- Madame Laurent

(Malo’s mom)

When I was considering animal hospitals in Geneva I had a list of criteria.  After relocating to Switzerland I was searching for a veterinarian for my Bulldog Balzac.  I needed a veterinarian that would treat him holistically.  I was in the process of dealing with Balzac’s sensitive stomach with his veterinarian in the US when I was relocated to Switzerland by my company.   Cabinet Vétérinaire International was recommended to me by other expats.  I was still undecided until I came across the website.   I was impressed enough to schedule an appointment.  Upon arriving at the Cabinet Vétérinaire International, I was greeted by friendly staff, an English speaking veterinarian, and I was offered a cup of coffee!  Needless to say, Balzac and I were quite pleased.   Dr. Omaboe created a diet that has settled my bulldog’s stomach.  I am pleased with the treatment my dog receives at Cabinet Vétérinaire International and I recommend the clinic wholeheartedly.

- Monsieur Martin

Gradually exposing a dog to the situations which may make him anxious will quiet his fear and demonstrate to him that new stimuli are not necessarily dangerous.  An anxious barking dog will react to new sights, smells, and sounds in a negative way, so it makes sense to make these things commonplace for him.  Proper communication between a dog and its owner is crucial in the understanding of his behavior.  A dog’s perception of the world around him is very different from that of a human’s.

Training your dog to stop barking should begin before the problem seems insurmountable.  Creating distance between the dog and his motivation to bark by using a barrier like a crate or fencing is a good start.  You may also want to distract the dog with another engaging activity.  In the beginning, reward him with food or attention immediately after he stops barking.  You may want to employ a common obedience command such as “stop” in conjunction with the reward.   Then, as he progresses, increase the amount of time between his stopping barking and his reward.  When you’ve noticed significant improvement, or that he’s getting the concept of no bark = reward, gradually move him closer to, and eventually introduce him to, the things that have caused him anxiety.  By using socialization and habituation methods, you will show your dog that the stimuli for which he expressed so much anxiety are really nothing to worry about.

You may also choose to utilize a remote leash with a head halter.  When the dog barks, a tug on the leash will pull the muzzle closed to stop the barking.  The dog can then be rewarded if he remains quiet.

Remember, it may be necessary to consult with a professional obedience trainer or your veterinarian, should your efforts in calming your dog’s barking be unsuccessful.

The myth that debarking surgery is acceptable needs to be debunked.  Your dog’s ability and need to bark are a necessary part of his nature.  To take it away would be cruel and inhumane.

Whether sinking lay-ups or laid up, NBA pros know the secrets to staying strong and bouncing back from injury…and holistic animal hospitals share their convictions.

Mies, Switzerland – June 8, 2009 – 2009 NBA Playoff season, as always, brings to mind the charisma, strength, and overall physical superiority that it takes to make it to the top.  Holistic medicine has been used for the maintenance and recovery of NBA players for decades, but was once kept under wraps because of a taboo reputation.  In the 21st century however, it’s kept hushed because players are wise to keep their success secrets for themselves.

NBA players have traditionally footed the bill for their own holistic physicians.  Just a few of the players that have disclosed their acupuncture usage are Shaquille O’Neal (center, Phoenix Suns), Jason Kidd (point guard, Dallas Mavericks), Vladimir Radmanovic (forward, Charlotte Bobcats), Allan Houston (retired shooting guard, Knicks), and Dwayne Wade (shooting guard, Miami Heat).  This trend is not surprising, considering that the Chinese have used holistic medicine for the maintenance and repair of their own martial arts masters for thousands of years.

Cabinet Vétérinaire International animal hospitals, headed by Dr. Nortey Omaboe, use that same thirst for success when treating canine patients.  “Holistic medicine no longer  has to be an afterthought, or used only as a complement to conventional medicine.  Instead, when administered by a trained veterinarian, it can serve as the first and only method of treatment,” explains Dr. Omaboe, a veterinarian formally trained by an acupuncture professor who served as the Chinese Olympic team’s acupuncturist.

Acupuncturists, including Dr. Omaboe, insert needles below the skin at particular points along meridians.  When done properly, this practice channels life energy, or Qi, to improve lung, immune, hormonal, and overall organ functions; and to speed healing.  After more than 25 years of practicing holistic medicine, including canine acupuncture, Dr. Omaboe attests that, “muscoskeletal, nervous system, digestive, urological, and a variety of other dog health problems have responded positively to a treatment that comes with no side effects.”

Cabinet Vétérinaire International’s holistic approach doesn’t stop at canine acupuncture.  The animal doctor also offers bioresonance therapy, in which dogs’ healthy organ and system energies are reconditioned; and biospectrum frequency therapy, in which the frequencies of various degrees are used to mimic those of a healthy dog’s system.  All of these holistic treatments have three major points in common:  They are drug-free, treat causes rather than symptoms, and result in no undesirable side effects.

Whether used to condition for a rebound or a fetch, holistic medicine is enjoying a return  in both human and animal medicine – so that NBA players and canine patients alike can stay on the ball.

Click here to see the original version of this press release.

Your dog’s skin is itching. There’s sneezing, watering eyes, and a runny nose. Of course, you want to help your beloved pet by relieving his or her seasonal allergy symptoms. But what’s the best plan of action?

Because most pet owners are largely familiar with Western medicine’s treatment philosophies, the first thing you might consider is an antihistamine, or a steroid, or some other remedy to relieve your dog’s allergy symptoms. But before you load him or her up with pet medication(s), read on.

Antihistamines can be effective in the relief of your dog’s allergy symptoms, but can also result in side effects such as drowsiness, fatigue, restlessness, nervous behavior, light-headedness, insomnia, or over-drying of the mucous membranes.

Steroids, like prednisone, are usually effective at first, but can lead to incontinence, and may damage the liver.

Additionally, allergy symptoms that are treated with antihistamines or steroids can compound in frequency and severity over time.

Holistic Allergy Remedies Treat your Whole Dog

Allergic reactions are products of a weakened, deficient, or ineffective immune system. Chinese wisdom says that if the immune system is harmonized…strengthened…then a dog’s reactions to allergens will be softened or eliminated. It is also believed, and testified to, that when the Defensive-Qi of the kidneys, lungs, and liver is bolstered, the frequency and severity of a dog’s allergy symptoms are greatly reduced.

As your dog’s immune system reacts to allergens (mold, pollen, mites, dust, dander, or fleas, to name a few), his or her body will heat up. This heat causes phlegm to accumulate. It’s also responsible for a complication that ancient Chinese medicine refers to as “wind”. A wind condition is considered to be present when the heat generated from an allergic reaction counters the cooler temperature of the dog’s body. The result is a Yin/Yang imbalance, manifesting as bothersome skin itching, which can cause your dog to scratch so severely that open sores, or “hot spots”, and even resulting infection, can occur.

Holistic Chinese medicine (including herbal treatment, acupuncture, and moxibustion), maintains (and has for 3000 years) that symptoms are only that – symptoms. That every dog’s health problem has two parts – the root of the problem and the manifestation of that problem. Ancient holistic veterinary medicine focuses on settling disharmony, and eliminating (or at least subduing) the root of the allergy problem.

Acupuncture “Pinpoints” the Root of Allergy Problems

Acupuncture theory operates on the belief that symptoms (in this case, allergy symptoms) are simply products of a body’s imbalance or disharmony. Therefore, acupuncture does not treat allergy symptoms, but rather affects your dog’s body’s neurotransmitters, neurohormones, blood flow, and immune system vitality. It essentially realigns the body’s responses to stimuli.

Moxibustion Burns up Your Dog’s Allergy Symptoms

Moxibustion is a component of acupuncture. It employs a burning stick or cone of mugwort, a root used as part of Chinese holistic medicine. The mugwort is burned, delivering heat along specific meridians to stimulate the body’s Qi. The procedure is very safe, when administered by a certified professional. The fire is extinguished before the skin is burned, and before any discomfort is felt by the patient.

Chinese Herbs for Dogs Curb Allergy Symptoms / Serve up Natural Healing

Herbs with cooling properties are used to quell the effect that allergens have on your dog’s immune system. When administered by a certified holistic vet, they hold the potential to not only reduce the inflammation and wind within a reacting dog’s body, but serve to re-establish harmony within your dog’s system and rid the body of toxins. All without adverse effects to your dog’s liver.

Bio-Spectrum Frequency Offers a Broad Spectrum of Biological Effects

Bio-Spectrum Frequency treatment has been shown in clinical tests to greatly bolster the effectiveness of the immune system. And, as you now know, your dog’s allergy symptoms are manifestations of his or her immune system’s incapability of dealing with allergens.

BSF therapy is a holistic technology that emits vibrations of varying frequencies and bio-spectrums, mimicking those produced by a healthy immune system.

Bioresonance Resonates as an Allergy Symptom Eliminator

Holistic veterinary medicine recognizes that all living beings, including dogs, are made up of energy – that bodily functions and organs ARE energy. With that in mind, Bioresonance therapy uses electrical currents to restore a dog’s positive energy flow.

When allergens, heat, phlegm, wind, and inflammation are present in a dog’s body, they create pathological energy rhythms. Bioresonance boosts a dog’s immune system response and curtails the effects of negative energy. It accomplishes this by imitating the positive oscillating energy of a harmonious system, restoring the immune system’s ability to battle allergens.

Homeopathic Dog Medicine Cures by Mirroring Allergy Symptoms

A homeopathic veterinarian, like Dr. Omaboe, uses the principles outlined by homeopathic principles to treat allergy symptoms. Much like the standards employed by a vaccination (but in much smaller doses), the allergic dog is administered minuscule amounts of the allergen that causes his or her allergy symptoms. This transforms the dog’s immune system response, clinically proving that the body will heal itself. Like its other holistic animal care counterparts, homeopathic medicine is drug-free, with no side effects.

Our Own Holistic Veterinarian

Dr. Omaboe, trained in all of the aforementioned methods, can only prescribe appropriate treatment after he thoroughly examines your allergic dog.

In some cases, a strictly holistic approach may be in order to relieve your dog’s allergy symptoms. In other cases, a combination of conventional and holistic veterinary medicine may be in order.

No matter the recommended treatment for your dog’s seasonal allergy symptoms, Dr. Omaboe will clearly describe all applicable treatments, making it as simple as possible for you to make informed decisions regarding your dog’s health care.

Spring Brings with it Unwelcome Visitors

Flowers and trees aren’t the only things bursting to life in the springtime. Heartworm (in non-Swiss native dogs), ticks, and fleas all hold potential to devastate your dog’s health. Preventatives for these villains should be used year-round. If you have discontinued use of parasite-preventative pet medication, Dr. Omaboe advises that you resume use as soon as possible. Ticks, fleas, and intestinal worms can be transmitted to humans, along with the bacteria that they carry.

Care for your “Whole” Dog…Spay and Neuter

Spaying and neutering of dogs not only prevents the birth of unwanted puppies, but decreases occurrences of dog illnesses, including cancer. In general, spayed and neutered dogs are healthier and more content.

Dogs as young as 6 months should be spayed or neutered. When shelters aren’t inundated with unwanted puppies, and our houses are homes to manageable numbers of dogs, we can focus on our best friends, caring for each one…well.

Sometimes, pet medications are necessary. Likewise, many are not. Side effects, including detriment to your dog’s long-term health, can outweigh a dog medicine’s benefits. Therefore, treating with drug-free, time-proven, and natural procedures like dog acupuncture, Chinese herbs for dogs, and homeopathic methods makes sense. Hundreds of dog illnesses respond positively to these targeted treatments, particularly when administered by an animal doctor that is adequately trained in Chinese medicine, like Dr. Omaboe.

Why do dogs vomit?

A dog’s vomiting is not an illness – it is a symptom of any number of dog health problems. If your dog has a fever, has ingested something toxic (chocolate, chemical, vegetation, etc.), is lethargic with decreased thirst or appetite, is dehydrated, is experiencing sensitivity in the abdominal area, also has diarrhea, or has been vomiting for more than 48 hours, contact Cabinet Veterinaire International and schedule an appointment, a.s.a.p.

Why do dogs get diarrhea?

Like vomiting, a dog’s diarrhea is not an illness – it is a symptom of any number of dog health problems. If your dog has a fever, is of geriatric age (more than 8 years old), has ingested something toxic (chocolate, chemical, vegetation), is lethargic with decreased thirst or appetite, is dehydrated, is experiencing sensitivity in the abdominal area, is also vomiting, has had diarrhea for more than 48 hours, or suffers from pre-diagnosed health complications, contact Cabinet Veterinaire International and schedule an appointment, a.s.a.p.

Why do dogs scoot?

When a dog drags his or her bum on the carpet or grass, it usually indicates complications such as diarrhea, parasitic infestation, perianal tumors, or most commonly, problem anal glands. The anal glands don’t always drain naturally, and might need to be drained by a professional. They may even be infected or impacted. These conditions cause great discomfort for dogs, and veterinary attention should be sought promptly.

My dog is sneezing and scratching. Could these be allergy symptoms?

Absolutely. Dogs’ allergy symptoms are similar to those of humans. Itching skin, sneezing, runny nose, watering eyes, and soft tissue swelling are not uncommon to dogs suffering from seasonal or year-round allergies. Dogs can be tested for allergies. Many common ones include pollen, fleas, mites, and certain foods. Visit this site’s Seasonal Concerns section for more information.

How can I prevent Lyme Disease? Can my dog be tested for Lyme Disease?

Lyme Disease can be prevented with a vaccination, as well as tick preventative. Additionally, your dog should be examined daily for ticks, and any that you find should be removed promptly. It is especially important to examine your dog for ticks when winters are mild. Ticks can easily survive mild winters – increasing their own population, as well as the spread of Lyme Disease. If not treated, Lyme Disease can progress, to attack joints, the heart, kidneys, and the nervous system, and eventually cause paralysis. For this reason, prevention, early detection, and antibiotic treatment (if infected) are essential.

My dog has had surgery at Cabinet Veterinaire International. When may I visit?

If your dog has been admitted for same-day veterinary surgery and release, we ask that you not visit, but rather come to pick up your dog at the pre-determined time. We request that you adhere to this policy so that we may observe your dog in a rested state – to properly determine if he or she is stable enough to return home. However, if your dog is staying with us for an extended recovery time, you are welcome to visit.

Does Cabinet Veterinaire International provide emergency veterinary services?

Yes, our veterinary clinic’s phone system is enabled, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, to receive messages. After leaving a message with your name, telephone number, and reason for your emergency call, Dr. Omaboe’s staff will return your call promptly, providing that the phone number you supply is not busy or blocked. Please reserve your use of this service for emergency situations only. Non-emergency circumstances include things such as pet vaccinations, a dog’s spaying or neutering, scheduling or rescheduling of routine exams, or dog grooming. Our staff would be happy to answer your non-emergency dog health questions and schedule non-emergency appointments during regular business hours. Visit our Finding Us for our hours of operation.

Ask about becoming a Cabinet Veterinaire International VIP Member – to take advantage of a host of benefits, including online scheduling of vet appointments.

Can you recommend companies that offer other pet care services?

We are not affiliated with, nor do we endorse, any of the following pet care and service companies. However, we do provide the links, below, for the convenience of our clients and visitors.

• Pet Loss and Grievance

• Dog walker

• Pet Photography

• Pet Memorials

• Pet Relocation

A note to our visitors: The medical information outlined above is solely intended for broad interpretation of a dog’s symptoms. Medical attention will still need to be sought for dog illnesses. This information is by no means intended to replace diagnosis by a certified veterinary professional.

Dr. Omaboe’s ability to fully care for your dog is supported by his broad resume, including specific holistic veterinary training and certification in acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

• Degree in Veterinary Medicine, Doctorate in Cardiomyopathy, Diagnostic Pathology Residency, and Service as Clinical Neurology Assistant, all with The University of Bern, Switzerland

• Training at the Animal Medical Center of New York

• Cardiac and Abdominal Echography training at Remote Vet in Atlanta, GA

• Abdominal Echography training in Switzerland

• Education in Animal Behavior and Diploma of Specialist for Evaluation of Dangerous Dogs from The Society of Swiss Veterinarians

• Diplomas in Moxibustion and Acupuncture (Chinese Medicine) from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Institute of Peking

Dr. Omaboe’s studies in NY, with Dr. Martin De Angelis, have enabled him to administer the utmost in hip dysplasia and dog knee repair surgeries. Dr. De Angelis is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, and is widely recognized as one of the world’s finest veterinary knee surgeons.

Dr. Omaboe retains high standings with AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) as well as these organizations:

Directions

Minutes from the train station in Mies, and only 14 minutes from Geneva and Nyon, Cabinet Veterinaire International is located conveniently at Route Suisse 9 and1295 Mies.

Use these driving directions to find our sign. The sign is visible from the traffic circle near Cabinet Veterinaire International. Follow the arrow to our veterinary clinic. In the lot, you’ll find 15 parking spots, reserved for our clients.

Payment

We at Cabinet Veterinaire International encourage the purchase of dog health insurance for your pet, and we happily process dog health insurance claims. We offer a 5% discount for cash payments. Major credit cards are also accepted. Payment, in full, is expected at the time of service.

Language

Our own Dr. N.J. Omaboe is fluent in German, English, and French.