I started with the homeopathy section which had an excellent discussion on how the remedies are made and used. I am a novice in this area of medicine but found the explanations clear, concise, and informative.

I then turned to the puppy section - and found a wealth of valuable information on the importance of puppy socialization - how exposing my puppy to lots of different people, dogs and places, (after their vaccination series is complete, of course!), helps him learn manners, gives him confidence, and allows me the luxury and joy of taking him with me to many places without having to worry about his behavior. The book also discusses how to select a good and compassionate trainer.

There is a section on "Letting Go" - always a difficult and painful part of sharing one's life with an animal. I found the author's advice personal and heartfelt.

The chapters on new vaccination protocols and nutrition are informative and complete. Although the two authors recommend a homemade diet, they also tell the reader how to select a high quality commercial diet, as well.

I appreciate the author's balanced view and the fact that they explain the "why" of things - something which is often lacking in many books. Excellent.

The book is loaded with helpful tables and graphs and personal stories. In addition, there are great photos of "Found Dogs" sprinkled throughout the book.

It is obvious these two authors love their topic and want to improve the lives of puppies, dogs, and their people. I will recommend it highly.


Great Book!!! Well organized, informative and Easy-To-Apply!   November 4, 2003
 29 out of 30 found this review helpful

Dr Katy Sommers is my vet, yet when my Irish Wolfhound pup, Jessica, had problems with her diet, I took Katy's home-cooked-diet advice with a smile and continued to buy the top kibble. I was intimidated by the responsibility of balancing a diet for a giant breed!

As she grew, Jessie failed to thrive on kibble. By the time she was 10 months old, she was a walking skeleton and I added more "home cooked" to her diet with some success.

Then she had a medical crisis brought on by my feeding her fat trying to get her to gain weight. Dr Katy and I sat on the floor of her clinic late into the night, giving her morphine to help with the pain, and I had to make the decision to put her down or see her through her problems. When she recovered, I was convinced that I needed to switch over completely to a home-cooked diet.

Luckily, Katy's book came out the same week! Great timing, Katy!

I have several highly recommended books on Natural Health Care for dogs, but Jan & Katy's is the easiest for me to apply. It provides easy-to-follow instructions on food selection, preparation and balance. Using her guidelines I'm able to easily fix Jessie's meals as I fix my own - my diet's improving too!

I was also pleased to find thorough sections describing major illnesses, health problems and injuries, and appreciate Jan & Katy's common sense approach to herbs and alternative medicine.

Results? You Bet! I bought the book at the end of September; Jessie was 11 months old, 30" tall at the shoulder and weighed 74 pounds. A month later, Jessie has gained +25 pounds and is a strong vigorous dog. The change is phenomenal, and has convinced me that THIS is the way dog should eat!

Jessie agrees! Thanks Dr Katy, for being there for the Jessie's of the world!

Linda Cowles


Your Dog Needs This Book!   September 28, 2003
 30 out of 30 found this review helpful

When I saw the word "complete" in the title, I thought the
publisher was probably stretching the truth...but now that I've read it I think the title does not go far enough in describing it. This book covers alot more than health care. For instance, under caring for an older dog, the tips are practical, simple, and have nothing to do with medicine or illness. Simple things like buying the dog a softer bed. Life style changes that may not cure, as somethings cannot be, but can make your dog
alot happier.

Dog care books are usually either written by a vet, who takes the linear Western medicine approach, or a holistic practianer who never sees the need to darken a doctor's office. This book is written in a partnership between a vet and a holistic person and the book shows the wisdom of both and suggests when and how to use either one or both of the approaches. Good common sense abounds. And always practical information. In a section on diabetes the authors list the dog breeds most likely to be susceptible. If you have one of these breeds it may make recognizing the signs easier. They do this for most of the diseases they discuss.

And they discuss alot more. Prevention, diet, homeopathy, herbs, TCM. bodywork, alternative therapies and conventional medicine, and more. It's a fat book packed with info.

If you have a dog, you need this book....though in truth I think alot of what they say can be applied to any animal, including the human.