing of so many wonderful professionals. I love that they have “hands on” some of the pets that need extra care. We will be expanding our Professional Practice locator very soon, as we walked away with many more understanding the power of synergistically blended herbal formulas and they are very excited to share with all of you. We hope that you can find a holistic vet near you.
We are highlighting another one of our favorite vets this month, Dr Katie Kangus from California. I hope you enjoy her spotlight in this issue.
September 18-23 is National Dog Week... I still don’t get it. Isn’t every week Dog Week? It is at my house.
Ellia, Krieger and myself would like to send you a special thank you for being part of our GPH family and we hope you enjoy this lovely month of September.
~Happy Tails~
Deb, Ellia and Krieger
This wonderful story about Sarah is just one reason we do what we do. Her life changed the moment Marla & Brian adopted her - We thank God for caring people like them every day. We're pretty sure Sarah would too if she could.
In one of our many email exchanges, Marla mentioned they had struggled with their former dog, Buddy, who had so many allergy symptoms. She said she wished she would have known about our scan back then - she was confident it could have saved his life too.
If you would like to share your wellness story with other pet parents, pet store owners and a growing list of vets, please contact us as we would love to feature you and your fur babies in our Spotlight!
We adopted Sarah in July of 2013. Sarah had been seized from a home for severe neglect. She was emaciated with severe muscle wasting. Covered in fleas She was estimated between ten and eleven years old. I wonder if this is why she had such horrible tummy problems.Sarah has had tummy problems off and on since we have had her. I cannot tell you how many times she has been in the emergency room. Her gas was horrible, and you could tell her tummy hurt.
This last time, after trying prescription food (HA), we were feeding cooked organic chicken and white rice. This was all without seasoning of any kind. She still had gas and tummy problems. My husband saw an ad in our local paper from a pet shop. "Pet Wellness Life Stress Scan" Holy Cow! We could not believe we were feeding her all the Wrong food. No wonder...
Our wonderful pet shop found us a food for her. It is a very, very limited one. It has made all the difference in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This 13 plus girl is bouncing around with a pep in her step. We cannot thank you enough. I am convinced you have saved her life. I have told all my friends about you.Her skin is nice and white and not red anymore also.
Thank you! Thank you! Marla, Brian and Sarah Briggs, Buddy, may you R.I.P. (above left)
Dr. Katie Kangas
GPH: How long have you been offering holistic medicine?
I began practicing “holistic” veterinary medicine in 2008, and then created and launched my own new practice, Integrative Veterinary Care, just this year in the beginning of 2016! 
I have been a veterinarian since 1993, a graduate from University of Wisconsin. I began my career in private practice, and then relocated to Virginia to complete an internship in Wildlife Rehabilitation medicine. I moved to San Diego, California, in 1997, and spent several years in small animal & exotics practice doing comprehensive medicine and surgery.
I made a career shift into shelter medicine and served as the medical director of San Diego Humane Society & SPCA from 2002-2007. I have remained active in shelter work on a part-time basis for more than 15 years.
In 2005, I became interested and inspired to work within a holistic focus, after seeing exceptional results for my own aged dog, Asti, (pictured to the right). My friend, colleague and mentor - Dr. Keith Weingardt - treated my dog with acupuncture and herbal medicine, and we worked together to make very positive diet and nutrition changes. The results were incredible.
I left my shelter position to pursue yet another a career shift - starting with certification in acupuncture at the Chi Institute in 2008, and extending into advanced acupuncture and herbal medicine training, nutritional/food therapy training, VOM/chiropractic, biotherapeutics, homeopathy, etc.
GPH: Why do you think people are seeking out alternatives to conventional medicine?
There is a growing general awareness that our current conventional medicine system is not working well. This is true in the human medical field and the veterinary medical field. People are becoming more interested in proactively supporting health through better diet and avoidance of harmful health factors. The advent of technology, internet/online resources and multiple documentaries have exposed opportunities for people to learn much more about health and wellness than ever before.
Although conventional/traditional medicine certainly has its strengths, and should be used appropriately when indicated, people are becoming aware of the negative aspects in using only this type of medical system or approach. Whereas conventional medicine tends to focus mainly on controlling symptoms, the alternative medicine approach focuses on supporting the body to resolve the problems and correct the imbalance in the body which lead to the symptoms. Integrative medicine is ideal, which means we combine the strengths of both approaches and use them together for the best results.
GPH: What is the most exciting change you’ve seen in veterinary medicine during your practice life?
The trend toward acceptance and support for integrative/complementary/holistic medicine. I now have growing numbers of veterinarians referring patients to me. I believe that general practice veterinarians are getting more and more requests from their clients for this type of service. In addition, they often get positive feedback from their clients (and the patients!) with the results we obtain, utilizing this type of approach and the multiple modalities we have to offer.
GPH: Who has inspired you in veterinary medicine?
My top 3 in order of their introduction into my life:
1) Dr. Ron Schultz, my immunology professor in vet school at the University of Wisconsin. I felt “ahead of the game” learning about the overuse of vaccines back in 1991! His groundbreaking work and tireless efforts to educate veterinary professionals about new and different information - helped to shape my thoughts and encourage critical thinking about medical systems and the potential for overuse or misuse of drugs & pharmaceuticals in both human and veterinary medicine. Dr. Schultz has impacted countless numbers of animals and people with his work, and I admire him very much.
2) Dr. Keith Weingardt, my initial mentor for integrative and “holistic” medicine, and now also my dear friend. Keith helped to expose me to many new thoughts and ideas, supporting me through both my training and clinical experience as I grew into this field. I am forever grateful to Keith.
3) Dr. Huisheng Xie, founder of the Chi Institute in Gainesville, FL. Dr. Xie is a very special person to so many of us! A true inspirational leader, teacher, mentor and friend. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this man. He has changed many, many human and animal lives around the world. Dr. Xie continues his fabulous work through many avenues of educating/lecturing/writing and also through the herbal products he creates with his Jing Tang herbal company. I love to see him at all the conventions and to reconnect. :)
GPH: Do you have any GPH Success stories to share?
Yes, many! I am currently excited about a Boxer patient that I am treating now, named Nova. Nova is only 9 months old and already suffers from extreme immune compromise, having dealt with severe skin reactions/hives/infections since 5 months of age. Prior to seeing me, she had been treated with multiple rounds of antibiotics, steroids, and even monoclonal antibody injections, and yet her problems continued to progress. We are now utilizing many different complementary modalities including acupuncture, homeopathy, nutrition and herbal supplements. We did the Life Stress Scan testing and the results have really helped to guide us (both her pet parents and also me as part her health care team) to avoid potential triggers and also to better support her body to heal and regain balance. One of the supplements that Nova is on, and is tolerating well, is the Inflapotion formula. I am happy to say that Nova is now on the road to upward progress. Hooray!
I appreciate the Life Stress Scan as useful tool in the multiple options that I can provide my patients to work toward optimizing their health. I also appreciate and utilize multiple products in the GPH product line.
Thank you for supporting what we do in integrative & complementary veterinary medicine!
We want to sincerely thank Dr. Katie Kangas for taking the time to answer these questions and share her story with all of us. ~ the GPH Pack
Dosing with Herbs
by Debe Gwynn
Unlike dosing with pharmaceutical drugs, dosing with herbs if very different. Mother Nature intended for us to use the herbs at whatever amount is just right for us, as individuals. Everyone responds to herbs differently and animals are no different. Our packaging and website state “suggested” dosages, but in the end it’s up to you, the pet parent, to observe and adjust the dosing as needed for your specific pet.
Where 1 teaspoon of a powdered formula may be perfect for your large 100# dog, it may not be enough for the neighbor’s 100# dog. That dog may require more or less, depending on how the dogs responds. It’s always better to start with the lessor amount of what is suggested to make sure there is no digestive upset. I always recommend using the maximum dosage as soon as you know your pet can handle it, but only until you see results. Then always reduce to an amount that can maintain the comfort level you are seeking.
If your animal has had an injury, you may need to use the formula for an extend period of time, but will eventually stop when everything is all healed up. Conversely, if you have an issue like hip dysplasia, or arthritis, you may need to use herbs to maintain quality of life, for life.
Working with herbs is not science. It’s all about watching and adjusting on a constant basis. Again, what was good last week may be too much or not enough this week. Always remember to give your pet a break. Let the body have time to rest and restart.
This article is a great companion to our current blog article regarding "pulsing" remedies. Be sure and take a minute to read up on it!