Allergy & Skin Success Stories
FOSTER
Foster is a 10-year-old cockapoo. For years, he suffered from horrible allergies that effected his everyday quality of life. The conventional vet treated his allergies with medication and drops for his ears. He was treated this way for 3 years with no lasting improvements until he found Dr. Sheppard. We were skeptical when first starting the program, but within weeks of changing his diet and adding in the necessary supplements, we saw real improvements in Foster’s symptoms. As time went by, he continued to improve and become less sensitive to things that used to flare up his allergies. His quality of life improved so much. Currently, Foster is doing well and has minimal flare ups outside seasonal allergies. His gut is healed and is a happy dog! We are so grateful for all Sheppard Alternative Animal Care has done for Foster.
SAPHIRA
Saphira is a 10-year-old Siberian Husky. When she was young, Saphira suffered from digestive issues, including loose stools, severe allergies, and itchiness. She was very lethargic and unhappy. We struggled for several months to try and figure out what was wrong with her. The conventional veterinarian gave her steroids and antibiotics, but never really fixed any of her chronic issues. We started seeing Dr. Sheppard looking for answers. Although it was all new, he explained everything he was doing, and it just made sense to us. Thanks to Dr. Sheppard, we were informed about her food and environmental allergies. He also addressed the bacterial infection in her gut. She switched from metal to glass bowls, changed her diet, and added in the necessary supplements. Within a week, we had already seen massive improvements. Her allergies lessened and her digestive issues have been clear ever since. Saphira is turning 10 very soon and has only began to slow down. She’s been overall extremely healthy for starting life with so many issues. “My experience has always been a positive one, I really enjoy our vet visits. I love learning about their methods and the new techniques they incorporate in their practice. They whole team has been wonderful with both Saphira and myself when I get a little anxious about potential problems.”
OLIVER
Oliver is a 9 year-old Black Lab Mix. Prior to coming to SAAC, Oliver was having severe allergic reactions causing him to bite/chew his paws, ear infections, skin lesions on his belly and just overall discomfort from being an itchy mess. Recurring visits to the traditional vet, being poked and prodded and having bad experiences caused Oliver to develop an intense fear of the vet, resulting in needing to carry all 80+lbs of him in to the building. Oliver struggled with his allergies the first 5 years of his life. Between a constant cycle of steroids, antibiotics, being prescribed ACE to help with Oliver's fear of the vet, nothing seemed to help and I knew I needed to search for other options to give Oliver a happy, healthy life. I was not satisfied with the answers from the traditional vet and knew I owed it to Oliver to explore other options for him. I had briefly heard of muscle testing from a friend, so the Nutrition Response Testing wasn’t a total surprise. I was super intrigued by how this could be applied to pets, in a similar way that it is used in humans. Oliver is a whole new dog. I saw immediate results after our first visit to SAAC and knew I had found our new home. To begin, Oliver was never fearful of going in to the building, sat patiently in the room and left our first appointment so happy! Seeing such a drastic change in his demeanor and response to SAAC, I sat in my car and cried because I knew this was just the beginning to his healing journey. Health-wise, Oliver continues to surprise me with how well his body reacts to the supplements and his new grain free diet. I get compliments on his shiny coat, he still gets a little itchy during peak allergy season (who doesn’t!?), but nowhere near the level he was at prior to SAAC. I have referred nearly everyone who will listen, who has pets that have issues to go see Dr Sheppard. Three years ago, I got a second puppy, Piper and immediately brought her in for testing. She has been a healthy, happy pup ever since. She is my naughty little puppy who gets in to all sorts of trouble, so my calls to SAAC for Piper are usually around "Piper just ate a chocolate bar…Piper just ate a whole bottle of Multizyme.” Dr. Sheppard, Melissa, and the rest of the SAAC staff are like family; I love them all dearly and so appreciate their sharing of their time, talents and love for Piper and Oliver. I look forward to many more years with SAAC!
GIBBI
Gibbi is a 9-year-old Dobrador. We brought Gibbi to Dr. Sheppard because we wanted to give her a good start after rescue. I knew him from his days at Serenity in the traditional setting. When my previous dog was dying, I brought her to Dr. Sheppard to make her last days better. Just by doing the muscle testing, he knew what was wrong without even telling him about the blood work, x-rays, ultrasound etc. We lost her in a few days but I learned a lot while I was there. I determined that after losing 3 dogs to cancer, we were going to follow the holistic route with our new dogs Gibbi and Allie. When Gibbi started coughing, I took her to the traditional vet because I thought it was not a nutritional issue. They couldn’t find anything but gave me an antibiotic which cost almost 500 dollars. I was uncomfortable with giving it to her so I brought her into SAAC. After one visit, Dr. Sheppard found she was sensitive to some allergens in my home, which I removed. She stopped coughing immediately. That solidified my belief. My dogs don’t itch, have gas, overly shed, belch, etc. They play like puppies and have the most beautiful coats. I’m thankful we decided to try a different method of caring for our girls.
MAXINE
I was at my wits end! I didn't know what to do for my baby girl anymore! I was heartbroken that she was so miserable with her allergies. I've tried everything… raw diets, very expensive tests, and medications! Only to have a temporary fix, but in time they made matters worse. I was recommended by a friend to Sheppard Alternative Animal Care. I didn't even know we had alternative vets in our area! We made our first appointment about 4 years ago and have been going back ever since. My baby is a happy and healthy puppy again. I couldn't be happier. Here are before and after pics. I will always recommend Dr. Sheppard to everyone I know. He fixed what no one else could… Naturally!!!!
DUKE & PRINCE
We've had Duke and Prince since they were pups and from the beginning, they were both plagued with terrible ear infections. After numerous vet visits (5 different veterinarians) and many different medications, we were never able to get the ear infection issues under control. Poor Duke had not 1 but 2 emergency stone removal surgeries, and this is after changing his food to a low purine diet which was vet recommended after his 1st surgery. This food was nasty, disgusting and he would struggle just to eat it. After the 5th veterinarian, the vet was honest enough to say that we have tried everything and it must be some type of allergy with no suggestions on how to test for allergies but trial and error. These poor dogs have suffered enough and after an extensive online search, we discovered Dr. Sheppard's Alternative Animal Care. We figured what the heck, we have tried everything that the current conventional veterinarians could offer. After their 1st visit with Dr. Sheppard, we discovered that they were sensitive to many foods we were feeding them including, beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, cheese, rice, wheat etc… ingredients found in most dog food. Within 2 weeks under Dr. Sheppard's care, including the change in diet and added supplements, both of their ear infections were cured. We noticed their eyes were much clearer, they stopped itching and their energy levels went THROUGH THE ROOF. At long last, our dogs were happy and healthy and this healing is nothing short of a miracle. Dogs are unable to speak but they do give us signs about their health. I proudly recommend Dr. Sheppard to everyone I know that has pets and the entire staff is simply AWESOME and AMAZING. We cannot thank you enough!!