Brit Mott

Sixty-three percent of all U.S. households own a pet, which equals an estimated 140,000,000 pets. That’s a lot of love! Many pet owners consider their pet as much a part of the family as any other person in the home. So, what would you do if your pet was given 24 hours to live?

Dr. Shawn Messonnier, DVM, is the author of Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets, a collection of true stories about some of his most inspiring patients. With chapters such as “Miracles Really Do Happen” and “Old Age is Not a Disease,” the book offers pet owners hope when all seems hopeless.

Skin allergies sparked Dr. Shawn’s interest in alternative medicine. He said it is the number one disease in our area, and while protocol is to treat allergies with steroids, antihistamines and antibiotics, those are only temporary fixes.

“Over the years, I was getting frustrated because as soon as I pulled the drugs away, the problem returned,” said Dr. Shawn. “I wasn’t curing anything; I was basically putting a Band-Aid on the problem. Pet owners were getting frustrated, too, because they were spending more money on drugs.” Read More

Excerpt from Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets
Every holistic doctor has favorite cases that defied logic and seemed to exhibit what can only be called miraculous healing. Whether a true miracle occurred from intercessory prayer on the part of the owner who wants a pet to heal, or simply a random act of God, or just the miraculous ability of each patient’s body to heal when treated with the right therapies, there are those memorable cases when recovery is even better than expected. This story is an example of such a case.

Jessie
Peter and Angie were a special couple with a special story. My practice is in Texas, but they lived several hundred miles away in a small country town in Louisiana. Having been born and raised in that state myself, albeit in the big city of New Orleans, I always feel a certain kinship to my brethren across the Sabine River. It's important to establish a rapport with my clients at the very start of our relationship; doing so forms a bond of trust and friendship that is an important part of the healing relationship needed to give the pet the best chances for healing. The owners must trust me right from the start, having confidence that I will prescribe the best therapies for their pets. I, too, must have confidence in the owners that their love and concern for their special family member will translate into putting my therapies into action.

As it turns out, not only were Peter and Angie really nice, down-home Southern folks as I expected, but also their special companion shared this trait. Jessie was a really sweet little red, short-haired three-year-old dachshund that readily approached me when I entered the room and stepped up to the examination table to greet the family. …

It didn't take much time at all for Jesse and me to warm up to each other. While she exhibited all the signs of comfort and happiness in the front end of her body by shaking her head, licking my hands, and exhibiting signs of affection, the rear half of her body did not respond accordingly. Missing were the wiggling trunk and the wiggling tail we all expect from a happy, friendly pet. Unfortunately, that was the reason Peter and Angie had flown several hours to see me: Jessie was paralyzed from the waist down. …

Purchase Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets at Amazon, or for more information on Dr. Shawn Messonnier, visit petcarenaturally.com.