TESTIMONIALS

At only 6 months old we started on a journey with my German Shepherd Dog, Lola. It was not only an expensive, frustrating and scary journey, but also a very educational one that eventually ended on a happy note. Now I can truly say that my dog showed me the way to a better life!

Many factors could have led to Lola's urinary problems and kidney disease, but now that is a moot point. Had we not met Dr. Van and became better educated about vaccinations, nutrition, and alternative medicine, Lola's life would have been drastically shortened. We owe Dr. Van her life and will be ever grateful because our furry babies are our only children and very important members of our family. Because of this, we share our story with everyone we meet.

As I was saying, Lola had quite a journey. We started with our country vet because Lola was struggling with urinary tract & ear infections. After showing no improvement, we visited a very knowledgable "city vet" and started the expensive and disheartening time period that followed. We gladly paid for prescription food and a number of unnecessary medications and procedures. Very quickly all signs pointed to early death and many more expensive procedures. Throughout this time Lola was shy almost to the point of anxiety around most people and she started having obsessive-compulsive behaviors when she'd have a "panic attack". Later we would find that this was related to not feeling good and the most basic thing took care of it ---- better nutrition.

I was faced with the dilemma of trusting an educated vetinarian or trusting my own instincts and decided I to explore all options. Upon the recommendation of another mother who brought her dog to daycare with Lola, we headed to IVAC and met Dr. Van and Vicky. What wonderful people and Lola didn't seem quite so nervous in that environment. I believe she knew good things were to come! We immediately switched food and started her on some herbs. Since that time Lola has not had a urinary tract infection and does not have accidents in her sleep. As I became more knowledgable I was able to determine she was also battling an allergy to rice. Lola is now eating a raw diet, while our other furry children enjoy a holistic kibble and there are too many improvements to list! Lola is now a normal three and a half year old German Shepherd Dog and is becoming more relaxed. She seems happier and we know she is healthier. We are so thankful to get this second chance with her and know we owe it to Dr. Van and everyone at Iowa Veterinary Acupuncture Clinic!

Thank you!

Jackie, Wendy, Lola & all the other furry children

Dear Dr. Van,

We're writing to thank you for the help you’ve given our eleven-year-old Cairn Terrier, Simon. We got him at age six and were told by his owner that her son had tried to sit on Simon when both were young, resulting in some hip or hind leg injury to Simon. When Simon was about ten, he started exhibiting problems with his left hind leg. Sometimes he couldn’t even put weight on it. When we would try to go for walks, he would sit down after only a couple hundred yards because he was in such pain. He had to be carried up stairs (and we live in a two-story home). His eyes were dull and his coat was not shiny. Our new female Westie puppy was dominating Simon. He didn’t act like a terrier and obviously was not enjoying life.

A vet examining his leg said he had a subluxating patella and when it slipped, Simon would exhibit the symptoms we saw. The vet also noted that his knee joint had scar tissue and the leg muscles were atrophied. Even when he was able to walk on that leg, he had a pronounced limp. She told us surgery, especially at his age, probably would not help much. Our groomer told us his back leg was so bad he couldn’t even stand up to be groomed. She had to do his back end first so he could sit down for the rest of the grooming. She suggested we contact you.

You’ve been treating Simon for less than a year. From the very first treatment we noticed improvement. He was able to walk farther without apparent pain or problems. During the course of treatment, Simon has regained the ability to take long walks (two to three miles), the muscles have redeveloped to the point his left leg is about equal to his right leg, and his patella only has slipped once. He sometimes climbs the stairs on his own and just recently has started standing on his back legs to look out the window when riding in our car. His eyes are bright again, his coat has regained its luster, and his terrier personality has returned. He appears to be enjoying life again. Although he still mostly defers to our one-year-old Westie, Simon has started defending himself when she pesters him. We look forward to several more happy years with Simon thanks to you.

Sincerely,
Dan and Marti Marvin

I am the owner of a seven year old Dachund who has had back problems four times in the past couple of years. After seeing two different veterinarians both recommended surgery. It then came to my attention to try acupuncture treatments.

We were Blessed to find Dr. VanEngelenburg at the Iowa Veterinary Acupuncture clinic. After only five treatments Cassy is back to her normal feisty self. Now we only need low maintence to keep her in good shape.

Thank God we found him.

Cassy and VCM

Finding Iowa Veterinary Acupuncture Clinic was really a wonderful and delightful experience for me. Metkin, my biggest dog(I have three), ended up with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in the Spring. I talked to vets and was told that surgery was the only option, but I was not sure of the consequences. In fact, I had an appointment with the orthopedic clinic at Iowa State Veterinary Clinic in Ames to explore my options.

One night on television, IVAC was being discussed. I had tried to find an acupuncture oriented vet earlier at a friends suggestion but was told there was no one in the area. I called IVAC and within a few days, I had an appointment and had canceled my appointment in Ames.

Metkin was initially seen weekly but soon progressed to every two weeks and now we go every two months. She does not mind the acupuncture treatment and continues to take a Chinese herbal formula. Together, the treatments have been GREAT!!!

The improvement in Metkin has been amazing! She went from not being able to walk any distance, even in the house, to this morning racing out the back door to chase a rabbit that happened to be in the yard. She is also back to jumping to catch her frisbee and playing with the other dogs.

I highly recommend Iowa Veterinary Acupuncture Clinic as an alternative treatment and am very pleased that Metkin did not have to have surgery. I am now in the process of having my second dog, Abbe, evaluated because of problems in her walking.

Thanks to Dr. VanEngelenburg and his wife Vicki for moving to this area and opening their clinic. I appreciate all you did for Metkin and she considers your clinic "home" as she starts crying with excitement when we pull into the drive.

Cathie Law
Urbandale, Iowa

Dear Dr. Van;

Isis and I are writing to you to thank you for the wonderful results that have resulted from Isis taking herbs for her liver dysfunction and FlexRite for her arthritis. Isis is now 7 and several months ago I noticed a real change in her. She had begun to sleep harder at night, taking longer to get up in the morning and I noticed that she was stiffer in her movements. Her appetite dropped off, losing 4 lbs., her eyes were dull and had become more anxious in her behavior.

After taking her to her local vet, a geriatric blood panel was drawn and a flat plate of her abdomen was done. The x-ray was normal but her bilirubin level was 2.2. Besides her abnormal liver studies, we were concerned about an early arthritis in her hip joints. Several options, including Remadyl were proposed, none of which I was comfortable with.

I started her on the Chinese Herbs you recommended and the FlexRite for her arthritis. After a month on both, I had her liver profile redrawn and lo and behold her bilirubin was down to 0.4 which is normal and her weight was up a pound. She is now bright, more alert, sleeping less, more energetic, and without joint stiffness. Isis is happy, has started playing ball, running again and a much calmer dog. It's as if she were a puppy again.

Thank you very much for giving my Isis back to me.

Cathy Robinson