Book Review for The Spirit of Animal Healing by Marty Goldstein
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

Pet owners strive to be conscious and conscientious caretakers of their furry family members and this task leads them in all directions, at all times of the day or night, depending on need. I had hoped that THE SPIRIT OF ANIMAL HEALING might be helpful in a hands-on way, when there was a sudden need for useful information; it is not that kind of a book. It is not a quasi-first aid/health book. Nor is it a book that suggests ways of treating pets across life stages in an organized fashion, or even across bodily functions. It is more of a question and answer series of ruminations by author Martin Goldstein that may or may not actually be useful or valid. It’s hard to evaluate his positions. He doesn’t care for vaccines much but feels positive, generally, about supplements. I’m not knowledgeable enough to evaluate those kinds of opinions, so cannot act upon them in any way. That pretty much summarizes my opinion about this book. Interesting but so is info on the web. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Spirit of Animal Healing An Integrative Medicine Guide to a Higher State of Well-being by Marty Goldstein. Enlightening perspective on holistic and natural healing for our pets and how to integrative with modern medical practices. Extensive research into vitamins and healthy diets and disease prevention. Case studies illustrate the alternative care that has been provided. Engaging writing style which makes the information presented easy to read and understand. Recommended reading for insights into our pets health and well being.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I received an advance copy of, The Spirit of Animal Healing, by Marty Goldstein. This is a very informative book, like a text book. All the information you have ever wanted to know about, animals: nutrition, disease, what to feed your animal, the book also has a wonderful, question and answer section in ch chapter, Ask Dr. Marty. A great book for the animal lover.

The first 2 chapters seem devoted to recalling the authors' past book,his zig-zagging across the country on his brother's coattails,how many different vet practices he has owned or worked in and name dropping. Amidst the narrative in the chapters following there is a wealth of information from his experiences but also filled with more name dropping and client minutia. It takes a considerable amount of time to weed through more name dropping to find information that may be useful. The title is misleading as there is not a lot of information about the spirit of an animal with its owner and is overladen with the frequency of cancers in animals and the various treatments he has used. There is a considerable amount of nutrient information but one would need to be a clinician or dietitian to glean any useable information for home practices. I received an advanced reader copy of the book and was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Oprah's favorite holistic vet spreads a message of love and healing, trusting Mother Nature over the latest scientific methods. The title is a bit misleading because "Spirit" doesn't seem to be the main focus of all these anecdotes, insights, and historical tidbits. Dr. Marty putting Oprah on hold (who does that!) seems to be as important to this author as stories of using Vitamin C injections instead of chemo to keep dogs alive longer.

The history of the dog food industry is horrifying, and I'm glad Goldstein brings this to the reader's attention. E.g. After World War I, some 50,000 horses a year were slaughtered for the first canned dog food, Ken-L rations. In 1950, soap makers stopped using animal fat, which put a huge quantity of the stuff on the market for cheap, and dog food manufacturers pounced on it. Ah, but fat quickly goes rancid, so bring on all the preservatives and chemicals that, guess what, coincide with increasing numbers of cancer cases, pancreatitis, and other maladies for vets to treat.

Dr. Goldstein shares his insights on the raw food trend, the home-cooked pet foods, and even the new move toward crickets and larvae as a superior source of sustainable protein for our pets. For years I've been blogging about entomophagy and the need for humans to kill fewer cows and pigs and eat more bugs. If we feed our dogs and cats kibble made primarily of corn, rice, or other grains, we have no excuse for rejecting a source of protein that is healthier for cats and dogs AND for the planet. (In fact, I finally found a dog food, Jiminy's, made of crickets or black sawfly larvae, rich in taurine and omega-3s, and our picky collies are eating it.) Dr. G says crickets as a food source for dogs "would help decrease the current dependence on the use of mammals, poultry, and fish as major ingredients in pet food."

The name-dropping and letters of praise from happy clients and people like Oprah may serve to convince us that this holistic vet is all that and more, but for me, it doesn't make for the most compelling reading.

I like the message of Love, Love, Love, and trusting nature, distrusting vaccinations and Big Pharma and conventional medicine, but I dislike the self-aggrandizing tone. That said, I wish my local vets were more like Dr. Goldstein. He has a lot of good messages here. Most, we've seen before in his previous book or at any number of Facebook groups and websites. I might buy the book for friends who don't surf the internet like I do, because I do endorse the philosophy and holistic practices of this vet-turned-bestselling-author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

If you have a pet you know they are not simply a pet, they are a cherished family member. This book takes a holistic approach to caring for your pet and offering knowledgeable advice on many different topics ranging from vitamins, healthy diets and vaccinations.
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If you have a pet in your life this is definitely a book for you. I want to make sure I am a knowledgeable pet owner as I care for my sweet dog.
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Thank you to #stmartinspress and #netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read, my first book on holistic and natural healing for pets and definitely some enlightening details for me. I will be reading the first book as well. I would highly recommend reading this book.

I'd not read Goldstein's earlier book so this was my first dip into the world of holistic medicine for animals. As the companion to a pair of bonded senior rescue cats, I'm always looking for information on how to keep them healthy. I might not take all of Goldstein's theories to heart or put them into action but this is a thought provoking read. He's done a nice job of using anecdotes to illustrate. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. For pet companions who would like to learn something new.

This was a much needed positive book about how to care for our beloved pets no matter what their species because they do so much for us! A very informative, well written and researched book. Such great information and a very moving read! Our companion animals are our everything.

Highly recommended read!

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley, Martin Goldstein and St Martin's Press Essentials for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 2/2/21

A deep exploration of applying holistic principles to animal care. I learned a lot from this book about the similarities between animals and humans and it makes perfect sense that you would want to take care of animals in the same way that you treat humans. This book explores multiple concepts about what is considered normal in the care of companion animals and I am encouraged to ask questions and demand answers. This book should serve an empowerment to not just settle for something because the vet says so, but really look into factors that might be impacting the well-being of your pet. I recommend this as deep reading for anyone who is interested in taking care of the whole being of their companion animals.

Dr. Marty's book, The Spirit of Animal healing looks at integrative medical knowledge to give us the latest insights in treating our animal companions. He knows what he's talking about--he's been in the vet business for 45 years.

In this, he discusses the current state of dog and cat disease (especially the rise in cancers), how bodies heal and what we can do to allow it to happen more naturally, whether we are over-vaccinating our pets, and more.

This book was far more interesting than I was expecting. Having been a pet parent and having taken my dog to the vet "as he was supposed to" to get as many vaccines "when and how he was supposed to," I was curious to see what Dr. Goldstein had to say in this subject. I always thought it was weird how much we medicated our animals, but what did I know? I'm a language/history person; I know next to nothing about science. I can say that these pages opened by eyes. But it's more than just the vaccines. I was captivated, fascinated by what he had to say about the body's natural ability to heal. That we do so much to our pets and ourselves that is decidedly *un*natural, when we could be much healthier if we just knocked it off. This is not new, in any sense, but putting it in the perspective of how we treat our pets gave me knew ways to think about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher St. Martin's for inviting me to review this advance copy. I'd highly recommend this to anyone with a pet. I certainly learned a lot.

This book came to me at an interesting time when I recently said goodbye to my dear girl who was with us 16 years and now we are welcoming a puppy who is helping us remember the happy moments. This book is a great resource for anyone who adores their pet companion and wants to take better care of them. I was surprised at the spiritual element and thought it was interesting perspective to think about. The content if extensive and thorough, if a bit overwhelming. I think a layout that helps divide the information visually would be very helpful, but overall a great book for animal lovers.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very a informative book for pet owners. From food to treatments, and just the overall happiness of your animals. While it did give some of his background info, it mainly focused on the animals. I don't know how well some of the treatments work, because he primarily talks about them, and not the outcomes. However, I think a lot of the information in this book is important.

this is an informative book, has lots of info on his back round and how he got to where he is. also tells us what to feed and not feed our fur babies. if you like to read about how different treatment can help or hurt the pets. i was given acopy of the book but thisisan honest review very well written

This is a great book that every person especially anyone who has a pet must read!
It has some amazing insight as to why our pets, as do humans, get sick and don't always live as long as they might.
It has valuable information that you will take away and want to use as I did.
Dr Marty Goldstein has cared for many animals and has done tremendous amounts of research into vitamins, healthy diets and alternative care and has found "IT DOES WORK"!
I am so glad I was able to read this and will look back often while I am caring for my own elderly pups!
Thank you so much for this book!

Why are so many pets dying from cancer and other ailments more than ever ? - is it over vacationing ? over medicating, ? poor diets ? How long have the same old recommendations been applied ? Are their other treatments that could lesson the side effects. This book will make you mad, make you think and make you demand answers.
Dr. Marty questions the tried methods of treatments and vaccinations. He argues that we are over vaccinating them, each dog’s body is different. They have different weights, different ages, different levels of retention. So why is it that a 10 pound dog gets the same shot as a 90 pound dog ? Is the little one getting an overdose ? is the large one getting too little ? That little fact alone is something to think about seriously. The price of traditional is insane for the pocketbook and on the pet’s body. The side effects for many drugs are scary.
He brings up so many great points, one is why are we not focused on homeopathic medicines that build the bodies own immunity and healing ? If you had the chance to enhance your own dog’s healing for a fraction of the cost without dangerous side effects would you do it ? Well yes, but we aren’t offered these choices at most Vet clinics.
He takes in the near death cases , the ones that other Vets gave no chance and gives them quality of life for sometimes years without traditional harsh drugs. It is amazing, years ago he was called a quack today many of his early discoveries are being used across the world. He drops famous names and brags a bit about his Star Power client list which is a bit irritating. Hey, he worked hard to be accepted he deserves to toot his horn.
If you own a pet, read this books for another perspective on a sometimes archaic system. I highlighted like crazy, questioned my vet and feel better for it. Thank you Dr. Marty for not being afraid to step on sensitive toes for our pets.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review

This is a book all pet parents need to read. It is full of helpful information and I will refer back to this book often. It is well written, easy to understand and will help you make wise choices when it comes to our furbabies. Thank you St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a well written book with many intriguing concepts about making veterinary practices and treating animals more nature- and nutrition/vitamin-based and less pharmaceuticals-based. Seems to ring true but I don't know enough to say how reliable some of the treatments are, though others are well documented. Book is more "about" the practices than giving actual guidelines for specific conditions.

The Spirit of Animal Healing by Marty Goldstein

9781250249692

384 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: February 2, 2021

Nonfiction, Healing, Pet Care, Animal Care

This book is a follow up to his book from 1999 and has the following chapters. There are also questions and answers.

Chapter 1: How Far Have We Come?
Chapter 2: A New Perspective on How the Mind and Body Heal
Chapter 3: Inside Your Pet’s Mind and Body
Chapter 4: Food is Still Where It Starts
Chapter 5: The Tremendous Power of Nutraceuticals
Chapter 6: Other Remarkable Therapies
Chapter 7: The Current State of Dog and Cat Disease
Chapter 8: Doctor, Do No Harm
Chapter 9: Walking Through Your Pet’s Spiritual World
Chapter 10: Tails Beyond the Clinic
Chapter 11: Looking to the Future – Where Do We Go from Here?

The author shares his experiences with different animal cases. He discusses proper nutrition and animals’ age. There are so many things to take into consideration when choosing what to feed my dog. I am glad he provides such detailed information. The information on spays and neuter was surprising. There are so many that believe it should be done at a young age. I am happy he recommends waiting until the animal is older, so they have time to develop.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very informative and shows how we can take care of our pet family as well as we take care of our human family.