Pet Health, Feeding and Everyday care...

I started looking into more natural and holistic pet care when my dog was having odd symptoms and behaviors, that ended up being related to food allergies. I then got more serious about learning when he was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease - a back ailment that typically involves long backed dogs and can result in permanent paralysis and possible loss of bladder and/or bowel function.

Dr. Martin Goldsteins(AKA Dr. Marty) name kept coming up in my research and in some unexpected places such as on celebrity shows including Oprah and Martha Stewart.

I was very impressed at how, early in the book, Dr. Marty went through a process or not only describing what a good dog food is but actually went on to dissect the ingredient lists of actual dog food items that he picked up at the local market.

Having done extensive research on dog foods in order to help my own dog, I had learned so much about the importance of a pets diet. I had also learned that the complete and balanced nutrition that was scientifically formulate and pumped into a can or bag to be sold on local supermarket, department store and even pet store and veterinarian shelves are more often than not junk. I used to trust in the brand names that my parents would purchase for my pets when I was a child. The more I learned, the more frustrated and upset I became, especially since many veterinarians did not seem to notice that these premium pet foods were junk!

While reading the book I felt validated right away as Dr. Marty went on to explain that veterinarians get very little training in nutrition at all. He is very open about not understanding the importance of nutrition early on in his veterinary career and takes great pains to educate the reader on his many years of experience and research as both a pet owner and a professional.

Lest you think that the book is dry, it is not. Dr. Marty uses both personal and professional experiences,including both triumphs and mistakes with inflections of both emotion and humor. I laughed picturing him and his dog going out for a slice of pizza together especially when he mentioned the food police. lol!

While the book starts out on the most basic of things, such as diet and nutrition, it does go into detail about specific cases that he had, the treatment and the results. He also has a section of the book that lists specific ailments and their suggested treatment or cure.

Dr. Marty is quick to say that the book is not meant to be a do-it-yourself book, but instead a guide on how to keep ones pet healthy and an educational tool so that people will know how to better interact with their veterinarian for the best possible care for their pets.

I read the book cover to cover, slowing down on sections that particularly interested me such as the explanation of when and why not to immunize your petand why to stay away from or minimize the use of certain pet medications that are said to be safe for regular use.

On top of confirming information that I felt I knew, I also learned a great deal. I feel very fortunate to have taken the time to read this book and feel that the knowledge learned will make me a much better pet owner, hopefully extending the life and upgrading the quality of life of my pet.