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Healing Animals Naturally
from Dog in Sight Magazine June 2007






Brendan, my cat, is seventeen and a half years old. He is wise, calm, a bit of a curmudgeon. and, he has kidney failure. At the moment he has a needle sticking out of his forehead and it doesn’t bother him a bit. He is having an acupuncture treatment with Dr. Monique Kramer.

Last Christmas we thought we were going to lose our beloved companion. Brendan told us something was wrong by demonstrating, letting out a stream of bright red urine on his bed as we were petting him. We rushed him to our regular vet, both of us believing this was the end. With conventional treatment of drugs and fluids, he recovered. But the writing was on the wall. Brendan had kidney failure.

As so many people do, we decided to try natural medicine as a last resort. Taking Brendan for a consultation with a holistic vet certainly couldn’t hurt and maybe we could prolong his life without pain. So we called Dr. Monique Kramer.

Monique grew up in New York City and has always loved animals and been concerned for their welfare. She started volunteering at the ASPCA in Manhattan when she was 16. She went to Cornell for an undergraduate degree in Animal Science but left veterinary school when she became disillusioned with aspects of conventional veterinary medicine and decided to study wildlife biology instead. She earned a master’s degree in wildlife biology and spent the next several years working with many species, including coyotes. But her first love for the welfare of dogs and cats drove her to return to veterinary school where she became a practicing veterinarian in 2003. However her studies did not stop. A course in integrative western and eastern herbal medicine at Tufts, an animal massage course, and a healing touch for animals course were soon followed by graduate level courses in spinal manipulation therapy (chiropractic care for animals), acupuncture, and kinesiology.

Three years after becoming a veterinarian, she has launched her own practice in holistic animal care, The Art of Alternative Animal Healing. Dr. Kramer says the most compelling influence in her decision to devote herself to alternative care for animals was not her studies but her beloved Rotweiler, Marley. Afflicted by dysplasia and a host of other health problems from an early age, with care Marley lived to the ripe old age (for a Rotweiler) of 15 and 1/2.

”Marley taught me so much about treating the whole animals and addressing nutrition issues,: she says.

As with so many animals and humans, in Marley's case it wasn’t just one factor contributing to her ill health. Dr. Kramer points out that alternative medicine looks at the entire picture to determine the root cause of illness.

An initial consultation takes an hour and is meant to determine which modality will work best but often it is a combination of treatments. The initial consult also provides a total history of the animal to determine what in the past could have contributed to the current health problems.

Nutrition is one of the first issues to be addressed when looking at an animal’s health and one of the first to be discussed in a consultation with Dr. Kramer. Many people who care about their dogs and cats do not realize, due to the power of marketing, that the food they are buying in the belief they are giving their loved companions the best, is simply not good for them and will contribute to health issues.

The other modalities Dr. Kramer practices are:

Spinal Manipulative Therapy. similar to chiropractic treatment for humans, this is more than just putting bones into place and is a helpful to domestic animals as people. When properly done, this modality affects muscles, organs and nerves as well as spinal alignment. This can help animals with any lameness or neurological issues. If your dog is having problems getting into the car, going up and down stairs, chewing its food, picking up its toys, or if your cat suddenly can’t jump up any more then it is likely their spine is out of alignment. Horses who throw their owners, go lame or are sensitive to bits or saddles can benefit from this too.

Acupuncture has been used in China for thousands of years. It is a method by which special needles are inserted in specific points in the body to restore energy balance and therefore help to cure disease and control pain.

Herbal Medicine is the basis from which western medicine is derived. It takes into consideration not only the immediate issue the animal is suffering from but also the animals entire medical history, behavior, temperature preferences, sleep patterns, pulse and appearances of the tongue. Conditions Dr. Kramer has treated using both Chinese and western herbal medicines include but are not limited to cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, liver disease, kidney failure, skin problems, behavioral disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, muscular and skeletal disorders and cardiovascular problems.

Kinesiology is in essence applied neurology. It utilizes the electrical energy all living things possess to test for spinal subluxations, muscle weakness and neurological conduction problems. It can help to fine tune spinal adjustments.

Reiki is a ancient Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. Adding Reiki to your pet’s treatment will enhance their quality of life.

Dr Kramer not only cares for the well being of animals brought to her by their concerned owners, she has also been very active in rescue work for the last twenty three years. After Hurricane Katrina she made three trips to the south, spending thirty days doing vet care and rescue. She brought one hundred and forty four animals north to find new homes. She has a shelter license under the name The Long Journey Home to a New Beginning Animal Rescue. This week, twenty five puppies will arrive, brought north by dedicated volunteers in Louisiana. They will go on to find loving homes.

And as for Brendan? He sits calmly with half a dozen needles poking out of his skin and then he receives a spinal manipulation treatment and a little reiki. Sometimes it hurts and he lets us know but he never swats or tries to bite Dr. Kramer. He receives Chinese herbs twice a day and MSM and Glucosamine. After a treatment he is completely relaxed and falls asleep on the way home.

He looks well, he patrols his yard (with one of us), he hops up to the couch or the bed, he climbs the stairs, he gets respect from the kittens in the house, and he sits in the sun smelling the arrival of spring. We look forward to celebrating his eighteenth birthday.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Kramer, call 207-697-2299.