En AnimalEco, the Animal Herbalist blog, we have interviewed many veterinarians, but all of them carried out their activity in an urban environment. On this occasion, we have chatted with a veterinary professional from a rural environment. This is Carmen Naval, who opened more than five years ago a veterinary in La Puebla de Roda, in Huesca.
You define yourself as an integrative veterinarian, what does that mean to you? In addition to the training received at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, what complementary knowledge do you have?
For me, being an integrative veterinarian means being able to combine conventional medical therapies with so-called natural, holistic or alternative therapies in order to ensure that an animal is balanced both physically and emotionally. Both the disease and the patient's energy imbalance are treated. By seeing the animal as a “whole” you take into account the different factors that influence it, be it its environment, the family it lives with, environment, etc. such as diet, age, race, physical condition, element to which it belongs according to the 5 elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the type flower that defines it according to the Bach flower system... All this without disparaging conventional medicine with its diagnostic techniques and pharmacology.
To do this, I have continued training in Traditional Chinese Medicine in the techniques of
acupuncture, moxibustion and Tui-na, in functional natural nutrition, in Bach Flowers and in Tapping.
What is it like to be an integrative veterinarian in a small town like La Puebla de Roda?
I opened a veterinary office because it requires less technological equipment than a
clinic and, above all, less staff to function. It's difficult to find
to people who are willing to live in a town in the pre-Pyrenees of about 60
inhabitants, but we have veterinary clinics about 30km away and if there are any
emergency, surgeries or more specific tests are necessary, I usually refer them
there.
The process of combining Western medicine with allopathic therapies has been
gradual, so I have been able to offer the tutors more and more alternatives and the truth is that the majority of people accept the proposals without problem. The final objective that the person responsible for the animal and I have is to give the animal the highest quality of life. For all these reasons, I don't think there is much difference compared to the consultations that I could offer in a big city.
What physical or emotional animal problems do you deal with most?
frequency?
There is quite a difference depending on the animal's environment. In short, I would say that dogs that live outside, free on a plot, have, above all, problems due to parasites and leishmania. Emotionally they are more balanced. For their part, those who live in closed spaces suffer more from overweight-obesity, with the problems that this entails on an emotional level, and are more stressed.
Some veterinarians, with decades of experience, have told us that before the generalization of feed, dogs and cats hardly suffered from allergies,
autoimmune diseases or cancer, what do you think? What importance do you give to
food and what type of diet do you recommend?
Food is our best daily medicine, it is very important. Currently we have a very wide range of feed, wet food, dehydrated food, natural food... and there is everything there. Something that I try to teach the animal's guardian is not only to look at the colors of the packaging, but to learn to read labels, since we are talking about foods for facultative carnivores in dogs and strict carnivores in cats. Many are surprised when they see the list of ingredients. They assume that if it sells and is on the shelves it is good. And that is not the case, there are ultra-processed foods that for me should be prohibited and that generate many allergy problems, digestive disorders and increase the predisposition to cancer and other ailments.
The type of diet will depend a lot on each animal and the guardian's capabilities, but a natural cooked or raw food prepared from fresh foods by the guardian is always better than a processed one. In any case, I always recommend the diet that suits the animal best.
What do you think and in what cases do you use the following therapies and natural products?
Bach Flowers
I work with Bach flowers because on an emotional level orally they go
very well, and you can give them individually or in groups. At the skin level I use them for skin problems.
Mycotherapy
Medicinal mushrooms modulate the immune system, inflammatory processes, and antioxidants very well. They are a great ally in oncology, leishmania, and chronic inflammation.
Acupuncture
Along with moxibustion it is my favorite natural therapy, I love it! I dare to to say that if the tutor let me I would use it in all cases.
CBD
Un Very powerful oil that must be used under the instructions of someone expert. I use it mainly in pathologies that cause chronic pain such as cancer and osteoarthritis, and in some cases of epilepsy.
Turmeric
One of the nutraceuticals I use the most. Good complement for digestive problems,
osteoarthritis and leishmania, in this case, as long as you combine it with another product.
Artemisia Anua
Es another product that modulates our immune system very well to combat leishmania, cancer and various inflammations.
Pre and probiotics
Very useful depending on the food the animal eats and if it has any digestive or dermal problems, low immunity... In animals that eat feed and cans, I usually recommend that they use them for life.
At Herbalist for Animals we encourage you to choose certified products.
ecological whenever possible, what is your opinion on this?
The fewer E's a food has, the better, which is why it is important to buy fresh food and prepare it at home. And if they are ecological, you make sure that they carry as little toxic waste as possible inside/outside.
The same thing happens in herbal supplements and remedies, the fewer cumulative toxic elements, the better.
Nor should we forget that the body, through breathing, incorporates aggressive substances. The skin absorbs undesirable substances from shampoos, perfumes and household cleaning products, and at an energetic level, magnetic waves affect our vibrational field.
Could you share with us the case of an animal that has improved especially with phytotherapy, mycotherapy, acupuncture... etc.?
Well, I would tell you, for example, the case of Brebis, who is my dog, and the truth is that she has been the first to try many techniques and supplements to test their effectiveness and palatability.
Brebis is more than seven years old and since he was one and a half years old he has suffered from osteoarthritis as a result of trauma. In this sense, for osteoarthritis he would say that some essential supplements are glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin and type 2 collagen. With correct hydration and through diet, we provide correct levels of Omegas, vitamin D and vitamin K, along with quality proteins to maintain good muscle mass. Otherwise, more supplementation would be necessary.
Then, at the level of anti-inflammatories, I give it, depending on the time of year and alternately mycotherapy and turmeric.boswellia. I also perform maintenance sessions with acupuncture and moxa. There are supplements that you have to take for life, since osteoarthritis is a chronic and degenerative condition. Today he is doing very well, he enjoys going out in the mountains, which is what he likes the most.
Finally, we want to emphasize the importance of prevention when it comes to maintaining health. What advice would you give to help dogs and cats enjoy a good quality of life?
You have to see what each person understands by good quality of life, for me it is providing a eating that nourishes properly, not just seeks satiety. On the other hand, it is very important to give them quality walks breathing healthy air, not being surrounded by constant noise. If noise affects us, imagine dogs and cats who have much more sensitive hearing. It is also very important to allow them to socialize with as many living beings as possible and to develop behaviors typical of the species.
* You can contact Carmen Naval's veterinary office here.
