Question:
Has anyone heard of or had any experience with the NAET (Nambrudripad's Allergy
Elimination Technique) offered by some holistic vets? Unfortunately, there is
no pet allergist in my area so skin tests are not really an option to test my
cat for atopic allergies. The blood tests are an option if we can get him off
the prednisone long enough. (Yup, already did the food elimination.) I did find
a holistic vet sort of in the area (about an hour away -- still a long drive
for a cat who *hates* the car). She offers the NAET. If I understand correctly
this is what they do: Someone puts one hand on the cat and a possible allergen
in the other hand which is extended. The doctor presses on the extended hand
and if it can (or can't -- I don't remember which) be moved, the cat is
allergic to that item. This sounds, I admit, kind of hoaky to me (no offense to
anyone who has opted for this treatment). If someone has any experience with
this or can explain why this might be a viable treatment, I will listen (read)
with an open mind. Also, the holistic vet's office I contacted said they
charge an hourly rate and I should expect the first appt. to be 1-2 hours. The
rate is $150/hour! This sounds rather steep to me. Is this really the going
rate? My regular vet charges $30 for an office visit. I should add that this
isn't a fly-by-night operation as far as I can tell. The holistic doctor in
question is a DVM and on staff at a local animal hospital.
Answer:
This sounds about right for an initial consultation with a holistic vet.
Unfortunately, they are expensive. They view the animal as a whole, rather
than just working on a symptom, from my experience. You could contact
www.altvetmed.com to inquire about this particular vet to check them out. You
might also ask them for references. That's where I found the doctor's name but I haven't gotten refs
or anything. Wanted to see what people thought of the test first. I hadn't
checked out your photos b4. Very cute! The one with Mickey's paws against the
glass is hysterical. And it's so nice how they cuddle. Wish my guys did that.
They chase each other around but don't seem to like each other at all. Maybe I
need a third? I heard about it a few years ago - but I didn't really looked into it
because it sounded a lot like some other "voodoo" or magic wand waving I've
come accross. Something about muscles becoming weak when exposed to an
allergen...? Do they give a massage and some herbal tea for the $300 too? If your vet can't do an "old fashioned" patch test, ask him about the RAST.
Although the patch test is supposedly more accurate, personally, I prefer
the RAST because suspected antigens are tested in a test tube rather than on
the cat.
Have you tried posting at Holisticat? If I recall, it seems that I had read
some posts from people who did the NAET. You could also search their archives.
Go here and then scroll down to Message Boards.
http://www.holisticat.com/main.html
They also have a mailing list you can join if you're interested. Don't waste your money. Wjhile I believe that some holistic types of
treatments have validity, this is not one of them and your money would
much be better spent using standard diagnostic testing to get to the
root of your cat's problem, even if it means traveling a long distance.
You might want to look at this link:
http://www.chirobase.org/06DD/naet.html
