Holistic Health Care For Pets

MIAMI (CBS4) -- Going under the knife for an ailment is always the last resort for almost anyone. So why should it be any different for your pet. More and more pet owners are turning to holistic veterinarians to save their best friends from the scalpel.

Marceo Cacciolal owns Maximus, an 11-year-old hound dog who suffered a serious slipped disc about two months ago. His owner said it was heartbreaking.

"Literally he was on two back legs, and his front legs were like he was on the floor," said Cacciolal.

Two vets recommended surgery.

"Our automatic reaction was 'no, no, no, wait. We have to do some more research,'" said Cacciolal.

That's when he found holistic veterinarian Robert Ferran of the Ludlam Dixie Animal Clinic in Miami.

"These are tiny needles. It feels like a mosquito bite to them," said Ferran who explained how he uses laser and needles for acupuncture on Maximus.

After just two treatments, Maximus was doing significantly better.

Now he's 8 treatments and two months into the therapy and doing great.

Cacciolal said Maximus is doing even better now than before the slipped disc.

If you don't have insurance, the treatments cost about $100 each.

The holistic vet also practices homeopathy, herbology, biopuncture and gold bead implants which are an extension of acupuncture and often used for hip dysplasia in dogs.