I really appreciate the holistic approach in both animal and human healing. This book contained a goldmine of information that isn't always readily available for pet caretakers. I took off one star because there are a few beyond questionable assertions. As long as you clear things with a trusted vet, I recommend this book.

This book is fascinating, informative, and a little disturbing, as Dr. Marty Goldstein shares the reasons why our furbabies are dealing with more debilitating health issues than ever before. More importantly, he tells us what we can do to keep them healthy.

Lots of great information here, from the basics of food choice, which is far more significant than many people realize, to treatment options for disease and the controversy of vaccines.

Goldstein’s writing style is conversational. He shares anecdotes from his personal life and practice, along with various facts and data, keeping readers engaged throughout.

i enjoyed reading this book, it was a really well done guide. It was a interesting topic and I enjoyed how knowledgeable the author seemed.

I am a cat owner and although I found this book seemed more geared for dogs. I did find some information that is useful. Very well written and gives great alternatives to just the medical side of pet care.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I honestly have no idea when or why I requested this book but it was full of all sorts of interesting facts...I actually got really into it once I started reading. I have always applauded holistic healing over medical doctors in that they look for the root cause and try to fix it, they don't just throw pills at you or try to cut you open. I honestly had never even thought about it for our pets but it is genius... If you want to take care of your pets in the best possible way, I would suggest reading this book because it will open your eyes to a whole new world.

This book arrived at a difficult time for me. I had lost my dachshund, Henry, after 15 years and was still grieving him. I also have an older black Lab so this book will be a resource for me now and into the future. I have always been interested in holistic healing for pets and humans, so I found this book quite unique and different from what I normally read.

If you are a pet parent, this book is definitely worth reading and using as a possible resource.

Very informative and a good book to have in your library. I particularly enjoyed chapter 9, Walking Through Your Pets Spiritual World.

I also took notes about the vaccines vets sometimes push at us. Are they all really necessary and so often? Dr. Goldstein gives good guidance on this and I’m glad to be more informed.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my digital copy to read for review. This is one I’ll want to own to refer to often in the future. I bought a physical copy at BAM yesterday for my bookshelf for quick reference. Highly recommended!!

Dr. Marty Goldstein’s latest book is part of his life's mission to open the veterinary profession to the possibilities of integrative medicine - to teach practitioners and clients how to better help our animal friends, especially those who are suffering and that conventional methods have failed to help. To better understand the subject, Cindy Meehl’s excellent 2019 documentary,”The Dog Doc” really brings out the themes of Goldstein’s book: nutrition, alternative medicine (i.e. acupuncture) combined with conventional therapies, and attention to the spiritual aspect of our bond with animals. The author speaks warmly of his connection to Meehl and others in a final chapter of stories. His writing style is cheerful, persuasive and focused on his belief that the work he has done in 47 years of practice has much to teach us about recognizing how to heal animal companions. He offers extensive evidence in a plain, common sense manner, accessible to the layman but really meant to address the critics he has dealt with over the years. What the reader is left with is a respect for a healer who is a fulfilled, happy man who admits that his own healing from an unhealthy lifestyle taught him much about treating his patients. Readers looking for a "how-to” guide to achieving animal wellness should find other resources, but The Spirit of Animal Healing is a winning, “shaggy dog”-style introduction to the topic and a charming, passionate personality. Probably to add credibility and to pique reader interest, Dr. Goldstein relies somewhat on mentions of celebrities and their pets, but this is a minor quibble about what is overall an engaging and informative book.

Princess Fuzzypants here: As a pioneer in integrative medicine, Dr Goldstein has filled this book chock a block with information on a whole range of things that pertain to pet health. While some of the information might make a pet parent very nervous about going to the vet (but not as nervous as the pet), it does try to find a balance between traditional and holistic care. As it turns out, many of the holistic remedies are not modern but a throw back to ancient times. Life expectancies have both increased and decreased from the modern “advancements” so the reader may come away a bit more sceptical rather than confident in one course or the other.

I was sorry there was not more on how animals help us heal. I did enjoy the anecdotes. Perhaps it was my faulty expectation that there would be more of that than the scientific information. I can, however, see where this could be a good addition to a pet care library as a reference book to help understand conditions and choices in care.

Four purrs and two paws up.

As pet parents, we naturally want the best for our furry companions. We research vets and read their reviews before making appointments, we ask carefully thought out questions and adapt our environments to our animal's needs and for their ensured safety. So why is that, like the pet food industry, so much of what we're told is little more than bunk? This book explains how we're often compromising our pet's health without even realizing it, blindly trusting vets who are basing their own recommendations on outdated research.
Goldstein turned to not necessarily natural means of healing, but alternatives that sometimes take decades to be approved, despite being shown to work. Even something as simple as pet massage can alleviate ailments that are only masked (or in some cases not even helped) by expensive mediations which may have adverse side-effects. While I often felt shocked and disheartened reading this book, it made me a more aware pet parent and stressed the importance of conducting our own research. He offers a wealth of information, backed up by years of research and personal stories of success, leaving the reader with a feeling of optimism and enlightenment.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy. This did not impact my review.

A very informative book on Animal healing. This book is a how to on Holistic healing for Animals an Approach which I try to follow.
Several topics covered in this book including:

Nutrition and supplements
*Integrative remedies and harmful treatments
*Cutting edge therapies
*The truth about vaccinations
*The latest in cancer treatments
One topics that I am a staunch believer in is the over unnecessary vaccinations preformed by Veterinarians.
His writing comes from his 45 years in the veterinary practice and makes for an interesting read.

As a pet lover, I was interested in the premise behind Dr. Goldstein's professional approach. His book 'The Spirit of Animal Healing' teaches you & gives you a framework for thinking holistically about your pet. Just as I think about an integrative medicine approach for my own health, it now makes sense that I should apply that same approach to my dogs and cats. Goldstein's book will do just that: teach you & give you some knowledge to help improve your pet's health from an integrative medicine approach. Excellent book.

I am of two minds with this book. On one hand, it is a very informative read about alternative health rather than relying on Western (read: chemical) medications. On the other hand, it is a giant show of how many famous and rich people Dr Goldstein has had the ability to work for/with.

The novel contains a lot of information about animal health, but it’s more full of the ramblings of Dr Marty.

The first few chapters were more about the fact that he wrote an earlier book, with this one being a sort of continuation of that one. After getting through everything saying I should go read the first one, this book seems to begin.

The novel goes through many different types of integrative medicine. Dr Marty talks in detail about dog food (raw diets are the best), cancer treatment (vitamin c injections instead of chemo), stem cell therapy, fecal transplants, and a few others. It’s hard to know what to think about all these therapies. The author switches between sounding amazed and excited to bragging about all the rich people whose animals he’s been able to treat using some of them. There’s only so many times I can read about so-and-so’s private jet and that they “can be there tomorrow” for whatever expensive state-of-the-art therapy.

I did enjoy reading about the therapies overall. The information was fascinating and I had heard of them in respect to the human-side of medicine, but they’re all a bit high price wise for the typical pet parent.

The title of the book confused me as well. I came into this thinking of learning about holistic medicine that I could potentially use in my everyday life as a veterinary technician. The typical pet parent would not find this novel at all helpful. And honestly I didn’t either, none of the therapies would be used in my area of practice, primarily due to the huge price tag attached to them.

I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review. I gotta say, I’m glad I didn’t spend money on it.

I really enjoyed this book dealing with how to help your animals achieve a higher state of well-being. Being a long-time pet owner and lover of animals, I loved the tips and insights provided by the author in understanding your animals, and what they need from us in order to thrive. I would recommend this book for any pet-owner or animal lover.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I reached out for this book because of concerns I have with my aging dog, Emi. She has an autoimmune condition, so any knowledge I could gain is helpful. It seems that Dr. Martin Goldstein speaks directly to me. His wit, attitude, compassion, and knowledge are shining through on each page. He seems to realize that if you’re reading this book, you probably have a dearly loved pet in need of special care. I soaked it up, making notes of things I could correct, enjoying the personal stories (I chuckled about his interactions with Oprah), and coming away with a better understanding of what my pet has been trying to tell me.
You don’t have to have a sick pet to read this; any pet lover will find something to assist them in the care of the very animals that are actually taking care of us.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Essentials for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was February 2, 2021.

As mom to two rescue dogs and a dumpster cat, as well as the executive director of a non-profit focused on the animal human bond, I was eager to get my hands on this book. I confess, I'd not read Dr. Goldstein's earlier book, and I understand it's been a while since that was written. However, starting at the beginning of the book, as I feel one should, I got tired of reading all the background and names that I assume give the work credibility. I began skipping around, went to the spirituality chapter and was hooked, went back to the start, and then began skipping around again. Frankly, I felt as though every chapter ended with a "name" providing a little essay on how wonderful Dr. Goldstein is.

I picked up some nuggets that I'll use for additional research to promote the work I do; I found some nutritional ideas I'll add to my pets' regimen (though my 19 year old cat may not be with me much longer); I'm grateful for the names of pet communicators.

Though I consider a three star rating to mean a "decent" read, I wish I could rate this higher.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. I have read the author's first book on animal healing and found it informative and useful. The author has 45 years of vet training and knows of the subjects he writes of. Reading this book will help you to be a better more responsible pet owner.

In this next book the author covers natural healing and current veterinarian standards for our pets. The standards of veterinarian care in the United States do not serve our pets well and are based on a money making model..

The pet food industry chapter is horrifying and more people need to be aware of what they are feeding their pets. Vaccines and the danger of are covered here which is critical information for pet owners. i almost lost my Himalayan after vaccines and choose not to vaccinate her any longer. I was aware of the toxins but the degree of toxicity in vaccines will shock you to your core. Natural models of care for cancer and illness are inclusive here with suggestions for non toxic care of our pets. I highly recommend this book for all that love their pets.

This is a great handbook of veterinary medicine and holistic cures for your pets.
It is nicely written and has anything and everything you need to know about medical cures. It goes from scientific proven cures to holistic. It is full of great helps and ideas.
Greatly appreciated. Super read!

Author: Dr. Marty Goldstein

Summary from Amazon:
The Spirit of Animal Healing is the follow up to Dr. Marty Goldstein's bestselling book on holistic veterinary medicine, The Nature of Animal Healing.

It is chock full of the very latest integrative medical knowledge (which combines conventional therapies with complementary and alternative medicine). Coupled with the vast amount of specialized expertise and learning Dr. Marty has gained from his own practice over the past 45 years, the book takes readers on a journey to the leading edge of integrative veterinary understanding to achieve greater insight into the minds and bodies of their animal companions.

However, this book is not simply a new edition of Dr. Marty's first book with some refreshed content. It is a completely new book in which Dr. Marty turns the traditional approach to animal care upside down. The Spirit of Animal Healing provides readers with the most up to-date tools and knowledge they need to keep their dogs and cats healthy and prevent disease from occurring in the first place, instead of just treating their animal companions when they are sick.

Topics covered include:
*Nutrition and supplements
*Integrative remedies and harmful treatments
*Cutting edge therapies
*The truth about vaccinations
*The latest in cancer treatments
*The spiritual nature of animals
*True, mind-blowing cases from over the years
-And much more!


Personal Review:
The cover was what drew me into this book. Anyone who knows me, knows I am always up for the healing power of animals' stories. This one was very detailed and much more than what I could have imagined. I enjoyed reading it.

Disclaimer: I was awarded this book through NetGalley. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.

Happy Reading!

I honestly didn't want to read this book. I have been interested in alternative food choices for my animals and have read several books on the topic - most of the advertising their "brand". Thought this would be another one. I read a few pages- put it down - then thought if give it one more shot.
I'm so glad I did! Not only was it not an advertisement - I learned so much!! One of the big things was to learn to trust myself when dealing with my pets. I've had many horrible run ins with medical doctors and veterinarians and always felt afterwards that I should have listened to my inner voice. Dr. Marty confirmed this.
I am taking several things from this book and researching further! My pups are already enjoying their home cooked meals and say thanks Dr. Marty!