Today, we are delighted to bring you a Featured Guest blog by Brenda Halverson of Defining Designs by cms. We recently connected with Brenda, and learnt a bit about her work, her love for dogs, and her unique mosaic art, and thought this would be just the thing the discerning audience here at The Pet Sentinel would enjoy reading. Our opinion of Brenda is already captured right in the title of our blog post! So, without further ado, let us not stand between you and Brenda …

Featured Guest Blog: Brenda Halverson, Defining Designs by cms

My love for dogs goes back to the time I was just ten, when my mom started showcasing dogs at AKC dog shows. She started with just one Basenji, which was showcased by handlers. Later, however, she continued to breed and show Basenjis (which are one of the oldest known dog breeds, originating in Central Congo, and a breed that has lived with humans for thousands of years) herself, affording me a first-hand experience with dogs, which soon turned into a veritable love affair . In fact, a number of my mom’s Basenjis won championships at AKC and UKC events. By age 16, I too began working as a handler (among other things) showing other people’s dogs. I showed in Junior Showmanship and confirmation and was given the award of the 2nd top Basenji Handler in the country, continuing my work until I was 20.

I moved away from home right after high-school at 18. After I ventured on my own, I mostly lived in apartments where I was, unfortunately, never allowed to have a pet, so upon buying my own home, I was eager to have a dog, since my love for them had never really left me. I was sure that I wanted to adopt a dog and was very partial to labrador retrievers. There are so many shelter pets in need of homes today, that I thought it best to look for a pet there, since I felt I could give one a better life than the shelter they found themselves in. So in 2007 I looked through hundreds of pictures of dogs that were in shelters and in need of a new home, but I was very partial to the labs and hoped to find one.

I finally came across a beautiful labrador retriever that had been dumped out of someone’s vehicle on the highway. He was 2-years old and had been left to fend for himself, dodging traffic on a mountain road, where he was eventually picked up by Animal Control, and wound-up in the shelter. While his circumstances were tragic, his previous parent’s loss was my gain, since I knew that he would live a life of being spoiled and loved. When I saw his photo, I knew instantly that there was a connection.

Riley with some of his favorite toys!
(The Pet Sentinel Note: We believe helping an animal from a shelter is a very noble gesture, since one is adopting typically without too much knowledge of the animal’s history, background, or health-status, which requires that a pet parent have the fortitude to deal with a lot of potential issues, if they come up. And, it is only one’s unconditional love for the animal that could motivate a person to adopt.)

I live in the metro-Denver area, so I drove up to Conifer in the mountains to see him, and it was literally love at first sight. Riley (as I now call him) looked beautiful, it was like seeing a new child! I’ve seen a lot of pretty dogs in my days as a handler, but Riley was an amazing dog! Although a bit anxious from the trauma he had suffered, he was soon his playful self, when I took him out for a quick walk in the mountains to see how we got along. He had no shyness or apprehension, and it appeared all he wanted was to play with the pine cones! He just followed me along, and since that day he has adopted me has his “Mama”, literally following me around everywhere for the past 3 years! He was not only well mannered and beautiful, but he was very intelligent and loyal as well.

Adopting Riley was a life-changing event for me. You know how sometimes even though life is good, it still feels incomplete. Riley’s arrival served to bring about that fulfillment, because of the love he gives back, the “connection” we have, and the smile he brings to my face everyday. He is like a child to me, and I love it when he waits by the door for me when I come back home. Little did I know what the future holds…

Only a month after adopting Riley, we had a real shock. We were at a baseball game, when all of sudden Riley had a seizure. I was absolutely terrified, since I had no experience with epilepsy, with either humans or animals! Luckily, some folks at the game who had seen and dealt with seizures before were quick to help with the seizure. Immediately, my fiancé and I put Riley in the car, and rushed to the emergency vet. In a panic, I had him checked out at the vet shortly after and also changed his diet. Yet, he continued to have seizures every few months, until one day about a year ago he had continuous seizures every 5 minutes for 2 hours! He was taken to the emergency vet and had to be treated for 24 hours. Boy! What a traumatic night it was. It was the first time I had to be away from Riley ever since he’d begun clinging to my “tail”, and the first-time that my Riley cried when I left him alone. I was heart-broken, and had a tough time dealing with the gnawing helpless feeling of not being able to be there for him.

He had changed my life and I couldn’t imagine life without him, so hearing the vet ask if I wanted him resuscitated if he passed away was not only heart wrenching to hear but I felt there was only one answer … “Of course!” They put him on a course of medicines, and luckily Riley survived the night, and was prescribed a course of regular medications from then on. As a result, he now has to take Phenobarbital daily, but hasn’t had a seizure in over a year. He continues to be the light of my eye and the inspiration for my art.

Riley inspired me to create Riley’s “Pawsitively Elegant” pet collection. Part of what inspired me was my desire to give him the very best life that I could. He is always by my side at my studio as I work, and my initial pet items were just for Riley – to make him a stylish and healthy raised dog feeder or a beautiful leash holder. Soon, however, I discovered that people love to spoil their pets as I do, and, therefore, I continued to design pet products in addition to my regular home and garden mosaics.

Raised dog-feeders and a picture frame – creations from the Pawsitively Elegant Pet Collection

I feel such a connection to Riley, and found that not only could I design art for the home, but I could design pet items that would blend with your décor yet show style and elegance that your pet deserves. I always want the very best for Riley and your pet deserves the very best too! Using recycled- and animal-safe materials, I design dog accessories / furniture that blend with the pet parents’ décor with style and elegance. Pet parents can custom order items with their own color preferences and theme. Then using dog embellishments, stained glass which has been ground on the sides to prevent sharp edges, gems, decorative tiles, and so on, I work to create that one of a kind special item in their home!

More generally, my works bring beauty and inspiration into the home, garden, office or pet area. As a web designer, I found myself being inspired by mosaic art and the vision that could be conveyed simply by re-cycling materials and bringing them back to life. The way someone decorates, the colors they use, the style, all define who we are and what makes us so different.

At Defining Designs by cms, I design custom art that defines who you are by using your favorite colors, a broken piece of china that has a sentimental value, shells you found on your favorite trip, etc. I create art that will make you smile and feel at home yet be a conversation piece for years to come. Rather than filling our landfills, give purpose to items once thought of as used up. Defining Designs by cms uses a vast variety of materials including, but not limited to, vitreous glass, smalti, stained glass, beads, gems, rocks, ceramics, mirror, shells, old pieces of jewelry, etc. Whether you find a piece of art in the gallery or collection series that inspires you, or you request a custom-piece designed with your specific needs in mind … we can help.

Imagine a beautiful mosaic design on your table, wall art, vase, frames, mirror, trivet, backsplash, coasters, raised dog feeder, dog/cat frame, dog/cat treat jar, dog/cat leash holder, pet memorial in the garden, birdbath, birdhouse, garden sphere, flower pots, address sign, …. Anything can have a mosaic designed on it so the possibilities are only limited by your imagination! Plus, we reduce, reuse, and recycle, preventing more buildup in our already overflowing landfills.

A cat treat jar and a dog leash holder – unique creations for unique creatures!

The “Pawsitively Elegant” collection in particular consists of raised dog feeders, dog leash holders, dog picture frames, memorial stones for the garden, and dog treat jars. Having a family pet doesn’t mean you can’t blend their accessories with your decor and do it with style. If you have a friend or family member that has pampered pets, give them a unique pet gift that will keep them smiling.

For example, using an elevated dog feeder reduces the air your dog ingests while eating and drinking. This in turn helps avoid stomach bloat, which is the second leading cause of death in dogs.

“In bloat (dilatation), due to a number of different and sometimes unknown reasons, the stomach fills up with air and puts pressure on the other organs and diaphragm. The pressure on the diaphragm makes it difficult for the dog to breathe. The air-filled stomach also compresses large veins in the abdomen, thus preventing blood from returning to the heart. Filled with air, the stomach can easily rotate on itself, thus pinching off its blood supply. Once this rotation (volvulus) occurs and the blood supply is cut off, the stomach begins to die and the entire blood supply is disrupted and the animal’s condition begins to deteriorate very rapidly. ” PetEducation.com.

Secondly, it allows our dogs to eat at a more natural level which reduces the strain on the neck, back muscles, and joints. The height from these feeders allows a dog to stand more naturally, eliminating the need for them to crouch down. This is especially beneficial for larger dogs, seniors, or dogs with arthritis.

Lastly, a raised dog feeder will keep their eating area cleaner. These feeders are not only beautiful and enhance your home, but they are also healthier for your dog! Whether you have show dogs, are a celebrity that lavishes your pets, or someone who has a rescue dog … these raised dog feeders would be a great addition to your home.

You can visit our web site at www.4petswithstyle.com, sign up for our blog and keep updated at www.pawsitivelyelegant.wordpress.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/definingdesigns or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/definingdesigns#!/pages/Denver-CO/Rileys-Pawsitively-Elegant-Mosaic-Pet-Collection. Our Pawsitively Elegant collection can be seen in Modern Dog Magazine, and was chosen to be in the VIP Gift Bags at the 2010 Academy Awards.

 Postscript: A few things to know about Riley, the inspiration behind the “Pawsitively Elegant” Pet Collection!

Riley’s favorite things besides food (he’s a lab, so of course, lol!) and stuffed animals, is that he loves to play fetch and loves being in the water at the lake. When we go fishing, and he plays in the water he actually throws a temper tantrum like a little kid by making whining noises and literally throwing the toy at me if I don’t play with him. He’s obsessed and I have to force him to rest!

Riley: The water “baby”!

When I talk to him, it actually seems like he knows what I’m saying just like a child. In obedience he knows sit, down, and stay off leash and by command, shake, high five, he knows how to bow, heel, go to his bed, come, he knows the command “leave it”, and has been taught to sit and wait before getting out of the car and before getting his food until I say “release”.

He even knows his stuffed animals by name, and will get the toy I tell him to. If I am busy, and want him to stop playing I can tell him “that’s enough” and he’ll drop his toy and go lay down. Lab’s get a lot of ear infections, so if I tell him “Can mommy see your ears?” he will also drop is toy and come sit in front of me so I can check them. It’s so cute. He’s a very smart boy!

Following the Fireside Chat on Stem-Cell Therapy we received several questions from our VIP Alliance Members, Facebook Fans, and Twitter followers. Dr. Ryan-Johnson and Dr. Harman were kind enough to answer a compilation of these questions, which we are pleased to share with you.

Follow-Up Audience Questions from the Stem-Cell Therapy Fireside Chat.

The episode of the Expert Fireside Chat™ of 12/11/2009, with Drs. Bob Harman and Julie Ryan Johnson, addressed stem-cell therapy for small animals. Dr. Harman is the Founder and CEO of Vet-Stem while Dr. Ryan Johnson is the VP of Sales and Marketing. Vet-Stem has emerged as the world’s foremost leader in regenerative veterinary medicine, and, in particular, in developing and propounding the application of stem-cell therapy, which has become a breakthrough technology for addressing debilitating orthopedic conditions in horses and, more recently, in dogs and cats.

(Dr. Harman was recently featured on the BBC’s flagship news magazine “The World Today”, a pointer to the interview is here.)

Here are the questions that we received and the corresponding answers.

i) Several people asked whether a sufficient quantity of stem-cells can be harvested for application to multiple areas. For example, a listener (Bob Patterson) with a large German Shepherd (9 years) with one bad hip and two bad knees, wanted to know if enough cells to treat all 3 areas can be harvested in the initial process? Or would more harvesting of cells be needed?

Answer: Veterinarians who use our services must be trained and credentialed first so that they will know how to best utilize the stem and regenerative cells. Our technical services veterinarians confer with your veterinarian on how to collect enough fat to be able to treat multiple arthritic sites. In most cases, there are sufficient cells to treat multiple sites and many times enough to bank doses for future use. We also hold back a small amount of cells that we can later use to grow more cells.

ii) Some other listeners/audience members asked what happens when the number of stem cells needed to treat 3-4 areas of difficulty are less than what is available? For instance, another listener Kelly had a dog with 4 bad joints, but since the stem cell pool was not sufficient to treat all 4 joints, only 3 were treated, and a small amount of cells were “banked” for future use.

Answer: If there are not enough cells to treat all the joints identified for injection, the veterinarian is counseled to identify the joints that are the dog’s major source of pain. Many times an intravenous (IV) dose is used in conjunction with the doses in the joints in an effort to help other joints not receiving direct treatment. In the case sighted the 2 worst joints would get direct injection and the dog would also get an IV injection.

iii) Another question asked was what does it mean to “culture” stem cells for use at a later time?

Answer: To culture means to grow. A small number of cells is held back to start a the growth process which takes about 6 weeks and can provide enough cells to last most dogs’ lifetimes.

iv) How is “culturing” different than using the actual extracted stem-cells? Is there is difference in the 2 kinds of stem-cells, namely, those extracted directly from the patient and those grown, later, by “culturing”?

Answer: The fresh mixture contains stem cells, other regenerative cells and growth factors which make up a family of healing cells. Cultured cells are more of a purified population. As far as which population is better has not been scientifically determined.

v) Several listeners were under the impression (even after hearing the Chat, it seems) that stem cell treatment would present a “permanent” solution to their pet’s ailment, and so wondered whether the entire process would have to “start over” should they need more stem cells in the future for more treatments of either the same issue or for treatments of a different area (say, a different knee or joint)? Others were concerned that it may not be a “lasting” solution? (Of course, we pointed out that “lasting” can be subjective, but we have put this question here regardless.)

Answer: There is a bit of animal variability in the length of response to the stem cell process, but the majority of pet owners tell us that it has lasted at least one year (?) Outcomes can be affected by weight, rehabilitation program and other variables. Owners also tell us that overall they are very happy that they had chosen to use stem cells and that they would refer the procedure to their friends. The great part about the process is that Vet-Stem has the ability to “bank” extra doses for future use, if there are enough cells. Vet-Stem also has the ability to “grow” enough cells for future doses as well, eliminating the need to go back to the dog for a recollection of fat tissue.

vi) Some listeners (for e.g. Kelly Turnbull) still had questions about what length of time they should expect to wait between re-injections of stem cells, especially in cases of arthritis or ACL issues?

Answer: We recommend that you wait at least 90 days before considering re-injecting. We do recommend treating a partial tear (25% or less) ACL with stem cells. We believe that a complete tear to the ACL requires a surgical procedure, but that stem cells could potentially enhance the healing.

vii) Others (for instance, Jodi Culp) wondered how long ought they wait before judging whether the original treatment had been successful? (In some cases, people had the procedure done 6-8 weeks prior, but found that their pet was still showing signs of the ailment, e.g. limping.)

Answer: see above

viii) Some other listeners asked whether stem cell therapy is usable in species other than horses and dogs? (We know it is used in cats, what other species is it currently applicable for?)

Answer: At this time we only offer this service to veterinarians for treatment of horses, dogs and cats.

ix) Some listeners read of the stories people shared on the Fan page, but realized that all of those were for front legs of the pet (typically dogs), and wondered if stem cell therapy could also be applied to the hip area and hind-legs? Specifically, would stem cells help a dog’s bad hips?

Answer: Absolutely, our original multi-center blinded controlled study was for treatment of the arthritis in the hips of dogs.

x) If a dog has a torn knee (25% ligament damage), would stem cells help to grow the ligament back?

Answer: Possibly, but we have no studies to support this hypothesis.

xi) How is a determination made of the number of stem cell injections that are needed to treat a condition? E.g. bad hips. Can this determination be made prior to the fat extraction from the patient?

Answer: We could not give you a concrete answer to this. Many of our patients are three years out with a single treatment (all affected joints injected once), other pet owners choose to treat a new joint once the pain is taken away from the initial problem area and others use stem cells for maintenance.

xii) Is there anything added to the patient’s stem cells before they are injected back into an affected area?

Answer: The cell preparation consists of the animals own stem and regenerative cells, saline (pH balanced) and a small amount of antibiotic to protect the cells during shipping (not a preservative). The amount of antibiotic is not enough for the therapeutic dose for even a Chihuahua.

TCVM: Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine – say what?! Well, don’t be surprised, it’s actually a huge and very-deep medical system, where depth-of-learning really makes a difference in how one may treat an animal. Plus, the focus on TCVM is on whole-body therapy, a subject after our own heart, as loyal readers and our VIP Alliance members know at this point.

We had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Rona Sherebrin, who after a decade of practice, realized that the chronic nature of many diseases was simply unaddressed by traditional Western medicine. So began her quest to understand TCVM, and immerse herself in it to learn how to interpret, understand, and address the underlying causes that produce the outward symptoms of disease in the pets/animals that she saw in her practice.

Indeed, integrative veterinary medicine – the integration of traditional and holistic approaches (in Dr. Sherebrin’s case, traditional Chinese veterinary medicine) with the most up-to-date techniques available to conventional veterinarians, focuses on correcting the imbalances in the body, and on helping the body to heal itself, as opposed to addressing a specific symptom or problem.

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine has 5 pillars: acupuncture, herbs and herbal medicines, nutrition (or food therapy), massage, and Chi-gong (or Qi-gong) meditation. Since, as many pet enthusiasts will no doubt agree, our critter companions are often more well-versed in meditation than many of us with our I-pod and Blackberry lifestyles are ), that leaves 4 major pillars to address medical issues in our pets. Thus, we see that acupuncture, herbs, food therapy and massage are the cornerstone of a TCVM approach to healing, each forming 25% (or a quarter) of the therapy.

In Dr. Sherebrin’s case, this was an instinctive outcome of her interest in natural ways of staying healthy, and her interest in cooking and gardening, and her affinity for nature. She trained with Dr. Xie at the Chi Institute in Reddick, Florida, a premier school for TCVM learning in North America.

Over the years, she has become a real resource for other veterinarians, who have begun referring patients to her, when an integrative approach seems to be the way to go. She also continues to play an important role in informing and educating other vets on the value and importance of TCVM, especially in tackling patients that do not seem to respond to conventional treatments. You can find out more about her here.

In keeping with our natural, holistic approach to pet well-being, we were of course intrigued by TCVM, and decided to bring this to our audience by inviting Dr. Sherebrin for an Expert Fireside Chat™ with us on the subject of TCVM and its role in pet care today.

We wonder how many of our readers/audience have had experience with TCVM? How many are/were aware of its valuable role in restoring homeostasis (balance and harmony) in an animal, thus, helping a beloved companion to heal physically, mentally, emotionally, and with the right energy?

Do you have a story or experience to share with the larger readership? Yes? Then please add your voice to the conversation, and share your opinions either on our Facebook page Wall, or right here via your comments on our blog, or even on Twitter!

We look forward to hearing from you, Woof!

Picture this scenario: You leave for a conference or a client-visit for a week-and-a-half, requesting a friend or a sitter to feed your Goldfish, every alternate day. As luck would have it, due to an emergency your dear friend or sitter is hospitalized, and unable to touch base with you (so you’re not even able to secure any backup). You return only to find that your dear Goldfish has passed on. You’re heartbroken!

Or, worse yet, you own horses on a farm, who were to be let out at 7:00 AM, but were found (by your parents) in the barn even at 12 noon. As they were letting the horses out, they are approached by a man, who comes with keys to your house, informs them that the pet sitter had a car accident in the morning and deputed him to fill-in for her, and that he could just make it now. Certainly makes one wonder: how can one have reliable home pet-care without the attendant worry, anxiety, and (sometimes) heartbreak?

This is what happened to Lisa Herickhoff, a molecular biologist and now founder of PetZCheckIN, who began thinking about how to build the proverbial “better mousetrap”. Much clever thought and software effort, lead to development of the PetZCheckIN.com system, which, in our view, is deceptively simple (even though, from a software perspective, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes).

It is a great tool that both pet-parents and pet-sitters can use very effectively. The service provides a consistent, fool-proof way to avoid the tragedies alluded to above, by ensuring that your primary pet sitter (friend, family, or professional sitter service) is contacted if for some reason they are unable to arrive within a window of time (say, between 5:30-6:30pm Tuesday), and can also contact a series of backup contacts who you’ve spoken with (and designated in advance in the system). Not only that, the system automatically sends you an update (over email on your I-Phone or Blackberry or cell phone) letting you know the status – when someone arrived to take care of your pet, whether your pet was fed/let out/walked/given their medication (as the case may be), and (if you wish) when the caregiver departed. To us this means one thing: peace-of-mind!

For a pet-sitting service or pet-sitter it provides a way to offer a much better level-of-service to their clients, while for the pet-parent it provides freedom from the stress and anxiety that accompany us when we have to leave our beloved companions behind during a trip, travel, or vacation. There are several other aspects of the service, which you can discover by visiting their website.

From The Pet Sentinel’s perspective what was interesting was that our informal chat with Lisa brought up a number of question of home pet care vs boarding, professional sitters vs friends/family, being able to take a break or a vacation without being worried for one’s pets (if one cannot take them along), and how to ensure that the interests of one’s furry critters are safe-guarded, without imposing on the generosity of one’s friends or the demands on a professional sitter’s time? And, we realized these are issues worth exploring in an Expert Fireside Chat ™!

So, as is our norm, we’ve invited Lisa to come and share her thoughts with us, on an upcoming Fireside Chat™.

In the meantime, we would love to hear from you, our readers and VIP Alliance members, how you have handled your pet-care needs when you had to be out of the house, and/or leave your pets behind? What have been some of your trials and tribulations? And, what do you think would have helped you? So, join the conversation! Let us hear your views. Woof!

The Pet Sentinel Family had a great interview with Dr. Doug Kenney, esteemed small animal veterinarian and pet insurance expert.  Dr. Kenney spoke with us about the common misconceptions pet parents make when considering insurance for their fur children.  He pointed out that there is only a fraction of a percentage of pet parents in North America, who actually have insurance for their pets (about a million pets out of about 150 million pets (cats and dogs) in the US) and of that fraction, many really do not have a good understanding of what their coverage provides since pet insurance can be difficult to decipher initially, but with a little guidance (such as that provided on Dr. Kenney’s informative web site http://www.petinsuranceguideus.com/) pet owners can much more confidently choose an insurance that serves their pet well.  We are looking very forward to hosting an Expert Fireside Chat with Dr. Kenney in late January/early February to get the answers to your questions about pet health insurance.

Dr. Kenney was also recently interviewed by the Wall Street Journal on the subject of pet insurance.  You can hear his entire interview on “Insuring Your Pet” by clicking on the previous link and downloading the mp3 file of his interview with the WSJ. We are proud to welcome him as a part of our Pet Sentinel Family and look forward to learning more from him.  We welcome you to post your pet insurance questions here, by clicking on comments, or on our Facebook page.

Decked the halls?  Check!  Rolled out the holly?  Check!  Lights light?  Check!  Safety precautions for your furry friends in place?  Hummmm, didn’t consider a need for safety precautions?  I mean really, the cats and dogs will be fine right?  Well, there are some things that you need to keep in mind as you prepare for the holidays in keeping your pets safe.

First, did you know that a dog or cat eating Christmas ornaments could be deadly?  I know, you’re thinking…”why would the dog eat an ornament?  My dog wouldn’t do that.”  Consider this, you’re a dog; you spy something that is shiny and looks like a ball!  No one normally stops you from chewing on a ball, so why would they now.  EXCEPT…this ball crunches in your mouth, then gets lodged in your esophagus causing major cuts and internal bleeding.  That pretty ball could have just cost you your life.

You’re a cat, you see bright “strings” of stuff the humans call tinsel on the Christmas tree.  You decide to play with it and in turn end up eating it.  It tastes good so what’s the problem.  Well, the tinsel gets stuck in your intestines and causes you to become horribly ill requiring surgery.  Many cats don’t make it through.

This holiday season; please take care when decorating your home.  Take special effort to keep your furry friends safe!  Leaving a few ornaments off of the bottom of the tree, or skipping the tinsel this year could be the difference between the life and death of your furry companions. Do you have some excellent ways to keep your pets safe during the holidays? Why not post your comments here?

Exactly a week from today, we will be in an Expert Fireside Chat(TM) with Dr. Shawn Messonnier, better known as Dr. Shawn. Dr. Shawn will be talking to us about “Alzheimer’s” in dogs and cats, a subject of considerable importance given that 15 million pets in the US alone suffer from cognitive disorder syndrome (or CDS) as it is properly called, and given that very often CDS may go undiagnosed for quite a while (see our blog post here to see why).

As many of our readers and listeners probably already know, Dr. Shawn is an award-winning author and radio program host (Sirius satellite radio), and we are delighted to present his biography here, so people not already familiar with Dr. Shawn may have an idea of his expertise and accomplishments.

Dr. Shawn Messonnier graduated in 1987 from Texas A&M University with his doctorate of veterinary medicine.  In 1991, he opened Paws & Claws Animal Hospital, becoming the first referral hospital for dogs, cats, and exotic pets in Plano, Texas.

After using conventional therapies for several years, Dr. Messonnier became convinced that many pets that were not improving with lifelong use of conventional medications might improve if some type of alternative treatment were available.  This desire to improve the quality of his patients’ lives led him to become adept at treating pets with a variety of alternative treatments. Due to the success of these therapies, Dr. Messonnier created the Acupuncture and Holistic Animal Health Care Center, the only hospital in the area to offer both conventional and alternative therapies for dogs and cats.

Dr. Messonnier was a regular columnist for the Plano Star Courier, the Wylie News, and the Dallas Morning News.  For two years, he was host of Fox television’s “4 Your Pets” pet care show.

In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Messonnier served on the board of the prestigious international journal Veterinary Forum.  He was also the creator and editor-in-chief of Exotic Pet Practice, the only monthly international publication devoted to the care of exotic pets.  Dr. Messonnier reaches over half a million pet owners each month as the holistic columnist for several publications, including Dog Fancy, Animal Wellness, Body + Soul, and Dog World magazines!

In addition to authoring numerous articles, Dr. Messonnier has also authored a number of books for both pet owners and veterinarians.  Most recently, Dr. Messonnier has teamed up with Prima Publishing, a leading publisher in the alternative therapy field, to create a brand new series of health guides called The Natural Vet^TM.  This best selling series teaches owners how to care for their pets using safe, natural, alternative treatments for a variety of medical conditions.

Currently Dr. Messonnier hosts his own award-winning radio show, Dr. Shawn-The Natural Vet, for Martha Stewart Living Radio on Sirius/XM. He recently created and launched his own line of USDA-certified organic pet shampoos called Dr. Shawn’s Pet Organics (www.petcarenaturally.com or www.drshawnsorganics.com ).

Dr. Messonnier is also a speaker and consultant.  His popular lectures teach veterinarians and pet owners how holistic care can reduce the cost of veterinary care and help pets live longer, healthier lives.  His lecture style is unique, often combining humor and magic to enforce his message.  He challenges those he works with to be the best they can be, rising above any challenges they may face.  He is committed to providing the best health care for his patients.

In his new book, Unexpected Miracles-Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets, Dr. Shawn brings readers into his waiting room, and introduces them to some remarkable animals…and the courageous owners that never gave up on them.  Using case studies and highlighting diseases that commonly afflict our pets, Dr. Shawn shows readers the integrative methods he has developed to help his patients not only survive the maladies they were originally diagnosed with, but in many cases go on to live long and healthy lives.

You may contact Dr. Messonnier about speaking and consulting at:

2145 West. Park Blvd., Plano, Tx. 75075

972-867-8800, ext 101

email:shawnvet@sbcglobal.net, www.petcarenaturally.com

Again, if you have any questions for Dr. Messonnier, please email us, comment on this blog, or join us next Tuesday, December 22^nd at 1pm PST/3 pm CST/ 4pm EST for a stimulating discussion with Dr. Shawn. To register for your space on this call.  Go to register for the VIP Member Alliance right here on our website with coupon code FC-THV-09.

We look forward to your participation! Woof!

We had an absolutely awesome Fireside Chat™, with Drs. Harman and Ryan Johnson of Vet-Stem this past Friday.

The lines were alive (32 attendees live, for the full Chat), our Facebook page was alight (a number of questions were asked and answered, both by the attendees, by Dr. Harman, and by our team – please check out our Facebook page, and click on “Just Fans” to see the great discussion that ensued, and over 26 people registered for the Chat via our Facebook page); even our Skype chat had attendees. (Please see below for information on how to hear the replay.)

Both experts gave some fantastic insights into the history of stem-cell therapy, the types of conditions or ailments stem-cell therapy could help in, the workings of stem-cell treatment (what happens, when, how, and the types of results one might expect), and the future of stem-cell therapy – some of the exciting research that is being undertaken today to expand the applications of this cutting-edge technology.

Indeed, stem-cell treatment for cats and dogs is only 2-3 years old, even though it has been used for horses for several years now. This is exciting because new uses of this therapy are being discovered even as we write! It was interesting to learn that pet owners may see up to 80% improvement in the condition of their pet with this therapy.

Imagine then, your dog/cat who could not even move (or worse, who was a candidate for being put down) receiving this therapy, and actually being able to run, or jump on the couch! Dr. Ryan Johnson recounted exactly one such touching story, where owners had been asked to put down their GSD, and learnt about, and opted for, stem-cell therapy instead. The therapy really worked wonders, with the result that the dog is alive and continues living, with a substantially improved quality-of-life, making the owners weep for joy at the “miracle” they witnessed. Of course, individual results and the extent of improvement expected/seen does vary, and you need to consult with your vet before deciding on the best course of action for your pet.

In the meantime, if you missed the call, missed a portion of it, and/or would simply like to hear a replay, please dial in using the following code (any time 24×7), and you’ll be hearing this Fireside Chat™ in no time!

Dial In# : +1 (218) 339-3699
Participant Access Code: 534988#

As always, if you have any follow-up questions, please send them to us, or comment on this blog, or write on our Facebook page/wall. (Thank you Kelly for the question on “culturing” of stem-cells.)

We are delighted that Dr. Robert Harman, Founder and CEO of Vet-Stem, Inc. and Dr. Julie Ryan Johnson, VP of Sales and Marketing at Vet-Stem, Inc., who are both distinguished practitioners, will be joining us for an Expert Fireside Chat™ on Stem-Cell Therapy on Friday, 12/11/2009.

If you have not registered for the live call-in, please do so, on your right, using coupon code “FC-Stemcells-09”, and the call-in details, as well as information on how to participate in the live Q+A with these experts over Facebook, will be emailed to your right away! Don’t wait and register, to learn about this cutting-edge technology, and its applications in improving the quality-of-life of our pets.

To enable the audience to appreciate what a rare treat it is to be able to discuss issues with experts such as Drs. Harman and Ryan Johnson, we are honored to give their biographies below. Enjoy! And, don’t forget to join us this Friday, 12/11/2009, at 9:00am PST for the live Expert Fireside Chat™.

Robert J. Harman, DVM, MPVM, CEO, founder of Vet-Stem, Inc.

Dr. Harman has more than 15 years experience as a chief executive officer and biotechnology entrepreneur in three novel businesses, all successful enterprises.

(Pet Sentinel Comment: This, in itself, is a notable achievement, and something to be emulated, in our opinion. It is a rare combination to find both excellence in research and excellence in business/management!)

Dr. Harman is a veterinarian and statistician and has overseen the completion of more than 1,000 contract research projects for the development of veterinary and human biotechnology products.

He has led the following companies: HTI Bio-Services, a contract research company, HTI Bio-Products, a biological reagent and antibody production company, and now Vet-Stem, Inc., the leader in Regenerative Veterinary Medicine™.

In 2002, he and business partner, Mike Dale, incorporated Vet-Stem, Inc. Dr. Harman combined his passion for the quickly evolving world of stem cell therapy with his experience in clinical development to bring regenerative medicine to veterinarians and their animal patients.

Dr Harman is a frequent lecturer in regenerative medicine at regional, national and international stem cell conferences as well as veterinary conferences and clinics. He serves as a resource to both the human and animal medical community in the field.

Julie Ryan Johnson, DVM, V.P. of Sales and Marketing

Dr. Julie Ryan Johnson, DVM, brings a breadth of experience to Vet-Stem; including 17 years at a private veterinary practice in both small animal and equine. She has worked as the director of one of the largest animal shelters in the country and is a co-owner of AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) -certified Dana Niguel Veterinary Hospital.

Dr. Ryan Johnson was a technical equine and small animal veterinarian for Merial, and a brand manager for Waltham Pet Foods.

After attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, she attended veterinary school at the University of Wisconsin followed by an internship in Large Animal Medicine and Surgery at Virginia Tech. Dr. Ryan Johnson started her career in veterinary medicine as an equine and small animal practitioner while doing research at UC Irvine School of Medicine.

She is the former President of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association and the current President of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association Equine Chapter as well as the San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition and serves as Veterinary Disaster Coordinator for Orange County.

(Pet Sentinel Comment: We find it laudable that despite being a very busy professional, Dr. Ryan Johnson still find time to contribute to disaster coordination for animals, which is a demanding undertaking by itself.)

With her husband, veterinarian Gary Johnson, she enjoys the company of her three dogs, three cats, and three horses.

The Pet Sentinel’s “Expert Fireside ChatTM” Series is designed to educate, enlighten, empower, motivate, stimulate, inspire, energize, and mobilize the discerning pet owner, such as you, who is eager to seek information, expertise, resources, products, services, tools, and strategies to improve the quality of their pet’s life, health, & well-being, and is keen to have a long-lasting, highly-fulfilling, loving relationship with these treasured family members.

With this objective, for each chat, The Pet Sentinel staff does considerable background research to identify the most interesting, valuable, and topical subjects. We then research these subjects to locate accomplished experts in the field, we hand-pick these subject matter experts/specialist and distinguished practitioners in the field of pet issues and invite them to have a 30-minute conversation with us on a topical subject that is designed to provide insights into the subject directly from the experts!

Over the last few weeks, The Pet Sentinel Family has been hard at work, researching, learning, absorbing, and distilling material, and communicating with multiple experts, having conversations/telecons with them, and developing a stellar program of our Expert Fireside Chats ™ for the next several weeks.

In this context, we are pleased to announce that we have 7 outstanding professionals, each a champion in their field, who have graciously agreed to share their knowledge, expertise, and time with The Pet Sentinel community (and the larger body of pet lovers worldwide) by partnering with us via the Expert Fireside Chats™. Indeed, we will be bringing them to the pet enthusiast community over the next several weeks. You will hear a lot more about these individual Chats, and notes on our initial conversations on our blog, and through the social media, but here is the line-up you can look forward to.

This esteemed list includes:

1) Lisa Stahr, (Founder Scout’s House) — Pet Rehabilitation Therapy for Special Needs Pets: The Scout’s House Approach

2) Dr. Christina Chambreau (natural, homoepathic treatment of pet issues): Thinking Outside the Box: A Balanced Approach to Pet Issues

3) Drs. Julie Ryan Johnson and Robert Harman (Vet-Stem): Stem-Cell Therapy — Breakthrough Approaches to Debilitating Diseases in Cats/Dogs/Horses

4) Dr. Shawn Messonnier (The Holistic Vet) – Alzheimer’s in Cats/Dogs: Diagnosis, Therapies, Strategies, and Solutions

5) Susan Thixton (TruthAboutPetFoods.com) — Pet Food Ingredients: Sources, Analysis, Caveats: The Key to Keeping Your Pet Healthy

6) Dr. John Symes (”Dogtor J”) — Food Intolerance: Causes, Symptoms, and Remedies and The Critical Importance of Diet in Pet Health

7) Steven Becker (CEO, Vitality Science) — Probiotics: The Crucial Balancers of Nature and Their Role in Boosting Immune System Function and Pet Health (awaiting final confirmation)

A stellar line-up, wouldn’t you agree? We think so too! We are deeply indebted to each expert for their generosity, kindness, and patronage of our efforts! We feel encouraged, excited, and motivated – so thank you experts!

To our readers: So what do you think? Do you have other topics/experts that you would like coverted in the near future? If so, write to us, and let us know!

If you have a thought or a question on the subjects of these Chats, or a question that these experts should be addressing during the Chat, then please join in the conversation, and post a comment on this blog, or write to us at firesidechats@thepetsentinel.com or comment on our Facebook page or converse with us on Twitter. We are all about community, and believe in a conversation with our audience. We look forward to hearing from you! Woof!