The Doctor Is In! Convenient Holistic Veterinary Care By Phone

Dr. Michel Selmer, is now available for telephone consultations to help you with your pet. He  will review your pet’s medical records and provide you with advice regarding the best conventional and holistic veterinary treatment options. This is an especially convenient way to receive medical advice if you have a very busy schedule or don’t have access to a holistic veterinarian in your area.

Dr. Michel Selmer has over 15 years of experience in veterinary medicine and is a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, the Vice President of the Long Island Veterinary Medical Association and was voted the Best Veterinarian in 2010 on Long Island. Dr. Selmer has a special interest in nutrition, and other holistic medical therapies and is dedicated to giving his patients the best that veterinary medicine can offer. Of course, he is an expert in general veterinary medicine too.

This 30 minute medical appointment is recommended if you:

1) Would like a second opinion about your pet’s health condition or veterinary treatments

2) If your pet has unusual symptoms and a diagnoses is unclear

3) If your pet is not responding to conventional veterinary care and you would like an additional holistic medical perspective

4) A personalized, focused discussion of your pet’s medical prognsosis without having to stress your pet with car transport

Please note that these services are non medical and integrate effectively with conventional veterinary medical treatment.

Schedule a telephone consultation by emailing Dr. Selmer at drselmer@optonline.net.  Be sure to check your email as we will contact you BY EMAIL regarding consultation times.

Please be assured that we will give your pet the utmost concern and that your request will be responded to in a very timely manner.  Consultation times are scheduled within 2-5 business days following the time you sign up.  If it is a weekend, holiday and/or you require emergency assistance, please sign up for an emergency/afterhours appointment.  These appointments are given the highest priority and we will do everything possible to conduct your appointment within 48 hours.

Too often, pet owners leave veterinary hospitals with prescriptions they don’t fully understand for pets who don’t want to take their medicine.

As a practicing veterinarian, I can tell you that pets need to get their medicine exactly as prescribed for the best possible outcome. But a recent study confirms what we veterinarians already suspected: Only 10 percent of cat owners and 30 percent of dog owners succeed in medicating their pets correctly.

This means that a lot of prescriptions end up in the cupboard or on the person rather than in the reluctant pet. That’s why it’s important to ask some basic questions and make sure you understand all the answers before leaving your veterinarian’s office with medication in hand.

I’ve narrowed them down to six questions that must be answered before you head home:

Why has this been prescribed? “Pet owners must understand exactly what condition a pet has and what the prescribed medications are for,” says Dr. John Tait of the veterinary school at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. For example, is the medication an antibiotic, a wormer, an anti-inflammatory drug, a pain medication or something to soothe the intestinal tract? Are we fighting a fever by giving an antibiotic, trying to prevent a secondary infection, or stopping diarrhea or vomiting?
How long should I give my pet this medicine? “There is a tendency to discontinue medication when our pets appear ‘cured,’” says Dr. Kelly Diehl, an internal medicine specialist at the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado in Englewood, Colo. “Owners need to follow their pet’s medication schedule for the entire time prescribed.” Diehl uses the development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics as an example. A pet may seem better, but the bacteria can prepare a second wave of attack if the medication isn’t given for the duration prescribed.
How should I give this, and how often? Is the medication oral or topical? Will it be given in response to symptoms or on a regular schedule? “Because of busy schedules, it is easy to overlook a pet’s medication,” says Diehl. The easiest way to keep on schedule is to write down the doses in your home calendar and check them off when given to your pet. This way, you give all the doses for the proper amount of time. And if you miss a dose, don’t double up to catch up. Instead, give the next dose at the prescribed time. Make sure, too, that you know how to get the medicine where it’s going, such as by “pilling” an uncooperative pet. Ask for a demonstration or, if you can’t handle the task at hand, ask for alternatives.
What about food and water? In a recent study, cats given medications without water were found to have the pills stranded far from the destination in the stomach. That’s why medications should be chased with water, which for cats means giving them a syringeful after every pill. And don’t forget to keep checking that ample water is available to your pet, since some medications increase thirst. Also, ask if the medication needs to be given with food or on an empty stomach. Different medications are digested and metabolized in different ways. Some medications are given on a full or partially full stomach in order to prevent irritation to the stomach lining.
What side effects should I watch for? “We try to be sure side effects are covered verbally at the time of the prescription and then followed with written information,” says Dr. Thomas Carpenter of Newport Harbor Animal Hospital in Costa Mesa, Calif. Some side effects are not harmful, while others — typically vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weakness, paralysis — can be quite serious. Ask what to expect, what is routine and what’s not, and call your veterinarian if you have the slightest doubt or concern.
Is this safe with other medications? Make sure your veterinarian is aware of all other medications or supplements your pet is on, and don’t add any others without checking first. “A great example of this danger is the use of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Many people think of aspirin as a very safe medication, but when combined with an NSAID it is very dangerous,” says Carpenter.
The most important lesson all experts stress is to make sure the pet receives the medications. If you can’t give the medications as prescribed, don’t feel embarrassed or guilty, and do not put the meds away in the cupboard to tick away toward expiration. Call your veterinarian for help.

If you wish, we will gladly write prescriptions for your pet in lieu of selling them here so that you have a choice in where you have your prescriptions filled. We do, however wish for your decision to be an informed decision, and want you to know several things regarding prescription sales through some other sources:

1. All major manufacturers (Novartis, Pfizer, Bayer, Merial, etc) of veterinary specific products (Interceptor®, Sentinel®, Frontline®, Rimadyl®, Anipryl®, Metacam®, Heartgard® to name a few) maintain a policy of sales exclusively through licensed veterinarians

2. All or most catalogue/online sources cannot obtain specific veterinary products directly from the manufacturer. They have been known to twist their words about where they obtained their product. They may report the product is from X manufacturer. They do not say they purchased from the manufacturer.

3. All or most catalogue/online source sales of these products/medications are through non-approved channels.

4. All or most catalogue/online sources will not divulge from whom they are purchasing their veterinary specific products.

5. Most guarantees that manufacturers make regarding their products are null and void if their products are obtained through non-approved channels. This includes the guarantee
reimbursement programs for flea control, as well as all heartworm and intestinal parasite claims.
6. Pharmaceuticals manufactured and labeled for use in other countries (namely Australia) have been illegally diverted and sold through these discount houses in the United States.

7. Counterfeit products have been produced.

8. Some discount houses have been cited by the FDA and State Boards of Pharmacy for violating prescribing procedures. PetMedExpress (a.k.a. SaveMax), in particular, was recently fined over $100,000.00 by the FDA and Florida Department of Health. This particular discount house has also recently been sued by the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and the Texas Pharmacy Board.

9. PetMedExpress has deceptive advertising, as many times our prices are LOWER than or comparable to their prices.

10. PetMedExpress in particular at times has been aggressive and rude when they have called us. They have called multiple times after we declined authorizing prescriptions. They have wasted our time and upset our staff. They have called even after we requested they never call us again. They have tried to get us to authorize medications for pets we have no current client/patient/veterinarian relationship with.

11. Our products come with a person to help you utilize them in the most efficient manner. For example, we do not charge for recheck exams/consults for flea control if a prescription flea control product was purchased here. We will help you learn to apply product properly.

12. Shipping charges, delays, mis-shipments, and damaged products are several of the reasons that many clients feel that the hassles of dealing with the catalogue houses are not worth the savings.

13. Although the discount houses have concluded their business with you after you pay, we keep records for your specific pet, medication, dose and dosage instructions as well as refill information and requirements, regardless of where you choose to purchase the product. We keep records for at least 3 years after the last time we see the pet.

If you prefer to purchase your products at catalogue/online houses, we will gladly write prescriptions for these products according to the following guidelines:

1. All state and federal prescribing laws apply the same as if you purchase it here. (Some of the discount houses have not always followed the federal and/or state laws, but trust them at your own risk.)

2. We will write one prescription per medication per pet per 6 months at no charge. You must pick up this prescription in person. You are responsible for sending the prescription in to your choice of pharmacies. If this prescription is lost or filled improperly by the catalog house, additional copies will be provided to you at a bookkeeping fee of $15.00.

3. If you require having the prescription rewritten, a bookkeeping fee of $15.00 will apply.

4. To avoid any potential doctor-patient confidentiality issues, we will not communicate with the discount house in any form or fashion. We will not fax, or return faxes to them. We will not accept their phone calls.

5. It is your responsibility to ensure that the prescription is sent, filled, labeled, shipped, and used correctly. The discount houses have a reputation for poor customer service, and we cannot be expected to take the time to oversee their operations and shortcomings. We cannot be responsible if they send counterfeit or unauthorized products to you.

6. We will not become involved in any product failure issues for products purchased through these discount houses. This includes any prescription or nonprescription products. If you change your mind after we have written a prescription ‘script’ for you, we will be unable to fill the prescription for you here until you return the actual prescription form to us.