Brandy

"This is Brandy, our smart, loving 7 year old Brittany spaniel.

Brandy was adopted into our family when she was about 1 1/2 years old.  Brandy was adopted from a Dog Rescue (NBran) that is specialized in rescuing abandoned Brittany Spaniels.
Brandy has always been a very active dog, getting exercise daily which included an off-leash run in the forest along with our other dog, Dexter.

In January 2014, we noticed Brandy was limping. At the beginning, we thought it was just a minor sprain and let Brandy rest for a few days and noticed the leg seemed to improve. Then in June, Brandy re-injured her leg. We decided it was time to have Brandy checked by our local veterinarian. After examination, our vet diagnosed Brandy with a torn cruciate ligament and recommended surgery. The surgery, as it was explained to us, involved cutting the tibia bone and attaching a metal plate to change the angle of the knee joint; this would prevent Brandy from limping. Since this procedure seemed to be very invasive to us, our family was very uncomfortable with the idea. We decided to look at an alternative option which led us to the Holistic Vet in Newmarket.

On our first visit, Dr. Haghighat assessed Brandy and immediately began a treatment plan which included injecting homeopathics in the knee area to promote healing. Also, other herbs and supplements were prescribed. Her diet was changed to 100% home cooked meals, with lots of meat and vegetables and no grain. Brandy needed to be on-leash for walks at all times – no more running or jumping for a good 3-4 months.

It’s now 5 months later and Brandy is doing remarkably well! She no longer limps and has lost 10 lbs. Although this treatment route seems to be more time consuming, in our opinion, it is much better and safer than surgery. She is back to her happy, playful self and we are so thankful for the team at The Holistic Vet! We don't regret for a minute taking this course of recovery for Brandy!"

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Molly

"Molly's story started out very complicated, and was happily resolved at the care of Dr. Haghighat and his wonderful team.

At 2.5 years old, my puppy Molly, a yellow Labrador retriever, began losing hair on two symmetrical spots around her hips. It started as a light thinning, then appeared to get worse and was soon gone completely, until there were two fair-sized circles on each side of her back hip area. At times, they looked dry, because the skin was exposed to the weather. I began asking questions to my conventional veterinarian about what it could be - why it was happening - and what could be done to make the hair grow back. I scoured the internet, looking at 900 different things of what it could be, worrying myself endlessly, and never having answers. We tried giving her Melatonin with no success.

On one of Molly’s visits to the conventional vet, I asked again what could be done. She was perfectly healthy, not sick, eating like a horse (true LAB appetite eating everything in sight) and was perplexed at the bald spots. The conventional vet said it was likely allergies and provided a (what I consider a very high) quote, so that they could do a biopsy of the area and see what was going on.

I felt that was extreme. If she were ill, I would have conceded as something below the surface was likely going on. But she was healthy. I did some digging online before making any decisions... sedation is not something to take lightly for dogs... and after review felt that an allergy test didn't make sense. The spots weren't itchy, they weren't red or inflamed. So out of a last ditch approach before going that route or just accepting her life with bald spots, I reached out to a holistic veterinarian for a second opinion.
I should add to this story that I don't see myself as a natural believer in the holistic practices. Or "wasn't." I originally had a hard time accepting an alternative approach as conventional treatments were all I'd known.

On Molly's first visit, Dr. Haghighat gave us his undivided attention, and heard my concerns about her bald spots and her history. He believed she had Alopecia X due to hormonal imbalances, an often undiagnosed condition. He prepared a homeopathic mixture to be given orally to Molly, and told us we would have the hair grow back in six months.
I'm happy to tell you that four months in, the bald spots are gone - it worked. It continues to work, I should say. We're not at 100% fur retention, but we're darn-near close, and I couldn't be happier.
Important to also mention was Dr. Haghighat's advice for Molly's coat overall. A little coconut oil on the dry patches helped the fur grow in without irritation, and the addition of fish oil to her diet has made her coat revert back to puppy-like conditions -- she's SOFT!

I couldn't be more grateful that I took a leap of faith into the holistic side of the veterinary world, and that I trusted my little pup to the care of this clinic."

Before:        














After:     





 

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Newton

"We first went to see Dr. Haghighat last year when my puppy Newton, who is a mini dachshund, was suffering from gastroenteritis.  After a visit to the emergency vet hospital in Toronto his symptoms seemed to improve after a round of antibiotics and IV hydration.  However his symptoms would not go away entirely, every week we would have at least one bout of bloody vomit and stool. My vet in Toronto put him on a special medical gastro food and said that he may have to be on antibiotics for the rest of his life.  None of this sat well with me especially since Newton was a puppy and not even a year old!  This is when we went to see Dr. Haghighat on the referral of a friend.  With his help and through the use of natural remedies and a home cooked diet Newton got stronger and stronger.  It was a long road but definitely worth it and I knew we were building up my dog’s immune system instead of destroying it with antibiotics. 

We just recently had another scare with Newton last month where he had a very high fever.  It was late in the evening and so our only choice was to take him to the emergency vet hospital again. I just wanted to know how to handle the high fever until I could contact Dr. Haghighat in the morning.  At the hospital they wanted to keep him overnight but we did not want to leave him.  Instead they gave him some fluids, did some blood work and told us to keep him in front of a fan throughout the evening.  In the morning the vet from the hospital called and said that Newton had no white blood cell counts and that he may have bone marrow cancer.  She immediately referred us to the Internal Medicine specialist at the hospital.  When we saw the specialist the following day, he retested Newton’s blood and his white blood cell count had not improved. He gave us 5 possible diagnoses; one of which was bone marrow cancer.  He suggested doing a bone marrow biopsy that day to rule out cancer. This would require putting Newton under while they removed a piece of his shoulder bone.  It made no sense to me to put a sick dog under anesthetic for an invasive procedure and I certainly was not going to do this without Dr. Haghighat assessing him beforehand. The doctor and I agreed to wait a couple of days to redo his blood work and reassess at that point. He sent us away with 2 very strong antibiotics for Newton to take.

In the meantime, I went up to see Dr. Haghighat who was wonderful as usual.  He told me not to panic and said that he did not believe that Newton had bone marrow cancer. He felt that Newton had caught a really bad virus and we needed to support his body to fight it.  He did a homeopathic blood transfusion where he took some of Newton's blood mixed it with a homeopathic remedy and then injected back it into Newton.  All of this was easy and not at all bothersome to my dog.  Newton immediately perked up!  He sent us home with some remedies and had us rub Castor oil on Newton's paws and cook some bone broth for him, all of which helps restore white blood cell counts. He also said that we could discontinue the antibiotics.  I was a little nervous about this because the other doctor had scared me so much so Dr. Haghighat gave me a homeopathic equivalent to give him while we got through this intense phase.

 When we did Newton's blood work at the hospital a couple of days later, his white blood cell count still had not gone up.  The specialist at the VEC was a bit concerned and recommended we do a biopsy.  When I called Dr. Haghighat to tell him the news he again reassured me and since Newton is otherwise doing great, eating and drinking normally and has good energy, told me not to panic and to give Newton's body time to heal.  He said to continue with the remedies and to wait a couple of weeks before we tested his blood again.  During that time he was completely available to me for any questions or concerns I had.  He supported me every step of the way.  When we did test Newton's blood a couple of weeks later it was perfect!  I know that if it were not for Dr. Haghighat I would have simply agreed to everything the emergency vet had suggested out of fear and panic and I think my dog would have died in the hospital during or after the bone marrow biopsy.  I am eternally grateful to Dr. Haghighat and his wonderful team (Jennifer and Nicole are wonderful as well!)  at The Holistic Vet. I cannot recommend him enough!"

 

 

 

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Beta

This is the story of Beta, A Busy Off-Duty Therapy Dog

"Hello. My name is Beta. I am a dog. My friends call me Mister Beta. I am eight-and-a-half years old. My fur is black. I live with a man called Yogi who takes care of me. Over the last two years, I have visited and worked with the police, schools, a hospice, a mens’ shelter, and a hospital. That is because I am a Therapy Dog (with St. John Ambulance). I took two tests to be sure I was the right kind of dog for this job, and I passed them both.

I am a very strong dog and I love to run, but sometimes dogs like me have a weakness in their knees. Last year I tore my knee muscles on both sides and broke a tooth. So I had four surgeries, which was very interesting and changed my routine. Now I am off-duty as I do rehab exercises and acupuncture to get stronger. However, I am still practicing friendly service in my community as I look forward to coming back to work. I want to tell you about my helpers, people like Tania and Dr. Sasan.

Tania (Tania Costa, Canine Wellness, http://caninewellness.com) is the lady who handles my rehab. She uses laser therapy and measures my leg extensions. She teaches me special exercises which I do at her studio and then practice at home. When I visit her, I always get wet because we do treadmill-underwater training. I can feel my body getting stronger every time. She likes to give me treats which makes it more fun. Then I take a shower and shake off the extra water. Sometimes, when we have time, I roll in the grass across the street before I get back in the car.

When I hurt my neck, Tania suggested we see Dr. Sasan. Here’s what happened:

I had been visiting my friends when suddenly I felt very uncomfortable. I couldn’t lift my head and it was very hard to get into any position to lie down or sit or even stand because it hurt. I didn’t want to move at all.

We went to the Emergency Animal Hospital, where I was given something that put me into a deep sleep. I had an x-ray and more medicine to help the pain. But it didn’t work very well. And it was very hard to wake up. The emergency vet said I needed to have another surgery. I was very, very tired.

We contacted Tania. She sent us a note on the computer right away. She said that this would be a good time to meet Dr. Sasan, that he was a different kind of doctor, a holistic vet (Dr. Sasan Haghighat, North East Newmarket Veterinary Services, http://www.holistic-vet.ca). She said he would be able to help me. So we contacted him right away and went to his clinic. It seemed like we were in the car for a long time before we arrived at his office, but when we got there it was worth it.

Dr. Sasan was very gentle. His place was like home, calm and cozy. He spoke softly as he felt my neck and back, and told me that I was going to get better. He sat on the floor with me and said he was going to use a needle to make some special medicine just for me. There was talk about my food and rest and supplements and massage. I was very interested, and was looking forward to what this would be like. He said I might not need an operation after all and that he would help me to get stronger. I knew we were in the right place.

After Dr. Sasan checked me over, he gave me an acupuncture treatment. It was a relief – I felt better right away – still tired but with less pain – and I could lie down without crying.

On the car ride home, I took a nap. Then at home, over the next few weeks, I slept a lot. We took short walks and I played my “find” games indoors, so I knew I was getting stronger.

Sometimes I would still feel uncomfortable, like when the fire alarms would go off and my head would hurt. Or when I would bark and it would hurt my neck and shaking my head didn’t help. So we went back to Dr. Sasan and he sat with me again, treated me with acupuncture and gave me new medicine.

I saw Dr. Sasan and Tania several times in the months that followed, but I did not need to go to the hospital again. I am not allowed to run yet, but I am walking fast. I can stretch my neck without any pain, and I am ready to go back to work."

UPDATE: May 2014 – Beta is back to work with St. John Ambulance.

Prepared by Yogi Akal, on behalf of Beta Illustrations by Ute Kledt (http://www.annaloog.de)

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Frankie

"Approximately 5 years ago Frankie was diagnosed with 'Cushings' by his conventional medicine veterinarian. We recognized symptoms in him, such as ongoing panting, extreme thirst, frequent urinating and the inability to calm down.

It was heartbreaking to be told that Frankie "will be on medication for the remainder of his life". He was prescribed 'Trylostene'. We immediately began giving this to him, although we asked Frankie's vet for alternative options, he advised us that there were none. We were naïve to alternative options.

We were led to Dr. Haghighat and his team through a new friend and this was the beginning of a positive, life changing experience. Dr. Haghighat felt that the route of treatment should include acupuncture and some herbal/homeopathic remedies. It was almost immediate that we saw healing in Frankie with just a few acupuncture sessions and the inclusion of some herbal/homeopathic concoctions. We were advised to work towards "alkalizing" his body. We added apple cider vinegar to his diet and we soon put him on a raw food diet. Dr. Haghighat made it clear that we were working towards taking Frankie off Trylostene. We understood that there were many potential side affects from this medication and wanted to avoid that.

It was within a couple of months of acupuncture, diet change and herbal and vitamin supplementing that Frankie gradually came off ALL medication. His symptoms were gone!!!! He became exuberant, youthful and happy!

It's been an active road of continuing research and staying in communication with Dr. Haghighat about the state of Frankie's health.

I am thrilled to share that at 12 years old, Frankie shows no symptoms of ill health. Rather, it has been the opposite, we have actually watched him grow healthier.

We are so proud of Frankie and ourselves as a family for our open mindedness and for putting our trust in Dr. Haghighat and the alternative medical route. I trust whole heartedly after this experience that with LOVE, education and the use of acupuncture, natural herbs/supplements and HEALTHY FOOD, that health is attainable in almost all circumstances.

WE are grateful to Dr. Haghighat and the universe for the positive guidance and love shared with us and our Frankie. We look forward to many more years of health and happiness for him.

THANK YOU

Carmelinda Di Manno"

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Onyx

"Onyx was hurt in September of 2013. One day when I came home from work and took him out of his kennel, he could not walk and was not using both back legs at all. I took him immediately to our family veterinarian and after a physical exam and x-rays; my veterinarian told me it was most likely a slipped disc injury.

What was recommended in this situation was surgery; an estimated cost for the surgery was $6-7 thousand dollars and only has a 50% success rate. Since financially this was not an option for me, and there was only a 50% chance for Onyx to improve, I decided to take him home.

My veterinarian prescribed a steroid medication for Onyx which I decided not to use as I was concerned about the side-effects.

I immediately called my friend, who is a homeopath, and she prescribed three homeopathic remedies which I started right away. Onyx also received some reiki treatment from another friend of mine. Four weeks after the injury, there was little change in Onyx’s situation. He was still unable to walk and use his hind legs although there was some response when I was touching his toes.

One of my friends recommended trying acupuncture for disc disease since studies have shown it is very helpful in paralyzed dogs. She also suggested The Holistic Veterinary Clinic in Newmarket. Upon the first visit, Dr. Haghighat did a full physical exam and mentioned that he personally had lots of good results with acupuncture and paralyzed dogs, and that there was a good chance that we could make Onyx walk again in about 1-2 months.

Onyx was started on acupuncture treatments with biopuncture as well as a Chinese herb (Double P) and a homeopathic mix. Treatments were repeated every 2 weeks for 3 treatments. After the 3rd treatment, Onyx was steadily gaining more strength, and was beginning to walk, although he was crossing his legs and still unstable.

Over time, Onyx's gait started to slowly improve. Now, Onyx is going for long walks with the rest of the pack! On April 7, 2014 he went on a 3 km walk! I am so thankful that I took my friend’s advice and started acupuncture treatment at North East Newmarket Veterinary Services!"

Onyx's mom

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Olive

"Our sweet Weimeriner, Olive has a torn Cruciate ligament after dealing with our harsh winter. After extensively researching our options we decided surgery was not for us. Thankfully we found Dr. Haghighat, Holistic Vet in Newmarket.

Dr. Haghighat is doing a procedure with Olive where he draws blood then mixes it with high potency homeopathic remedies and injects this into her spine and knee to promote and speed up healing. Check out his website for the accurate description of this amazing procedure. Again he has prescribed supplements to also promote healing. Olive has experienced two sessions and went from hopping on three legs to fully stepping on her leg even without the brace!

We really restrict Olive's movement and monitor her very closely. No stairs or jumping up on things etc. We also massage her and hold the knee between our hands, and are considering light therapy. All of which are Dr. Haghighat's suggestions, while under his coaching.

We have also completely changed Olive's diet, again under Dr. Haghighat's supervision and with the belief that Food is Medicine. Olive loves her new diet. The shine is back in her coat and her disposition has changed. She is more social and frisky, despite our efforts to keep her quiet.

Our relationship with Dr. Haghighat and his staff is outstanding. We are welcome to email and inquire as much as we need to and are always left feeling confident with the care Olive receives. When all is said and done we are very pleased to have discovered Dr. Haghighat for Olive's overall wellbeing and our peace of mind.

Regardless of the outcome with her knee we are grateful to have Dr. Haghighat and his staff caring for Olive on an ongoing basis. We feel confident that her knee will continue to heal with patience and the time it needs. The clinic is in Newmarket and well worth the drive.

With gratitude,
Lydia Wedlock and Olive"



The Holistic Vet Update


"Fast forward to July and Olive is healing nicely. In fact no visible limp. Still on a leash but truly thriving. We decide to let her go swimming and two steps out of the river and she has torn her left cruciate ligament. Apparently this is common to have it happen in the other leg.  On the upside we already know who to take her to. Dr. Haghighat. She has been on an Anti-inflammatory diet and course of supplements now since February, so with all this in her system she may heal quicker this time. Regardless we commit to a six month treatment plan with Dr. H. In addition we purchased the light therapy system he recommended and began using this at home faithfully. Initially Olive was not a fan but we persisted and she eventually came to love the light therapy sessions. In fact she would fall asleep.  While it has been a long journey with many ups and downs four months in and Olive is doing remarkably well. Again there is no visible sign of a limp. She is enjoying two 10 minute walks each day. Still on leash and we do restrict movement. No jumping in and out of cars or up and down stairs. But what a world of difference. She is happy, social, frisky… She loves her new real food diet too.  She also had a couple of unrelated problems along the way that Dr. H. figured out and solved too. I will say there were times when I almost lost faith but Dr. H. always held a steady course for us and assured us that we needed to be patient. He was right.  We have referred others to Dr. H. and will continue to do so and we will continue to have him care for Olive even as a well dog. We are so very grateful to Dr. H. Jennifer and Nicole.  My advice to others is to see Dr. H. follow his instructions and know that it will take time. It is so worth it.

Lydia and Olive"

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Maya

"It was December 2012, and I was eagerly preparing for a much anticipated holiday get-together with my family. Suddenly, my 10-year old GSD Maya’s back gave in, and she couldn’t climb, take stairs, or squat to do her business. After a couple of days of rest, restricted activity, and monitoring with no improvements, off to the emergency vet we went.

The following week, right around Christmas, involved a gruelling series of physical tests, x-rays, and MRIs with adverse reactions to the anesthetics to boot. We were told that she has severe spinal compression, and that the condition will degenerate over time. It was clear that a new chapter had started in Maya’s life. She now had to make the transition from a healthy working dog to a senior dog in recovery. I made the heart-breaking decision to retire her from our beloved sport of herding and from other cherished activities such as running and hiking.

To deal with her back issue, heavy pain-killers were prescribed and a very expensive back surgery was recommended, which would require months of rehabilitation and recovery. I declined the surgical option because I believe that orthopedic surgeries are particularly hard on the body, especially for an older dog with a history of physical ailments.

Luckily, I was already exposed to holistic approaches with dogs.  Diet wise, all of my dogs are fed a home-prepared diet composed of cooked vegetables and raw meats, organs, and bones. Herbal tinctures and a moderate use of supplements complement the diet. I also had prior experience with canine chiropractic and therapeutic swimming. I am an avid canine exerciser and keep my dogs lean, light, and fit. I also know that a sound relationship with their person (me) is another key ingredient of health.

With that said, I was not prepared for the miracle of acupuncture and biopuncture. I thought Dr. Sasan Hyatt’s treatment would buy Maya some time, but I didn’t realize that it would practically alter the structure and energy of her entire body. Not only did her back get better (almost immediately after the first treatment), but her whole mind and body were enhanced as well. We complemented her acupuncture treatment with photonic therapy and therapeutic swims at the terrific Canine Wellness Centre (http://www.caninewellness.com). We enjoyed a period of recovery, and Maya eased joyfully into her retirement.

One year later, we were on the mend, or so I thought, and here my girl started to limp and toe-touch. But this time around, I had learned my lesson. There was no need for expensive diagnostics, imaging, and putting my old (and proud) dog through constant handling and anesthetizing. We were going to go straight to Dr. Haghighat this time.

Dr. Haghighat immediately noted that it was most likely a torn cruciate and proceeded to treat Maya with biopuncture - a simple, but at the same time complex, process of drawing blood, mixing it with a homeopathic solution and re-injecting the solution around the injured site. Additionally, he diluted the solution further for oral administration, along with ligament-support supplements and a slight change of diet. Again, Maya is doing well. This kind of healing takes time, but is minimally invasive. And, as Dr. Haghighat says, “The body wants to heal.” We also discussed in detail other common orthopedic surgeries. The most common procedure for repairing a torn cruciate ligament, in a medium-large size dog, is TPLO; or Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy. Since this procedure involves making profound changes in the knee structure (changing the angle of the knee by cutting the tibial bone and re-attaching it with a bone plate), it can be very hard on the body.

Seeing the amazing recovery in Maya’s health, it is my hope that conventional veterinary medicine starts to incorporate more and more alternative modalities to assist the body toward faster healing."

Souha

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Candy

"We first met Dr. Haghighat in June 2011. Our 10 year old Golden Retriever Candy had developed arthritis and the normal medication that our regular vet put her on did not agree with her. Their explanation for her unusual behaviour was that she suddenly had gotten dementia. Not liking that answer and Candy taking herself off the medication, we thought we would try a holistic approach. This was something completely out of our comfort zone but for our girl we would try anything.

From the moment we walked into Dr. Haghighat’s office all our apprehension vanished. He made us and Candy feel completely comfortable. He spent probably an hour with us and immediately started Candy on some herbal medication, gave her a chiropractor treatment as well as acupuncture. We followed the regime he gave us and noticed results almost immediately. We went from being worried about facing the possibility that this was going to be the end of Candy, to seeing a whole new dog who began behaving like a puppy again. She was getting up off the ground with great ease, was going for longer and longer walks and even started to jog at times. We hadn’t seen this in her for months. Candy went back to her sweet happy self. Her progression went way beyond what we ever thought in a matter of months. Candy improved so much that we actually took another step and got a puppy as we had no doubt Candy could handle it and she has. So now both our dogs go to Dr. Haghighat.

It has been 3 years now since we first started going to see Dr. Haghighat, Candy has gone back periodically for a chiropractor treatment and acupuncture and after each session she seems to be renewed. She is now 13 years old and has certainly slowed down due to age but I am one hundred percent certain that if we did not go to see Dr. Sasan, we would have had to make the decision to put her out of her misery. We will be forever grateful to Dr. Haghighat for treating Candy with such gentleness and kindness. We recommend Dr. Haghighat to everyone we know."

Candy's mom

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Deuce

It was in the fall of 2012 that I found out Deuce, my Rottweiler/collie mix, had pancreatitis. We took him to our family vet after he was throwing up yellow bile and not eating. His specific pancreas enzymes were three times the normal level, and we were told that this can be a life-threatening condition. Deuce was only 4 at the time. We switched Deuce to a prescription diet and pain medication recommended by our veterinarian to make sure he was more comfortable. Unfortunately, Deuce’s condition was not improving. Our vet and diagnostic bills kept increasing and his health worsened.

I started doing some research on pancreatitis, since I figured there had to be some other option. I came across Dr. Sasan Haghighat online and figured: I see a naturopathic doctor, why can’t my dog see a Holistic Veterinarian? I made an appointment with North East Vet and sent all his paperwork and x-rays, and was told that yes, he had full blown pancreatitis. When my husband asked what the prognosis of the disease was, we were told although pancreatitis is a serious medical condition, they had patients with a similar condition who responded very well to their treatment approach! We switched his diet to home cooked meals, and gave him some homeopathics and supplements. Deuce was doing very well - his vomiting stopped completely in two weeks. Two months later we repeated the blood work, and the specific pancreas enzyme dropped to just below normal. I am so grateful that I came across Dr. Haghighat, he is such a caring person and I know that if any other health concern comes up with any of my other dogs or cats, that he will be the first and last person to help them.

Deuce's mom

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Jessie

Jessie is an 11 year old female spayed American Eskimo and her guardian adopted her when she was 5 years old from Sarnia Humane Society in March of 2008. A year or so later, she started developing sores around the eyes and lower jaw and vaginal area. A biopsy done through her conventional vet confirmed an immune-mediated skin condition – most likely pemphigus. 

Jessie’s diet consisted of a small amount of kibble, cooked vegetables, salmon, organic eggs, organic tofu and probiotics.  Jessie had not been vaccinated for the past 3 years. Upon the initial visit, we at the North East Newmarket Holistic Veterinary Clinic recommended a slight adjustment in her diet - advising her guardian to stop feeding the kibble and to increase the amount of vegetables – the remainder of the diet was unchanged. 

We started Jessie on a biopuncture & auto-sanguis protocol in order to down-regulate her immune system. We used a combination of mixed homeopathics and Chinese herbs. During the treatment, Jessie was not on any conventional medication. After 4 visits in the span of 2 months, Jessie’s condition started to improve and in less than 6 months, the skin lesions have almost disappeared. You can see the before & during pictures below! Jessie as she appears today is shown above.

Jessie is a true success story by demonstrating how a holistic approach can assist in healing one of the most difficult medical conditions. We wish Jessie and her wonderful guardian Mary all the best and would like to thank them for all of their dedication and following up with our treatment protocol!

The team at North East Newmarket Holistic Veterinary Clinic

(Jessie - Before)

(Jessie - During)

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Jasmin

"In September, 2012, we were at our place on Manitoulin Island with our dogs, Jasmin and Layla. They were seven years old at that time and are a Lab-Sheppard mix and sisters. They are beautiful, great dogs and we always take them with us to Manitoulin. We noticed that Jasmin was not eating her food and got very concerned. After two days, we drove to an Island veterinary clinic and discovered that her temperature was 103. The veterinarian said to take her to our veterinarian ASAP. The next day we drove back home and took Jasmin for tests at the area veterinarian where we formerly used to take our pets. An x-ray and ultra sound revealed that Jasmin had a growth/tumor in her liver. The veterinarian’s solution was to have the growth cut out as soon as possible. We did not want to go this route and I made an appointment right away with the North East Vet Services. We had already been to Dr.Sasan Haghighat with Layla to get het treated holistically and naturally for discoid lupus that she probably developed from a vaccination she had when she was two years old.

Sasan examined Jasmin and he was so gentle, understanding and patient with her. His diagnosis was that yes, there is a growth but do not have the growth cut away as it will not do any good. Instead the growth can be reduced and managed with a change to a completely natural diet along with holistic ministrations, vitamins and supplements. On this first visit with Jasmin, Sasan did biopuncture and autosanguis; gave a B12 injection; as well as a homeopathic mixture. Sasan gave us Lyposheric Vitamin C, Livaplax Heel mix, and Chinese herbs to administer to Jasmin at home. He also recommended changing her diet to a very healthy one by feeding her a combination of NRG Maxim which is a dehydrated grainless, raw diet along with cooked vegetables and not feeding her traditional dog kibble or canned food.

At of the time of writing this blog on January 29, 2014, we want to let you know that Jasmin is very much alive, active, happy and healthy. We know this is all due to taking her to Sasan plus following his recommendations re: diet and supplements. Jasmin has been to see Sasan a few times in the last year and a half for check-ups and to get holistic and nutritional supplements. 

Thank you Sasan for all that you have done and will continue to do for our Pets!"

Brenda and Jules  

The Holistic Vet Update:

On May 5, 2014, Jasmine came to our clinic with a poor appetite for 2 days. Despite acupuncture and homeopathic treatment, the appetite was still poor for 3 more days and her quality of life started to deteriorate.

Jasmine's family helped her cross the Rainbow Bridge on May 10th, 2014. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Jasmine's family.

With deepest sympathy,

Dr. Sasan Haghighat, Nicole & Jennifer

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Suki The German Shepherd Dog

"Last summer while vacationing on Manitoulin Island, one of my German Shepherd Dogs, Suki, started limping. At first I thought she simply strained her leg while following me as I rode the ATV through the bush. The limp didn't improve after several days of minimal activity. The day after returning home I took Suki to the vet. After examination, the vet suspected a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) based on the anterior drawer test.

His suggestion was a surgical consultation for a Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy (TPLO) procedure. After a bit of research I found out the procedure involved cutting and rotating the tibia bone then attaching a metal plate with screws. Yikes! 

A good friend who is really into holistic medicine, both for her family and two dogs, suggested looking at alternatives before considering surgery. Based on a successful outcome with one of her dogs she recommended Dr. Haghighat. Personally I'm not really into holistic anything but wanted to explore all options and booked an appointment. In the initial assessment, Dr. Haghighat confirmed the injury was likely a torn ACL but said there was a good chance that it could be healed naturally without surgery! He also explained the pros and cons of a surgical solution vs. holistic treatment. Still somewhat skeptical I decided to try the holistic approach simply because it didn't require making irreversible changes to my dog's body and possibly having to deal with post-surgery complications. Surgery would be the fall back plan. Suki was immediately put on a daily regimen of medicines and supplements. This was in addition to injections and light therapy she received in the office. There was a visible improvement on the second visit a few days later - Suki's limp was less pronounced. As time passed, the visits were less frequent - first a week, then two weeks, and so on. The limp was gone after a few visits but there was still work to be done. 

Dr. Haghighat prescribed different medicines and exercises as Suki's treatment progressed. With each visit, Dr. Haghighat could see and feel that Suki was putting more weight on her injured leg. To help with her recuperation I had to greatly reduce Suki's activity - easier said than done when all she wanted to do was play with our other German Shepherd Dog. 

Both dogs travel in the car with me at least twice a day. Jumping in and out of the car could quickly undo the progress we had made so I purchased a folding ramp. Also Dr. Haghighat told me about the benefits of the light therapy he performed in the office. I did some research and purchased my own light therapy pad to supplement the office treatment. Suki received two light treatments daily for several months.

Almost seven months have passed since Suki injured her leg and she is back to her normal levels of activity. Our last visit to Dr. Haghighat was two months ago and we have a follow-up visit scheduled in a few days. As it turned out, the time required to recover naturally or from surgery was about the same. Not that cost was a determining factor in choosing a treatment but the holistic approach was actually cheaper than the surgical estimates even when the cost of the ramp and light therapy pad were included. Most importantly I feel that the right choice was made choosing the holistic solution in this situation. I'm happy with the outcome of this treatment.

My thanks go to Dr. Haghighat for his pleasant, professional manner and answering my many questions during the course of the treatment. I'm also grateful to my friend for suggesting that I give holistic treatment a chance."

Regards,

-Kevin-

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Gabriella

"This is Gabriella, a 2 year old chestnut brindle Cane Corso and this is the story of her recovery from a double cruciate injury.

I had waited 15 years to own a Cane Corso and the day that I brought her home was an extremely joyous occasion for my household and the other two dogs that live there. Right from the beginning I was determined to provide the proper veterinary care for her; that meant regular visits to North East Newmarket Veterinary Services.

Gabby was a very curious and playful puppy and, being pack oriented, she was always looking for any dog to play with which eventually led to her injury.

I first noticed her limping in early spring and thought nothing of it, but, being a mastiff breed and at close to 100 pounds, any leg injury could turn serious if not properly looked after.

This led me to North East Newmarket Veterinary Services and Dr. Haghighat. My pack and I have been going to them for almost 10 years and I knew that Gabby would be well taken care of there.

After examining Gabby, Dr. Haghighat informed me that it was a cruciate injury and, as we all know, this type of injury conjures up thoughts of surgery, long recovery periods and a large vet bill. However, Dr. Haghighat informed me that it was not hopeless and that he would be able to heal Gabby using his holistic approach.

He immediately started treatment which included homeopathic injections, photonic therapy, supplements to be administered at home as well as instructions on her limitations and do’s and don’ts.

We continued on this course for a few months and she was well on her way to recovery when she re-injured herself. Well, this continued on and off for about 6 months and I was completely at a loss as to why this kept happening. However, Dr. Haghighat completely eased my mind telling me that all animals heal differently.

So Gabby had almost recovered when she tore her other cruciate. I was completely heart broken and called Dr. Haghighat immediately in tears, terrified that now I might face the ultimate decision. Do I give in to surgery (I was quoted $6, 000.00 for both knees)? Once again, Dr. Haghighat worked his magic and started on the same injections and supplement protocol as before. His words of comfort and encouragement enabled me to survive this difficult ordeal. I am now extremely happy to report that after 8 months my beautiful Gabby has finally recovered. Yes, it took a bit longer than most, but then again Gabby isn’t just any ordinary dog.

I owe her recovery and my sanity to the amazing Dr. Sasan Haghighat and his wonderful staff for taking such good care of me and ALL my dogs. I couldn’t have survived this ordeal without the compassion and knowledge and excellent service of North East Newmarket Veterinary Services.

Thank you for all you’ve done for me and my pack. We are eternally grateful for your commitment to help all animals the holistic way."

Milena, Rex, Maya and Gabriella.

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Suki

"Suki is a five year old toy poodle pomeranian mix. When she was about three years old our groomer started to notice some hair loss.  She had quite a lot of hair - very similar to a Pom and it had always been fairly thick.  She was an adorable little ball of fur with the cutest little face.

Suki also had some tummy troubles, diagnosed with colitis under one year . I was beside myself, this little girl with a bad tummy and now she was losing her hair.  I took her off all regular dog food and started to cook her a diet of sweet potato and chicken, which was formulated by US Davis veterinary hospital in California, and also added a supplement.  Slowly over time her tummy improved and she started to thrive. She couldn't even eat regular doggy treats so I cooked my own beef liver which she loves.

As the months went on her hair loss became worse leaving her with patches al over her back. We were referred to a dermatologist who diagnosed her with alopecia. After many special baths with specialized shampoos Suki’s skin was getting worse. There were constant sores on her body from the hair loss and she was on topical and oral antibiotics much too often.

I knew there had to be another solution. Eventually all the hair and the skin on her back just peeled off. My vet prescribed all types of lotions and potions, but nothing would even moisturize it.  Her skin was raw and dry, so we started with cortisone creams for the sores.

I had already begun to do some research on alternative vets when a friend suggested Dr Haghighat. He put Suki on a homeopathic remedy and told me to rub coconut oil and vitamin E on her body a couple of times a day. No more harsh shampoos, only plain Baby Shampoo and diluted. In literally no time the rough skin  turned into soft healthy skin with fewer and fewer sores. Suki became herself again, more playful.

We went away this past Christmas and left Suki with my brother who continued the oil and Vitamin E spa treatment as I like to call it. When we came back a huge patch of hair had started to regrow on her back……we couldn't believe it!!It literally happened overnight! She still has some bald patches but we are hopeful the hair will grow back and we've also noticed her tail is beginning to fill in again.

In the meantime, over this experience Suki has accumulated quite a wardrobe of t-shirts, she's a very well dressed little girl!

We are so thankful that Dr Haghighat had come into our lives and will continue to care for our precious Suki." 

Fern Nahmias

The Holistic Vet Update:

(Suki's back on her first visit to the Newmarket Holistic Clinic)

March 10, 2014 Photo - Suki's hair is growing back nicely!

April 19, 2014

Suki came in for a visit on April 19, 2014 and is doing fantastic! All of her hair has grown back and she feels wonderful!

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Nixon

"A few months before Nixon, our miniature American Eskimo, had his 2nd birthday he experienced some sudden and short episodes of lameness in his hind right leg.  These came on without warning usually while running and were preceded by a sharp "yip" followed by the leg held stiffly flexed for about 30 seconds before it would straighten out again.  At first we thought Nixon had something sharp stuck in his paw but an examination by the local vet confirmed it was much more serious.  Nixon was diagnosed with luxating patella (also known as "trick knee") where the "Y" groove of the lower bone socket was not deep enough to house the upper bone, allowing it to slip out of the joint.   We were referred to a veterinarian surgeon for a consultation and told to plan for an expensive and invasive surgery to "hollow out" the socket and perhaps implant pins to hold the joint in place.  In addition to the cost, I was concerned about the 9 week recovery where Nixon would be required to stay off his leg, as well as the high likelihood of arthritis in that knee as Nixon grew older.   I had also heard that it is possible for a recurrence even after surgery, as well as a high likelihood that another leg or legs could be affected.  Nixon LOVES to run and I was mostly concerned about how 9 weeks of just laying around (and our constant vigilance to make sure he did!) would affect his absolutely adorable disposition. Unwilling to accept that surgery was the only solution, I Goggled "alternatives to surgery for luxating patella" and up popped several testimonials about the benefits of a raw food diet, including many people who successfully avoided surgery for their pets by switching them to that ancestral diet.  

I was convinced that we needed to give the raw food diet a try before going the extreme route of surgery but I had no idea how to start, so my next Google search was for "vets who support a raw food diet in the Aurora / Newmarket area".   Up popped North East Newmarket Veterinary Services so I called the number and was delighted when Dr. Haghighat answered the phone himself -- and that he was willing to spend time on the phone with me to discuss Nixon!  I described Nixon's condition and Dr. Haghighat said he could definitely help strengthen Nixon's leg through a variety of alternative healing methods including acupuncture, chiropractic and some holistic medications and also help us transition him to a raw food diet. Calling Dr. Haghighat was the best thing we could have done for Nixon! Within a relatively short period of time after the variety of Dr. Haghighat's treatments were applied and Nixon was well entrenched in a raw food diet, Nixon's bones and ligaments strengthened. Within about 3 months Dr. Haghighat was no longer able to "pop" Nixon's knee out of its socket and within 6 months Nixon was back to running and chasing a ball as if there had never ever been a problem with his knee in the first place.  Nixon has been seeing Dr. Haghighat for a little over a year now and he is a healthy, happy, energetic pup!  His coat is shiny, his eyes are bright and ALL of his limbs are healthy and strong. Thank you for your natural and gentle approach to healing Dr. Haghighat! You said you could heal Nixon, and you did."

Nixon's mom

The Holistic Vet Update:

Nixon came in for a follow up visit on Saturday April 5, 2014 and is doing great! His hips and knees felt fantastic and he did not need an adjustment, we look forward to seeing Nixon in the fall for another recheck.

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Spanky

"Spanky is our 13 year old cat who in October 2012 was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure and given months to live by our “traditional” vet.

At this point Spanky had lost about 25% of his weight and was eating about ¼ can of cat food a day.  His diagnosis was stage four Kidney failure (i.e. less than 15% function) and through blood tests it was established that his creatinine level was 477 and urea was 19.5.  Our “traditional” vet put Spanky on kidney diet food, prescribed medication, and showed me how to inject subcutaneous fluids under Spanky’s skin.

My husband and I were devastated by the news that Spanky had only months to live.  I searched the internet to find out if there was anything we could do to save his life.  We investigated a kidney transplant, but for a number of reasons it did not seem to be a good option.  We asked our “traditional” vet if there was anything we could do to help Spanky and she suggested that we might want to try going to a holistic veterinarian and gave us the contact information for Dr. Sasan Haghighat at the North East Newmarket Veterinary Services.

contacted Dr. Haghighat to see if there was anything he could do for Spanky’s kidney condition.  I am so glad that I did as within six weeks, Spanky’s creatinine levels were down from 477 to 280 (normal is 71-212) and his urea was in the normal range.  Through acupuncture, vitamin B shots, change of cat food, naturopath remedies, supplements and subcutaneous fluids, Spanky was on his way to a normal life expectancy.  It was not easy to get him to eat, but with the naturopath treatments and remedies, and a lot of persistence his appetite improved and he has been eating about a can a day and his weight has been stable for over a year.

I think it is a miracle that Spanky is with us today and attribute this to the wonderful treatment given to him by Dr. Haghighat at the North East Newmarket Veterinary Services.  I am so thankful that our traditional vet suggested that we consider a holistic veterinarian."  

Spanky’s mom

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