Megs Meats Truckee, California

Interview with Lindsay Croom, DVM
May 12, 2007
(continued)

Lindsay(continued):
A history will include not only a history of the illness but I also want to know about vaccinations, diet, sleep, and exercise patterns. Are they panting at night, are they cold or hot, how much are they drinking? These questions are based on Chinese Medicine. Do they paddle when they are sleeping? Do they have hyperactive dreaming? I want to know about eating patterns, are they hungry at different times of the day? If they vomit what time of the day is the vomiting occurring? For example someone might say my dog is not sleeping

Lindsay: Euthanasia was one of the things that I almost quit practicing over because I was faced daily with euthanizing animals that were healthy. I thought death was bad, that death was a failure on my part. I was euthanizing animals that were healthy but had behavior issues. I was angry and upset and actually started refusing to do euthanasia. When I backed off and looked at it and started really understanding where the animals were coming from and learned about animal communication I realized that the animals are not afraid to die. We are

at night. This might be a result of internal heat but during the day the animal is laying in the sun. This tells me a lot about their Yin status. They could be Yin deficient so I would choose herbs and acupuncture points that would nourish that animal on the inside.

Grace: What generally motivates a pet guardian to try an alternative approach?

Lindsay: Unfortunately, many come to me as a last resort. Sometimes people find me because they are not satisfied with the limited choices conventional medicine offers. I also get people looking for that miracle cure.

Grace: Do Veterinarians refer to you?

Lindsay: Most people find me on their own. I need to become more proactive and begin teaching conventional veterinarians about holistic alternatives. Over this last year I have received ¼ of my new clients from veterinarians.

Grace: What are your thoughts and feelings regarding fresh food diets?

Lindsay: Fresh food diets are essential. I believe that processed food is not good for any living being. I understand the convenience and while I do not demand it of my clients, I make it very clear that we will have limited success with an alternative treatment program if the client insists on feeding processed food.

Grace: Many Veterinarians are not only afraid of these diets but they do not think that people can successfully feed a fresh food diet. Could you speak to this?

Lindsay: I think conventional veterinarians often underestimate their clients. I know what my clients can and will do for their animals. There are numerous ways to feed a fresh food diet. It is easy and fun!

Grace: Do you have any thoughts about this paternalistic attitude that many Veterinarians have toward their clients?

Lindsay: My nutrition book at Vet school was written by Hills. The nutrition classes which were available might have been six weeks. We learned nothing about nutrition in school and I could buy a 40 pound bag of Science Diet dog food for $8.00. Veterinarians are not taught nutrition in school. It is a brain washing of our society to think that you can put vitamins and minerals and all these things in this one food and everything that you need is right there. It is simply impossible to provide that. These attitudes are propagated by corporations in Veterinary School. As

Veterinarians, most of us do not take the time to learn about nutrition. Unfortunately, veterinarians are not investing their time to learn and be passionate about nutrition which is the essential key to life.

Grace: Tell me about how you use vaccinations in your practice.

Lindsay: I think vaccinations serve a great purpose for serious diseases but unfortunately we are over vaccinating our animals which results in an over stimulation of the immune system. Many of the autoimmune diseases are a result of over vaccination triggering the immune system to go haywire. I would like to see people question vaccines, especially for the diseases which are not life threatening. We live in a state of fear of disease but the reality is disease is not always bad, but vaccines can be. There is a purpose for some vaccines. Do animals need them every year? Absolutely not, there are new vaccination protocols but the research is limited, so many veterinarians are reluctant to change current vaccination practices. Most veterinarian schools recommend vaccinating every 3 years, and they do not recommend vaccinating for many of the diseases that conventional vets are still vaccinating for. Vaccines should be individually considered for each animal. We as guardians of our animals need to take responsibility for the choices we make. I empower my clients by encouraging them to trust their intuition. I am seeing healthier animals as a direct result of informed decision making rather than making decisions based on fear. I find that when I empower my clients to make choices they come to me with creative solutions.

Grace: Have studies been done to support current vaccination practices?

Lindsay: No, there have been no studies to support yearly vaccinations. Veterinarians have been told by the Pharmaceutical companies that the vaccinations are labeled for yearly use. Unfortunately, nobody questions whether or not there are studies to support these practices. There are studies that show that puppies that have been vaccinated with a vaccine for distemper have titers for life. Now research is being done to determine the frequency for rabies vaccinations. Unless you take the time to read the research it is either not there to support current practices or it is saying something entirely different then what we are doing. The insert with the vaccinations clearly state not to vaccinate an ill animal, unfortunately, many veterinarians will vaccinate an animal that comes in with diabetes, Cushing’s, any of the autoimmune diseases or cancer. These should not be viewed as well animals. It all goes back to one’s definition of wellness.

Grace: How do you deal with the death of your clients?

afraid of death and often get hung up on it but the animals don’t. They might be afraid of a needle but they are not afraid to pass. When I started understanding that this life and death process is all natural and it is my job to facilitate an animal’s passing through a comfortable easy, safe, way which is with their people at home in a loving manner. Animals do not have to get to the point that they are actually suffering for us to let them go. It is a gift that we can give them to help them pass.

Grace: How do you support those animals that want to pass over on their own in a hospice type situation?

Lindsay: This is more involved as I need to spend much more time with the people helping them to understand the process. It is different for every animal but it is critical to be able to communicate with your pet during this process. You have to sit down and really get on floor and talk with them. I often recommend the use of an animal communicator to keep every body on the same page. Animals are totally OK with death and if the people understand this from the animal’ perspective then they can go through the process with the understanding that it is a natural, peaceful and beautiful event. I have witnessed some wonderful rituals that my clients have preformed during this time such as writing and reading poems and prayers, lighting candles and playing music.

Grace: What would you like people to know about you?

Lindsay: I am passionately involved in my job and love what I do. I love the animals and working with their guardians. I think that conventional medicine has to be integrated with an alternative approach. I hate to use the word malpractice but I almost think it should be considered malpractice not to offer an integrated approach with conventional medicine. A large part of my job is to help conventional veterinarians understand that it is not scary or voodoo medicine.
Lindsay Croom, DVM

Love brought Lindsay to Oakdale from the South, and an intense love and commitment to the animals keeps her here. Both Penny and Snoopy give Lindsay 5 paws on her gentle and understanding approach!

Dr. Lindsay can be reached at 209-541-7884 or by email at alcroom@aol.com. She will return phone calls during the week between appointments or in the early evening. Dr. Lindsay no longer practices conventional western medicine and requires her clients to retain their regular veterinarian for routine care and emergencies. Appointments are scheduled Monday thru Friday with some Saturday hours for chiropractic visits. Sessions may occur in your home, Dr. Lindsay’s home, or in your regular Veterinarian’s office. She would be honored to meet and help heal
your animals.

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	Truckee, California, USA