The Last Chance Dog: and Other True Stories of Holistic Animal Healing »

Yogi, a small, scrappy Jack Russell terrier, has a pain in the neck, and after a month in the hospital, he still can't walk. Charlie, a charismatic rescued racing thoroughbred, has a bad back and can no longer stand the weight of a saddle. Mikey's posttraumatic stress syndrome transforms this wise feline into an anxious fellow who rips out clumps of belly hair. The mysterious tortoise Sheldon T. has disappeared, leaving only questions in his muddy wake, and Angel, an achingly beautiful, otherworldly cockatoo, has strange symptoms that defy every antibiotic known to science.

Meet just a few of the compelling, complex characters in The Last Chance Dog, a twenty-first-century All Creatures Great and Small filled with entertaining, instructive, and moving true-life tales from the files of a pioneering holistic veterinarian.

Dr. Donna Kelleher recounts her most intriguing cases as she takes us through the intuitive art of diagnosing animals and effecting miraculous cures with safe, natural treatments that succeed where conventional medicine has failed. Holistic medicine is their last chance, and over and over again, Kelleher heals with the gentle powers of acupuncture, animal nutrition, herbal treatments, and chiropractic. Her stories of unforgettable, ailing animals -- and the people who fight to save them -- are truly inspirational as she transforms the animals' health and the lives of those who love them.

The Last Chance Dog includes advice on everything from vaccinations and commercial pet foods to step-by-step instructions for simple, safe remedies for a multitude of common conditions, including allergies, digestive problems, urinary tract infections, pain, hot spots, itchy skin, fear, and anxiety.

Donna Kelleher, D.V.M., graduated from Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Kelleher is also certified by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, and the Veterinarian Botanical Medical Association, and uses chiropractic, acupuncture, herbs, and nutrition to heal animals. She is the president of the Washington Chapter of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and has a holistic practice in Seattle, where she lives with her dogs Smudge and Sugar, horse Charlie, and Igor, her tortoise.

Publishers Weekly

Readers will be inspired by this instructive collection of stories about holistic veterinary medicine. Kelleher, a veterinarian who received her original training in traditional Western medicine, explains how she came to realize that there was a more "compassionate way to heal animals." She cleverly combines true stories of holistic healing with practical explanations of the underlying theories and practice. The result is a book that works on many levels: as an entertaining read, a crash course in acupuncture, chiropractic and herbal medicine and a testament to the will and spirit of the animals Kelleher works with. Kelleher recognizes the qualities that make each animal unique, even when she's talking about her tortoise, Mr. Sheldon T: "He is simple, hardened and tough but possesses the vulnerable and soulful wisdom of a hunched old man." From Kane, the 120-pound dog who suffers from severe seizures, to Rio, the orange mare with a sarcoid on her eye, Kelleher demonstrates the amazing healing potential of alternative medicine. Despite her many successes, Kelleher also meets with disappointment, as with Ginger, a shepherd mix who simply won't respond to treatment and must be euthanized. But Kelleher endows death with as much dignity as life and, taking a lesson from her grandmother, knows "to honor that tired inner spirit instead of forcing it to occupy a body longer than necessary." (Feb.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.