About Dr. Jeff and Homevet [HomeVet© Natural Pet Care]

HomeVet is a full-service holistic veterinary practice owned and operated by Dr. Jeffrey Feinman of the town of Weston, in Fairfield County, Connecticut. All HomeVet patients are treated using integrative veterinary medicine. This combines the latest scientific knowledge with species-appropriate nutrition, stimulation of natural healing using homeopathic remedies, and supplementation (when indicated). Getting "the best of both worlds" is the goal at HomeVet.

The best time to begin holistic preventive care is when your pet is a puppy or kitten. Since we may not start working together until later in life when problems have already arisen, a large percentage of my practice is management of chronic and degenerative disorders like recurrent ear or skin ³infection², allergies, endocrine imbalances and cancer.

Initial Consultation: A detailed history, including environmental analysis, is taken for all new patients, and past and current problems are discussed in detail. Next, Dr. Jeff will conduct a thorough physical examination to look for any signs of illness such as heart abnormalities, skin diseases, lymph node enlargements, oral problems, etc.
Healthy Pet Care: The key to a long life includes good nutrition, proper exercise and working with, instead of against, the body. During a consultation, Dr. Jeff will also discuss the latest breakthroughs in preventive care and advise you whether they are suitable for your pet.
Sick Pet Care: In these cases a diagnostic workup to completely evaluate and stage the condition *may* be requested. Blood tests, x-rays, endoscopy and ultrasonography will be used when necessary. Once the disease process has been staged, a decision can then be made as to the best course of action. Length of treatment will depend upon the chronicity of the condition. Most acute situations can be properly resolved over a few days or a week or two whereas lifelong problems can take 1-3 years.
Diagnostic Testing: Dr. Jeff always uses the most effective, least invasive, and least expensive path to diagnosis. When appropriate, biochemical analysis, EKG, x-rays, etc. will be done to identify problems.
Surgery and Critical Care: provided through Dr. Jeff's affiliation with the Broad River Animal Hospital in Norwalk (or any local veterinarian who is willing to work with us).
Client Update Time: Weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. Dr. Jeff and his assistant answer calls live at 203 222-7979 to take a brief update, for all clients. Of course updates can also be left 24 hours a day by voice or e-mail.

Jeffrey Feinman, BA, VMD, CVH, holds both molecular biology and veterinary degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Jeff was the first dual degree recipient at Penn in the prestigious University Scholar program (which was designed to foster medical scientists).

His scientific experience includes research at The Wistar Institute, Penn's School of Medicine in the Department of Biochemistry (where he first published his scientific research) and the veterinary school's Department of Medical Genetics (where he wrote further scientific articles). In addition his academic career during veterinary school included an externship in endocrinology at the Animal Medical Center in New York City where he was again published in a leading, peer-reviewed veterinary journal.

After graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Jeff was selected for a competitive internship in clinical medicine at the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston. After fourteen months of intensive clinical experience he decided to postpone his planned academic career to help individual patients. In clinical practice he quickly became alarmed by increasing rates of allergy, cancer and other degenerative diseases. Frustration with the results of conventional therapy of these chronic diseases fueled an interest in natural, holistic therapies.

His scientific background helped him research and incorporate those natural therapies that were most efficacious into his practice. In 1998 he further advanced his training in Dr. Richard Pitcairn's Professional Veterinary Homeopathy Course. Dr. Jeff then became the first Certified Veterinary Homeopath in the state of Connecticut. He then went on to study with world-renowned human homeopaths Dr. Paul Herscu, Dr. Andre Saine and David Little. Currently his practice integrates the latest, safest, diagnostic techniques and treatments with holistic modalities such as clinical nutrition and homeopathy.

• Member: American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association • President-Elect of The Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy (and Chairman of the Education Committee) • CT's First Certified Veterinary Homeopath • Veterinary Honor Society (Phi Zeta): Inducted 1985:

If you are like most of us, one of the first things you want to know is what this is going to cost. So, even though we are all thinking of helping your animal as the most important thing, we want to address this question early on and as completely as we can. Most routine care can be provided during a standard office visit which lasts 15 minutes. The charge for a 15 minute office consultation is $41.50. Depending on the age of your pet and complexity of the case, initial consultations will likely take longer than the 15 minutes allotted for routine care.

At that time I will be gathering all of the history and pertinent information. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. I may then need to spend additional time (usually not more 10-20 minutes) for case analysis deciding on the treatment approach which is best to use. Initial holistic consultations of this sort are charged on the basis of $125/hour. Full homeopathic intake consultations are typically one to two hours.

Homeopathic veterinary medicine is different from the usual veterinary service in that it is much more time intensive. Rather than emphasizing charges for expensive testing, medicines, vaccination and surgery, I charge for actual time spent on the case. This seems to be the fairest method for both my clients and for me. In addition to office visits as detailed above, my charges include phone consultations, consultations (if needed) with other veterinarians, evaluating x-rays, laboratory data, and case analysis time. Case analysis time is the time needed to develop the treatment plan, choose a medicine, and evaluate the progress. A current credit card is required to be kept on file for all clients, and payment is expected at the time services are rendered (no billing). There is a $25 missed appointment charge if your appointment is not canceled ahead of time (I prefer at least 24 hours notice because usually 60 minutes or more have been booked out for your appointment). If you are not home when a house call has been scheduled, the house call charge will still apply.

Because the life span of our pets is compressed into a short period of time, change occurs rapidly. Maintaining health, prevention and early detection of disease is therefore critical. The veterinarian and owner are partners in managing the lifestyle of the pet and detecting early warning signs of trouble. In most cases, a combination of conventional scientific technologies (modern drugs, and surgery) along with alternative techniques ( homeopathy , nutritional therapy , supplementation , acupuncture and herbal medicine ) provide the best quality of life for the pet. [Use your browser's BACK BUTTON to return to this page].

Among the more common age-related disorders of older pets that are most effectively treated holistically are:

Heart Disease: [Use your browser's BACK BUTTON Button to return to this page.] The most common heart problem seen in older pets is failure of the valves to close properly. This results in abnormal circulation of blood and eventual fluid buildup in the lungs, liver and other organs. Again, early detection and treatment can add years to the life of the aging pet. Heartworm disease is another common and potentially fatal heart disease that can be easily prevented. Every form of heart disease can be helped with appropriate supplementation and homeopathy.
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease [Use your browser's BACK BUTTON Button to return to this page.] Previously known as "FUS", this potentially fatal disorder is seen in cats of all ages, and can be effectively prevented and managed with environmental and dietary treatment. In the acute situation this disease responds beautifully to individually chosen homeopathic remedies.
Dental Disease: [Use your browser's BACK BUTTON Button to return to this page.] This disorder has been associated with many other aging disabilities that occur throughout the body. Lack of proper nutrition and dental hygiene can result in the buildup of bacterial plaques around the gums that can be the source for inapparent infections elsewhere. Studies have linked dental disease to the most common cause of kidney failure in aged cats, chronic interstitial nephritis. Gum and tooth disease are also the main cause of tooth loss, and can be found in more than 80 percent of dogs and 55 percent of cats over six years of age. If recognized early, periodontal disease can be reversed and further deterioration prevented. Over 90% of pets that eat a species-appropriate diet which includes raw bones do not ever develop dental disease.
Obesity: [Use your browser's BACK BUTTON Button to return to this page.] The most common nutritional disorder of dogs and cats, obesity is much easier to prevent than treat. As your pet ages, lean muscle mass decreases, and body fat increases. To make matters worse, metabolism slows and exercise decreases in the older pet. Obesity decreases mobility, and increases the risks of many disorders including diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and liver disease. All things being equal, an obese pet does not have as good a quality of life as a lean one. Needless to say it is incumbent on the pet owner to ensure proper, meat-based nutrition and exercise throughout a pet's life.
Arthritis: [Use your browser's BACK BUTTON Button to return to this page.] Many older pets develop joint disabilities. These may manifest only as stiffness getting up or intermittent lameness. Severe arthritis however can greatly detract from the older animal's quality of life. Fortunately, many effective natural treatments are now available (use of aspirin or steroids is to be avoided). A regimen of appropriate vitamin and mineral supplementation, along with moderate exercise and massage, will be extremely beneficial. Homeopathic treatment of these "crippled" pets often results in return to full function and excellent quality of life.

To summarize, most disorders can be prevented by reducing the risk factors associated with the disease process. Good nutrition, homeopathic stimulation of healing, proper supplementation, dental care, grooming and exercise can all reduce your pet's susceptibility to dis-ease.

Please note: The information provided here is meant to supplement that provided by your veterinarian. Nothing can replace a complete history and physical examination performed by your veterinarian. - Dr. Jeff

I greatly value your feedback. Please let me know what you think of this site and what you would like to see on it. drjeff@homevet.com

About HomeVet and Dr. Jeff