case studies
FLO
My cocker spaniel lived to 18 thanks to Birgit – she is an absolute miracle worker!
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My little dog Flo developed a tumour in her eye at around 15 and a half. Because of her age I didn't want to put her through surgery but was told by conventional vets that this was my only option. At around the same time Flo was also struggling very badly with arthritis, she could barely walk despite regular hydrotherapy sessions and she was just getting sicker and sicker and slower and slower (there were some other issues such as kidneys too). I really thought I was going to lose her.
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Then someone mentioned Birgit so I took Flo to see her immediately and within just a month she was a completely new dog and back to her old self running round, chasing rabbits, jumping up for food and her tumour had completely gone! It was like a magic wand had been waved.
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After this Flo went from strength to strength with Birgit's help and thanks to this miracle vet I got to spend another two and a bit years with my beautiful girl who made it to the incredible age of 18.
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Birgit and the team are absolutely wonderful they all treated Flo (and me!) with the utmost care and respect. I feel so grateful to have found this fantastic practice and I'll be using them again when my new puppy arrives knowing that she'll be in the very best of hands.
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This team is one in a million.
Flo at 17 and still running around!
LADY
In May 2018 our dear little dog Lady, was diagnosed as having terminal liver cancer by our then vet, and given 6 weeks to live. We were told that both lobes of the liver were involved and that there were ascites in her abdomen and that the best thing to do would be to put her to sleep. We were distraught.
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Fortunately we discovered Birgit and she said she could help. We were hoping to make life as comfortable as possible for Lady, and we were willing to do anything to alleviate her health issues. Our main aim was to keep Lady as well as possible as for as long as Lady wished to continue. It is very reassuring that Birgit is a fully qualified vet and only now do we appreciate her wealth of experience in the holistic field; homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, herbal medicine,
dietary and supplementary advice. Not only was Lady well with her liver cancer and at the last scan it was non detectable, she was with us until she died in January 2022, of heart failure at the age of 15. It was very important to us that Lady's welfare and what was the kindest thing for Lady was always at the forefront of our minds and as long as Lady felt she wanted to continue, we did everything we could to help her.
Birgit also works with more 'conventional' vets too, in relation to matters such as blood tests and scans. We were always reassured by both sets of vets that we were doing the right thing for Lady. Birgit and her team are ever so kind, caring and understanding. Lady was a typical Jack Russell-Chihuahua and did not appreciate being told what to do. She would shake off the acupuncture needles at times, hide under chairs, glare at Birgit and be most uncooperative, but we could clearly see the difference in her health after her treatment. The fact that she felt well enough to argue was encouraging.
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After a while, Lady went on to develop diabetes and we were told by a different conventional vet to have her put to sleep. With Birgit's help and her recommendation of a Simon and Eleanor at Medivet Forest Row, who agreed to let us use insulin injections for Lady, we were able to help her further. It is fortunate that we were able to avail of holistic and conventional medicine and they can work very well together.
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If ever a conventional vet tells you to put an animal to sleep and you have any doubts, please see a holistic vet and get a second opinion. Sometimes it is the right thing to do for your beloved pet but sometimes there are options. There is always effort involved and monitoring and adapting care for the animal, but if you are prepared to do this, can find a holistic vet / and sometimes conventional vet to help and above all, feel that your animal wants to continue, I would highly recommend seeking an alternative option. We count our lucky stars for Birgit.
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We have learned so much from Birgit and we are always pleased to tell other dog/cat/horse people how Birgit helped Lady and how we are eternally grateful. For anyone who has an animal who is unwell and for whom conventional vets are unable to help, Birgit is a miracle worker. We tell them about Lady and her terminal diagnosis and how Birgit helped her. Birgit and team were always able to help us, even out of hours and clearly Birgit does this out of great love for her patients, rather than just money. We need more vets like Birgit but you'd be lucky to find another vet with her skills and experience.
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Birgit gave us precious extra time with our beloved little dog and we were even able to take Lady into hospital to visit her 'Mum' before she died, which gave Mum great peace of mind. Lady was a fabulous little hound and is very much missed. Without Birgit, Lady would have been put to sleep on the advice of her previous vet/s and we would not have had the extra years with her that we are so very grateful for. Words cannot express how much we appreciate Birgit and her team. Thank you for helping us with our little Lady.
tessie
Tessie was diagnosed with an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma (tumour) 7 weeks ago, manifesting as a large swelling on her hind leg. The prognosis was not good and we were offered chemotherapy or a leg amputation. However I wanted to try a holistic approach to help with pain management and make Tessie as comfortable as possible.
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Birgit gave her a treatment plan which included acupuncture, Iscador, chinese herbs and homeopathy. As Tessie had lost a lot of weight because of the tumour, Birgit recommended increasing her meals to three a day using a raw food diet.
The improvement in Tessie has been astounding. When the sarcoma was diagnosed, Tessie was very subdued and in a lot of pain, limping badly on her hind leg. What a contrast to now, the tumour has reduced so much in size, it is barely visible. Tessie is much happier in herself and playful again, reminding me of how she was as a puppy (she is 10 years old). She has put on a lot of weight, is physically much stronger than she has been for a long time, and is scarcely limping at all.
I can't quite believe how quickly she has improved. This has given us so much hope that Tessie will be with us for a while longer yet.
Thank you so much Birgit.
peeta
We brought Peeta, our Springer/Labrador cross, to see Birgit after 5 months of traditional treatment and major surgery that started in September 2017 to deal with a serious abscess. This had left her with a huge scar from the small of her back down to her belly. After having around 45 staples removed she was continuing to have problems with small slightly infected lumps along the line of her scar. We weren't sure but it seemed possible that the lumps were caused by a reaction to internal soluble stitches. Also she'd developed a fungal infection on one of her ears and was not generally in the best of health for a 4 year old. Reluctant to continue pumping Peeta full of antibiotics, or worse still putting her through yet more surgery, in late January 2018 we decided to try the holistic approach on the recommendation of a friend. Thank goodness we did!
After 3 weeks of acupuncture, homeopathic and naturopathic treatments the progress was remarkable. Working together Birgit and Alex administered the acupuncture expertly and almost without Peeta being
aware that she looked like a canine pin cushion. The lumps came to a head, remnants of stitches were expelled and the areas began to heal. Hair began to grow back on Peeta's ear as the fungal infection was controlled. What a relief! Birgit also recommended changing Peeta's diet to raw food to help the healing process and strength her immune system.
It's now just over 3 months since Peeta was discharged and we can honestly say she's made a full recovery... plus she loves her raw food diet, her coat is really glossy and if anything she has even more energy than before. Thank you Birgit and Alex for a fantastic outcome.
richard peters - lewes
darcy
Birgit has been treating our Cocker Spaniel, 'Darcy' since November 2014. He became ill and was diagnosed with a tumour in his spleen was not expected to survive very long with another vet recommending we think about euthanasia. A friend of ours recommended we see Birgit so we thought we'd try and make him comfortable even though there may not be long left.
She treated Darcy with accupuncture, holistic medication and supplements and he started to improve after a month. We have continued regular treatment which had also helped chronic arthritis and his whole health and wellbeing. It's been more than a year since he was 'written off' and now in great spirits for a 12 year old dog. We highly recommend Birgit to anyone who has a poorly pet that regular vet treatment may not be helping. She has given us a lot of very special time with our beloved Darcy and we are so very thankful for that.
sal & Denise
henry
After receiving a diagnosis of stage 3 kidney disease with a desperate diagnosis, Glenn took Henry, a 7 year old Yorkshire Terrier to see Birgit. Click on the play button below to hear Glenn's heartfelt testimonial.
glenn cameron, west hoathly
kenzie
In March 2015, my 9 year old Fox Red Labrador, Kenzie was diagnosed with a horrible kidney condition called Protein Losing Nephropathy (PLN). I had taken him to the vets initially because I noticed him leaking urine but on being diagnosed, the vet’s words to me were "I'm sorry" because PLN is a terminal condition and the prognosis extremely poor.
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In the couple of months which followed, Kenzie' energy levels plummeted, he would walk sluggishly, drag his claws with his pace being almost at a standstill during just a 20 minute walk. The leaking persisted, it worsened such that he had to wear a nappy around the house and people remarked on how sorry he looked. It's fair to say I didn't think I would have him with me much longer.
In May, a friend put me in touch with Dr Birgit Holistic Vet as she believed Kenzie could be helped. At our first consultation, Kenzie curled up on the floor almost immediately, listless. We had a very in-depth discussion which led to the proposed treatment plan and his first acupuncture session, which, being a gentle Labrador, didn't faze him at all; He appreciated the treat morsel at the end.
Since May, Kenzie has had monthly sessions with Dr Birgit and has been continuously improving. Through acupuncture, homeopathy and other methods, his kidneys and liver have been strengthened, the energy levels improved and my boy started to look happy again.
After 6 months of treatments and encouraging progress throughout, there was a considerable step change which I had not anticipated. Kenzie had all but stopped leaking urine! He doesn't have to wear a nappy anymore!! When we go for our walks he is so excited he bounces up and down and then canters off in a happy, puppy-like fashion. He then trots all the way, exploring, sniffing, then canters to me if I'm ahead. He is so happy when we visit Dr Birgit; during our last meeting, he stood up throughout the whole session, so energised and he even put his nose under Dr Birgit's arm, nudging her for attention and fuss!
It's almost incomprehensible for me having seen my boy so close to what I feared was the end, only now to see a happy dog with such zest for life. The people who had commented previously have since told me they can't believe how healthy he looks, that he doesn't look like an 'old man' anymore. Others are in disbelief when I say he's almost 10… 'But he looks so young and healthy!'
We're in a really positive place and whilst we don't know what the future holds, I'm so happy to have my beautiful Kenzie with me in such fine fettle. Dr Birgit has been incredible to both of us throughout our journey. I have recommended her to friends who have taken their pets and have also seen great results.
I genuinely feel indebted to Dr Birgit for bringing my lovely Kenzie back to me. I cannot recommend her highly enough and for anybody reading our story, perhaps facing similar challenges, then there is definitely hope.
helen digby
lucas
This is the story of Lucas "Humbug Hooligan" his registered pedigree name. Born: 13th November 2000. He is my special boy and we have a loving relationship, we have grown together in training for competition obedience and he reached the dizzy heights of championship C, the top of the competitive ladder. He never went to Crufts although we had a few near misses. At the age of eight he had his first fit. I was devastated and after consultation with my vet took him to a referral clinic for a lumber punch and a MRI scan.
They couldn't find anything wrong and had no explanation for the onset of seizures. It is a frightening and horrible experience to see your dog fit, but I didn't want him drugged up. I happened to go to a talk at Billingshurst Dog Training club by Dr Birgit Ahlemeyer and found her fascinating, I asked if she could help Lucas and so our relationship began. She is so talented and relaxed with the dogs, and Lucas took to her immediately. She has prescribed a mixture of tablets for him to maintain him in good health. We now have not experienced a fit for a gap of eight months.
I trust her completely and I know she has the best interest of my dog in her heart. She is a very kind and talented person and I thoroughly recommend her to anyone with a pet. She has made life so good for Lucas and therefore me. Thank you Birgit.
kay raven, animal trainer
josh
Josh was 9 years old when diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the jaw. It was recommended that he had Radiotherapy or Chemotherapy to treat this condition, giving him 3 - 6 months. I decided to have a second opinion with Birgit Ahlemeyer who started his treatment straight away on Iscador Injections every other day with CV247 and various other homeopathic drugs. His quality of life was excellent up to the last 2 weeks and we enjoyed another 3 years on top of his original prognosis.
flash
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Birgit and her fantastic approach to animal healing for giving my horse a completely new lease of life. Having battled through Colic surgery and the diagnosis of Kissing Spines, the latest hurdle for me and my 11 year old Thoroughbred to overcome was possible Arthritis of the pelvis region/hind limbs. I was at a loss and feeling very disheartened when a friend suggested I contact Birgit who had really helped her with her dogs various ailments.
So I gave Birgit a call and within a couple of days she was at my yard assessing Flash. I explained how over the last few weeks he had not being feeling quite right and his movement was hindered. The physio treatments he'd had didn't really have much affect and our ridden work was just not coming together. It was clear my horse was uncomfortable and holding a lot of tension in his body.
Birgit prescribed low potency homeopathic remedies (Zeel and Traumeel) for inflammation, and a high quality joint supplement and within as little as a day Flash was like a different horse. I couldn't believe it. Over the next few days he continued to improve in every way, his general well being, mood, movement and energy levels. I put together an exercise programme to get his weight down and fitness and strength levels up to take the strain off his joints, none of which I could have done effectively had Flash not been feeling well.
He currently gets exercised approximately 6 times a week consisting of daily sessions on the horse walker, a mixture of hacking and schooling 6 times a week, raised poles and carrot stretches 4 times a week to help build and strengthen his muscles. The speed of his improvement is so encouraging, he feels and looks better than he has done in years. I even took him for a gallop on the Downs which I never thought I'd be able to do previously due to his physical issues.
Everyone who knows me and Flash, knows the struggles we've been through and we can all see first hand how successful Birgit's treatment has been so I highly recommend her to everyone who wants to give their four legged family members a chance of being as happy as my horse now is.
Thank you Birgit.
'b'
If your pet is sick SEE THIS VET!
My mastiff B pulled up very lame in summer last year which was diagnosed by my conventional vet as a probable partial tear to her cruciate ligament (her investigative treatment was superbly thorough and she was very distressed for my dog by the diagnosis). B was in a great deal of pain getting up and settling down for which she was given Rimadyl. Bed rest for a long period was recommended with the only option being surgery if the ligament were to rupture although it was pointed out that prognosis for this surgery is not good with large and/or heavy breeds.
So bed rest it was but it was depressing to see my beautiful dog unable to gallop around and enjoy herself, being confined only to painful short toilet walks. I deliberately kept her weight very light to take strain off the leg. B of course became stiffer and more miserable and although gradually in less general pain, would take a long time to get up or down, often howling when she caught the leg awkwardly.
A referral to Birgit Ahlemeyer quite literally turned her life around. On the first couple of visits (at our home as it would have been too painful to try to get B in and out of a car) B was very nervous. Birgit started by massaging B thoroughly and showed me how to do the same. Once B relaxed Birgit started the acupuncture. Within the first five needles the cause of the pain had been very precisely located at the cruciate. B clearly felt the needles going in, particularly around the related sites on the spine and around the knee but the first needle on every treatment gradually made B dozy. (In one treatment the first needle actually poleaxed her - from sitting up to flat out and breathing deeply within two seconds... quite extraordinary to see!). Homeopathic remedies supported the reduction of the inflammation.
Before long B was stretching the sore leg out when lying down and just looking more comfortable in herself. Acupuncture and homeopathy, along with an injection stimulating extra fluid around the joint, had B back to her mischievous self within a couple of weeks even thought she was still on complete rest. Her pain was clearly lessening and she was moving around much more easily. Once we started seeing Birgit at her surgery B would trot in happily and sit with her head bowed, leaning on her and begging a massage. B would then lie obediently still as the needles went in, even when they clearly twinged.
We had a brief blip when the opposite leg became sore from having to bear B's complete weight but a combination of massage and acupuncture worked their magic on this too. B is completely sound now (five months after starting treatment) and I am increasing her exercise regimen to build up the muscle mass she lost. She is a healthy and more importantly, happy dog again and although I know we will always have to watch that cruciate we haven't had to consider surgery.
Birgit is extraordinary and I have no hesitation in recommending her to you and your dogs. They will love you for it!
alfie
Birgit treated my 14 year old Jack Russell, Alfie for the final year of his life, following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. At his age the only treatment traditional medicine could offer was medication to control his blood sugar levels. I truly believe without the care and knowledge of Birgit I would have lost Alfie much sooner. The exemplary treatment provided by Birgit enabled Alfie's symptoms to be managed and for him to enjoy quality of life in his final year. Birgit was kind and gentle with Alfie, putting him at ease. She always went out of her way to see him if he was having a crisis and I had complete trust in the care Alfie was given. I would highly recommend Birgit.