About The Proposed Veterinary Health And Environment Centre

One of our highly respected, local Veterinarians David A. Lucas B.V.Sc, has put forward a proposal for a New Centre to be established in South Gippsland. I suspect there is a solid potential for the VHEC business model to be duplicated in other regions of Victoria, other States Of Australia and perhaps even other countries. The initial purpose, philosophy and modes of treatment and general business plan are set out as follows …

Purpose Of The Veterinary Health And Environment Centre

1. To provide a Veterinary Surgery and Advisory Service where “prevention is better than cure” as the fundamental philosophy.

2. To provide an all-inclusive premises where the health of animals, plants, the soil and the sustainability of the wider environment are all considered when making any decisions or taking action.

3. To promote the effective use of natural, organically produced and environmentally friendly products in both the urban and rural communities.

4. Providing the community with ongoing education on the importance of turning to more natural and less environmentally polluting health therapies, practices and farming methods, will also be an important task.

5. The provision of alternative raw products, tools, medications and other natural solutions will automatically increase community awareness and encourage the use of earth nurturing (not earth exploiting) ways of living.

6. Health begins with the earth!

Philosophy

Modern veterinary medicine and surgery are very effective in terms of technological advances and successful results when it comes to acute injury and sickness. However, many diseases (especially the chronic ones) are still increasing in incidence as we utilize more and more chemicals and artificially sourced products in our daily lives. Both humans and animals are suffering more allergies, skin diseases, arthritis, cancers, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and gum and teeth problems than ever before.

Have you ever asked yourself why this is happening?

It’s not only that we live longer, but is also a side-effect of unnatural substances, food and water additives, car exhausts, factory emissions, pesticides, weedicides, pharmaceutical drugs and even the great array of chemicals in detergents, shampoos, cleaning and skin care products to name a few. It’s blatantly obvious that we need healthy soil, air and water to produce healthy food. These include the grains, vegetables, grasses and herbage that humans and animals eat. Nature, man and the animal kingdom are all reliant on each other for survival. The understanding and respect for all three is fundamental to the health, longevity and prosperity of our planet.

Aspects Of The Veterinary Health And Environment Centre

To provide a CHOICE of both conventional and natural veterinary therapies. Modern veterinary medicine and surgery is very effective repairing injuries,  helping with pain relief and repairing the effects of chronic/acute disease. This service still needs to be provided for all farm animals, pets and wildlife. Beyond this aspect, we also need to concentrate on the long term health of all creatures, great and small. Preventing chronic diseases has not been a strong point of modern medicine. In some ways, modern living has even exacerbated the problem. Therefore the prevention and cure of chronic diseases will be a main aim of the VHEC. These will be addressed in many ways, beginning with the simplest approach where possible and working up to the more complex ones, when necessary.

Modes Of Treatment Will Include

1.    a) Nutrition as the number one answer to most problems. Clinical experience and testing when necessary will provide the basis for the best advice to be given.

b) Herbal tonics and remedies.

c) Acupuncture when appropriate with an IVAS trained acupuncturist.

d) Flower remedies, vitamins and minerals for behavioural and deficiency problems.

e) Simple homeopathic remedies.

f) Other approaches will include the use of Kinesiology, Colour Therapy, Magnetic Therapy, Reiki and Energy Healing and patients will be referred to an expert in each field.

2.   A showroom will well displayed, naturally produced products, books and literature on appropriate subjects. Feed supplements, organic pesticides and flea preparations, worm remedies, herbs and herbal tinctures, homeopathic first-aid remedies, flower essences and essential oils for aromatherapy will all be available for sale. Information on methods of therapy, sustainable agriculture, organic gardening and courses available on related subjects will be placed in a prominent position to promote self-education.

3.   Naturally produced, high quality pet foods will be available. Many pets suffer from allergies to food preservatives, gluten and other ingredients, and a source of top grade, wholesome animal food that is additive free and uncooked where possible will provide the best foundation for your animals continued health. Remember, animals do not cook their food and the risk of hydatids is negligible when high grade ingredients are used.

4.   Organically grown and/or highest quality stock food will be available for sale. This ranges from lucerne, oats, chaff and other grains and hay for all farm animals, pets and stock. Anything from guinea pigs and canaries, draft horses and camels, will benefit from chemical free feeding.

5.   Soil Testing and Farming Recommendations Services will be provided to encourage more sustainable gardening and farming practices. The use of organic and mineral fertilizers and anything that is environmentally friendly, conserving soil life and water resources will be promoted.

6.   Non-chemical fertilizers and trace elements will be available. These will include fish and kelp based products, manures, reactive rock phosphates, crushed rock such as basalt and individual trace elements among other products. These may be applied to the soil or directly to the animal as natural food additives or by other routes such as injections, or ‘pour ons’.

7.   A depot for compostable materials is envisaged. Town lawn clippings, mulched woody materials, animal manures and other clean sources of organic matter could be composted in an organized fashion, bagged and sold to the general public for use on gardens, orchards, vegetables etc. You only need to look around to see the incredible waste of high quality organic fertilizers from supermarkets, bakeries, produce stores, restaurants and even the unfortunate dead animal (livestock, road-kill and vermin) can all be put to good use to create a high quality fertilizer that sustains our gardens, rather than adding to the waste in land-fill and garbage tips.

8.   An outlet for the buying and selling or organic produce at Special Market Days. These will include products such as home-made and inventive farm implements, especially designs known to increase soil life, yet increase water and nutrient retention, such as the Wallace Plough and Sod Seeders. Local preserves, plants, herbs, crafts and even seeds can be sold.

9.   A venue for talks and seminars on related subjects to help inform the public of earth-nurturing ways of farming and animal care. The Centre itself will endeavor to produce a newsletter and run regular group meetings on topical subjects.

This basis of this article was written by David A. Lucas B.V.Sc. and reviewed and published to the web by Elizabeth Richardson. David hopes that you feel as uplifted and excited reading it, as he did in wring it. Please contact David with expressions of interest, or for advice on any matters contained within by phoning him in Foster, Victoria, Australia on (03) 5682 2153.