By Ken Collier
I first became aware of Dr. Plechner and his work about 10 years ago. I just happened to hear him on a morning Internet radio show. My gut feeling was "this man really knows what he's talking about." I read his book as fast as possible and armed with a tremendous amount of conviction – even if new to Dr. Al’s EI protocol – I started calling local veterinarian offices to see if I could locate at least one with a somewhat open mind to other, shall we say “alternative,” information.
Long story short, the very first doctor agreed to give Dr. Plechner’s ideas a go. We ran the Endocrine-Immune tests created by Dr. Plechner, and sure enough the results showed that my beautiful, calico cat Jazzy’s hormones really needed some help.
We consulted with Dr. Plechner about treatment and the rest is thankfully, not history.
(I say not history because Jazzy is still with me, thanks to Dr. Plechner.)
She is now 16 or 17 years old (her background does not allow for an actual birth date) and I am grateful beyond words for every day I have with her.
Before closing, I need to recount a very significant event of about four years ago. Due to my own neglect, Jazzy hormones once again fell out of balance and she became terribly ill. Since it was next to impossible for me to get her to Dr. Al, I had to take her to a nearby emergency clinic. After running a myriad of tests (and running up a huge bill, since they over-charged for everything), they informed me Jazzy had a severe case of pancreatitis. They kept Jazzy for 3 days, put her on IV fluids and performed some other procedures, most of which I’ve forgotten.
On the day they released her they handed me some medication to be given to her and a few mundane words to “appease” me. However, what they did not give me was any follow-up plan or homecare plan.
Within about twelve hours of taking her home, she clearly was beginning to backslide. Given how quickly she was fading, I knew if left alone for too long she would die.
Fortunately, years prior to this Dr. Plechner and I had established a personal friendship and I called him at home to tell him what was happening to her and to get his opinion about what should be done.
Again, long story short: Dr. Plechner basically stood by Jazzy and me for the next eighteen hours or so. Emotionally, spiritually and psychologically he never left my side. Even though not physically present, he guided my head, my hands and my heart and gave me the strength to do what had to be done in order to give Jazzy a fighting chance.
Only one day later, Jazzy was bouncing back. Within a very few days she was her happy, healthy self once again and tears of joy streamed down my face; as they are at this moment.
Oh yes, and I never received an invoice from Dr. Plechner!
I can never thank Al enough for the depth of his wisdom, the breadth of his courage, and especially for the magnitude of his heart.
Dr. Al, Jazzy and I thank you a million times….to the tenth power.
Ken Collier
By Mrs. Barton
"Let me begin my letter by thanking you for all you have done for my little companion "Bridget". You are a man with great compassion and conviction, and we are truly blessed to have found you.
Bridget is a sixteen and a half year old Lakeland Terrier, who has had many health problems throughout her years. We have taken very good care of her as well as her sister who passed away at age 13 due to improper medications that led to kidney failure. She had inflammatory bowl disease which would have been an easy fix for you.
Bridget was a strong minded dog and her small size did not stop her from being very aggressive towards her older and larger sister. She suffered from allergies and was always very congested and had difficulty breathing. Because of her allergies they wanted to put her on special injections. Although I purchased them for a large amount of money Thank God I never used them on her. At age 12 she had 10 teeth extracted due to gum disease, and at that time we took blood tests for allergies. We found out that she had allergies to many foods and veggies as well. We started to cook her home cooked meals of things she could eat. But as time passed by she also became allergic to them as well. We must constantly switch her foods around.
At age 14 she started to have tremors, her head shook as well as her entire body. I took her to several top Vets, I thought of ear infection, tooth infections. I took her to a neurologist she was shaking and learning to the left and had problems with her balance and keep falling down. He never even looked into her ears he just gave her meds and said she could not hear and perhaps the meds would help. It never did, I took her to another Vet and we found fungus in her ears at last someone listened to my cry for help. She recovered only to relapse again. The vet gave her acepromazine 10mg- TO CALM HER DOWN AND SHE had a seizure and I almost lost her right in my arms. She again started falling and flipping over and they thought she had a brain tumor. Again I went to specialists and the doctor said he did not think is was a brain tumor and again gave her more meds. She began to have a chronic cough that would not stop, I took her to the Hospital where she saw a pulmonary specialist and informed us that she had chronic broncos and that she needed to be put on a inhaler for the rest of her life, and would never be cured This poor dog was trying to hang on and I knew that there was something very little wrong with her and no one could pin point it UNTIL I FOUND YOU.
After a blood test that you suggested and a treatment plan that I followed, she began to slowly show signs of recovery, and is almost back to normal or as good as normal could be for a 16 1/2 year old dog. We thought she would never see her 16th birthday and now she will defiantly see many more.
Now you have her on thyroid meds and .l ml of steroids for the rest of her life. I will continue with the blood tests every 6 mouths because she is almost back to normal and her immune system is back on track just as you said it would be.
I have given your book to many of my friends, and whenever I see a dog or cat in need I pass on the information to them and some have gotten there Vets to do the treatment as well.
Every day that Bridget lies down beside me and kisses me and sleeps in my arms I thank you from the bottom of my heart. What ever time she has is quality of life and she sure is enjoying every minute thanks to you.
I thank you for caring for all our companions and I only wish that you could reach everyone in need and show them how simple a cure is when you care as mush as you do.
By Lydia Castro
"Dr. Plechner, I would like to THANK YOU for taking such good care of Sierra. Right after her exploratory surgery to find the leak in her lungs, it was discovered that she had cancer. After a couple of weeks, she stopped eating. I had spoken to the surgeon earlier and she stated that we had done all we could and it was out of our hands.
As I took her to you to be euthanized, it didn't feel right as she seemed to be very alert. Sure enough, you said that her color looked good and after reviewing her files from the surgeon that her type of cancer most likely originated in the spleen. You then concluded that she probably had a hormone imbalance. After giving her a shot of a cortisol and some thyroid medication, I took her home and (after two days of not eating) she ate like a champ! The instant change in her demeanor was incredible! The next day she was chasing her tail again- something I hadn't seen in over a month. It was like I had a new dog.
Unfortunately we caught the cancer too late and she did eventually succumb to it. You gave me another wonderful month and a half with her though, and for that gift I am full of gratitude. I am convinced that if we had found it sooner, your treatments would have given her a much longer life. If I had known about your studies years ago, I would've taken preventative measures and Sierra may never have even developed cancer.
I feel so blessed to have met you. To find a vet that really cares about animals and is continuously looking for solutions, is a rarity these days. I've been a dog owner for 16 years and I have never been so touched by a Doctor's kindness and generosity. You're compassion is unparalleled. Words cannot express the depth of my gratitude."
By Carol Skowronek
Dr. Plechner started treating my Missey in the late of January of 2011. Missey had been diagnosed having a thyroid problem and was being over dosed with Soloxine as her T4 levels were staying extremely low. Missey kept losing weight she was down to around 35.8 pounds, she was eating at least four times a day and not little meals, her weight should have been at least 60 pounds and was diagnosed as Myofactorial Muscle decease. Missey is a Lab/Pit Bull mix medium size dog. Thanks to Dr. Plechner she is now 68.3 pounds. I didn't find out until a couple months later that Missey was most likely a week to a week and a half away from death, she was starving to death as her intestine's were compromised and she was not getting any nutrition.
In late January I noticed Missey staggering around and very weak, slept most of the day, this is not the normal for Missey, but acted like she was extremely hungry all the time. Dr. Plechner started her immediately with injectable Vetalog and Depomedrol inter muscle injections, then we did her immune testing, which took a week, all her levels were extremely low. Missey went for injections every ten days and was retested every three months. The vet that is working with Dr. Plechner is Dr. Angela Erickson of Animal Health Practice in Bantam, Ct. She told me that she has been in practice for 15 years and has seen dogs with this same problem; Missey is the only dog that has survived. Missey and I have had a very hard year (2011). Missey is now stable and doing extremely well, thanks to Dr. Plechner and his research of 30 years.
I now have medical problems and will be having his test soon. I have a pre-cancerous condition and can live a long life if I do his protocol.
Thank you again, Missey owes her life to you.
By Al & Jennifer Herrera
So grateful for the treatment that our Dalmatian, Dottie received from Dr. Plechner!! Dottie is 10 years old, and was really showing her age! After being treated by Dr. Plechner she is amazingly full of life again!! Thank you so much, Dr. Plechner!! Her allergies and pain (in her hind quarters) is gone! She's pivoting on her hind legs again and gallops like a pony!! Absolutely amazing!! Thank you for caring......We are so thankful to see her so happy again!
From a happy customer
"As far as I know, this is really the only book on this subject for laypersons. Luckily, it is very helpful, with good information on nutrition and immunological disorders as well as allergies. This book helped me understand my cat's ongoing food allergies and helped me improve her health (it is even more informative on dogs than cats). I highly recommend it for its detail and brevity; the author is a veterinarian who has specialized in this problem and seems very reliable and knowledgable. Some of his information contradicts things I have read in other pet health/nutrition books -- he recommends cooking homemade food, for example -- and there are no recipes here, only guidelines; but the author is also responsible for producing a line of anti-allergy pet food that my cat did very well on. One of the best things about this book is that it does not oversimplify the problem; he recommends consulting with a vet for complex problems. But his advice and information would definitely give you an idea of the kinds of questions to ask and the tests to ask for. Buy another book for recipes, but buy this book for scientific explanations of allergy problems in terms a layperson can understand, and for good advice on how to begin addressing those problems."
By Terry & Michael Goldman
"Dr Plechner has literally saved a couple of our babies. We have many Shih Tzu’s, which we consider our kid’s or babies. Two, a mother and her son, had adrenal exhaustion and experienced severe health problems.
Dr Plechner has helped us and guided us in correcting their hormonal levels thus greatly improving their quality of life and bringing their behavior back to normal. I have learned so much from him and I am now in a better position to be proactive with the health of the younger ones, as they grow older.
I can not say enough about this man. He is very carrying and has always been there for us when we needed him. He is extremely knowledgeable and the Expert in his field.
I consider him one of the "Great" people in this world and will forever be in his debt, for all he has done for my family. If you are ever in need of his services, consider yourself extremely fortunate to have him."
By A. Hansen
"I read this book when my dog was so sick wth chronic ear infections (that were not responding to the typical prescription drugs) that she had to have 2 benadryl every 4 hours--and this is when she was already on a hypoallergenic diet. Three vets said she had food allergies (she did appear to react worse to some foods, and did somewhat better on duck and potato). Two vets said to try an elimination diet. We did, and could hardly add any thing back, as she NEVER seemed to get healthy enough after reacting to a new food to add another food. Well, I read this book in one sitting, and made an appointment immediately with the one vet in our state who is familiar with E&I dogs and Plechner. Our dog tested positive for the disorder--her cortisol levels were less than half than that of a healthy dog. She has only been on the medications for a few days, and she's stopped shaking her head and licking her paws. She's got her old playful attitude back--she hadn't wanted to play her favorite game for a couple of months. The best part is that she will very likely be able to eat well-rounded diet when she's better stabilized. What looked like food allergies was most likely food intolerances caused by her imbalance. Most E&I dogs can eat normal diet unless they have "true" food allergies.I'm in raptures because without this book, my dog would more than likely have struggled all her life with these problems, been treated symptomatically for what was a whole body glandular disorder, and continued to have a poor quality of life. This book is easy to read, compassionate and straightforward. Plechner pulls no punches- the test is expensive, and the medication regimen is usually for life. But he gives countless examples of diseases and symptoms that are often caused by E&I imbalance-- it's amazing and heartening to read that countless problems occur when the animal isn't making enough cortisol, and that these problems are fixable. He gives info technical enough to help any vet treat your animal--even if the vet has never diagnosed an E&I dog before. He sternly explains that E&I treatment won't fix true food allergies---but it will more than likely make symptoms caused by other kinds of allergies disappear. I am buying this book for friends who have chronically sick dogs, and lending my copy out to anyone who is curious. It's well worth the investment. My dog will be the first to agree!"
By Kenzie
"This Book is a God-Send! I was always at the vet, literally. I was there sometimes multiple times in a week at the bad times, and in the relative good times only a couple times in a month. You see I have 3 dogs and 3 cats, and between them I was literally spending thousands of dollars on vet bills for their various ailments and afflictions.
I was wondering why on earth my animals were always sick. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats that were diagnosed with IBD (Inflamatory Bowel Disease), and all my dogs had allergies with various sorts of secondary skin and ear infections that go with. Not to mention the occasional surgery to remove and biopsy a suspicious looking cyst, or lump that appeared here and there.
I was also spending hundreds of dollars a month on various medications for their chronic conditions. Yet, they just seemed to treat the symptoms and no the cause as my pets still seemed to get getting sicker.
Well, This book gave me the answer! 4 of my 6 animals (My 3 dogs and 1 of my cats) has tested positive for Low Cortisol as described in this book. After putting my animals on the Plechner Protocol (and working with my holistic vet does the testing and follows the protocol) they are now the healthiest they have ever been. So many of seemingly unrelated health problems in aniamls are explained by Low Cortisol and this book.
Buy It! Everyone Pet owner should have a copy. It not only saved me money from tons of vet visits, it most importantly helped me to improve my animals health by treating the root cause, instead of just the symptoms of their health problems."
By Robert R. Lewis
"So because of this book, my dog eats a healthy commercially prepared diet of rabbit, venison, and fish and potato. I am happy to say she now takes a natural plant derived cortisone daily and thyroid medication daily and no longer scratches, plus her inflamed,chronically infected ears are healed!! Thanks to the author Dr. Plechner and this wonderful book. Even the Scientific Director of the Humane Society gave this book a glowing recommendation."
By Susanne MacLeod
I have two Frenchies that are brother and sister. I have had Joey (my boy) since birth and got Kate (my girl) about a year ago (March 2006) from the breeder; Linda Ashford.
At that time I was told that she was merely underweight, and was allergic to dog food. The dog was to be bred. Kate was fine until there was a parvo scare in the neighborhood and she was taken to the vet who didn’t have only the Parvo vaccine, but gave her one with everything in it; like Parvo, Lepdo, etc. She was 6 months old then.
Nov 18, 2003 – Distemper, Parainfluenza,Parvo, Coronavirus
July 8th, 2004 - Distemper, Parainfluenza,Parvo, Coronavirus, Lepto, Rabies
Apparently, the day after she started to show sign of problems. She instantly became itchy, and would scratch herself to the point of losing hair and bleeding. She was returned to the breeder twice. At the home of the previous owner she was kibble fed. They also had three kids who fed her stuff like licorice. Once returning to the breeder, she would be fed a cooked stew, along with some veggies. She was given zinc and selenium, from the little that I know, and I was told cleared right up. As soon as she went back to the family, she broke out again. So on the second time being returned, the dog was suffering so bad, they were going to put her down. The breeder then cleared her up with the same protocol within a week. She was very thin and had lost a lot of hair. She knew I had her brother and was looking for a 2nd Frenchie, so she gave her to me...
Read or download the rest of Susanne MacLeod's testimonial.
By Marilynn Margulies
"Every day, I thank God for Dr. Plechner. He saved my beloved wolf hybrid, Merlin, twice. The first time was when Merlin was a puppy; his system was so out of balance, they weren't even sure he'd make it. For the three years that followed, Merlin's health improved and flourished under Dr. Plechner's care. When Dr. Plechner retired [now I know it was out of frustration, because his fellow veterinarians, appeared not to be interested in finding a better way], I found a well-respected animal hospital and owner, and thought all would be well. At this new facility, the medication that Dr. Plechner had prescribed, based on factual blood test results, were changed and I was told his replacement therapy, had been changed. I noticed, gradually at first, a change in his health, behavior and personality. I thought he was simply maturing. However, after the "first time" groomer, at the new animal hospital, bathed Merlin, he had a very severe allergic reaction. I now was not only on alert, but knew something was wrong. His thick and previously luxurious coat, became sparse on one side of his body, and began to fall out in clumps, leaving large, round, weeping sores. Even worse, he began to lose his sight, due to a lack of proper hormone regulation of the immune system, because the new veterinarian decided Dr. Plechner's medications were not applicable. I guess, being a board certified veterinary surgeon, allowed him to decide on proper medication for my dear Merlin.
When I found Dr. Plechner's website, I knew my prayers had been answered. He was back in practice in Southern California, not only because of the public outcry to come back, but because he really missed practicing with all of his animal patients. Very soon, after our visit with Dr. Plechner, and the return to the correct replacement medications, Merlin began to show improvement. His coat is growing in again, and his energy is returning to normal. I, of course, think Dr. Plechner is a genius: and that every school of veterinary medicine, should include in its curriculum, courses on Dr. Plechner's discoveries in the field of endocrinology and immunology. And every day I still thank God for Dr. Plechner."
By Trevor Monroe
"Mary Ann was born on April 18, 2008. This picture was taken on January 21. 2009, making her nine months old. She was one of five litter mates, one of whom died in September 2008 of wet FIP. Another of her litter mates died the following month while under anesthetic for a spay. She probably had FIP as well, because the veterinarian doing the surgery found fluid around her lungs.
In late November 2008, Mary Ann became extremely ill. She stopped eating, was running a fever, had severe diarrhea, and was not responding to antibiotics. I forced fed her baby food for four days before taking her Dr. Plechner for a Cortisone injection. Within an hour and half of the injection her condition markedly improved, and she returned to her former state of health within several days. As you can see from the picture, she remains well and active. Over the past month she has gained one-half pound.
I am giving Mary Ann daily doses of oral prednisone. Her remaining littermates, Markie and Todd, are also on daily prednisone. They are also doing well and have never been seriously ill.
Mary Ann has two older half sisters (different father) that have never been ill. Her mother, a domesticated feral, has never experienced a sick day. These facts suggest that Mary Ann may be a product of inbreeding. Her mother has lived in my backyard for over four years, and I suspect that her litter mates live close by. It's possible that she mated with one of them, resulting in a litter with compromised immune systems."
By Lisa Parker
"I recently took the teleseminar with Dr. Plechner. I’ve been involved in Natural Health for humans and animals for 20 years, so I asked myself, "Do I really need another seminar?". You sent out a last minute email, saying there were 5 spaces left and I went ahead and registered, I think, the night before.
Little did I know how dramatically this caring, compassionate Vet would change MY life for the better. I downloaded all the material from his web site, ordered the books and have already been to my own Medical Doctor (alternative). Dr. Plechner’s work has highlighted and solved a painful and debilitating health issue I have had for 15 years. The "cortisol" connection was the issue for me and I believe I am on my way back to the active life I knew 15 years ago. For that time, I suffered from weekly violent headaches, and complete fatigue, feeling as if you were walking through water. In addition, imagine if you had "charley horses" all over your body, in every muscle, down to the smooth muscles in your fingers and toes. I’ve done nutrition, herbs, homeopathy, chiropractic, cranial sacral, NEAT, EFT, acupuncture, colonics, -- oh, well- you get the idea. I’ve done it all. I’ve been on the medication for two days and see a dramatic change for the better. I know now that this was the missing piece for me.
Aside from that, I have given a copy of Dr. Plechner’s, "Pets at Risk" book to our holistic Vet, and hope that he will be on board with utilizing this incredible therapy for all animals. If any of our own pets should ever need it, I will find a Vet who will definitely administer this therapy and follow Dr. Plechner’s protocols explicitly.
I’m sure your goal was to help as many pets as possible, but you have just saved a human life from a lot of pain and suffering in the process! And trust me, as I’m able to go back to work, I plan to buy lots of Dr. Plechner’s books and give them to Vets and Doctors so that they will see the life saving capability of this work.
Thank you for helping me . . . . and the pets!"
By Lisa and Jim Parker
Frosty, a 10 year old Lynx Point Siamese
"For two years off and on, Frosty had episodes where he scratched his whisker area and chin bloody and raw. He frequently wore an e-collar for weeks at a time and was miserable. We had used Natural Health remedies, Homeopathy, Energy treatments and traditional Veterinary medicine to no avail for him. We had Dr. Plechner's E-I bloodwork done on him and his levels were way off. We started him on Dr. Plechner's protocol of a graduated dosage of Prednisone and he is currently on 10 mgs. From the first week of the protocol, he never needed another shot and is a happy, healthy kitty! He is once again running around like a nut and talking (more like howling) like Siamese do! We are very happy at his progress and saving money from no vet bills!"
Missy, a 15 year old tiny Tabby girl
"Missy is my sweet baby girl and began showing serious signs of aging. Her kidneys were clearly not doing well, she stopped grooming herself, became very anxious, crying all the time and was eating very little and losing weight. In addition, 6 months prior, we had her teeth cleaned and she was already developing plaque build up and was pawing at her mouth again. I was panicking, as I did not want to lose her so soon. We had Dr. Plechner's blood work done and her levels were way off. She is tiny, so we started her on 2.5 mgs of Prednisone. Within two weeks, the difference in her was nothing short of remarkable! This 15 year old kitty is now running up and down the hall like a crazed kitten again, talking up a storm, flying up and down her cat tree and over the top of the bed, waking me up in the morning! She is eating well, gained a bit of weight and is once again grooming herself. She has stopped pawing at her mouth and is much more calm, resting comfortably with me at night. We are so very grateful at the incredible change in our little kitty and so happy she will live a quality life for many more years! Thank you from our hearts, Dr. Plechner, for saving our little Miss!"
Pepper, a large marshmallow of a black cat
"Pepper is a very large and very sweet black kitty with the personality of a big ole baby mush. He still likes to sit next to my husband on the couch, having his belly rubbed while he suckles and kneads on a towel, purring loudly. Last year, Pepper contracted Feline Panleukopenia from a new kitten we brought into the house. He was very sick, but recovered nicely, or so we thought. In less than a year's time, our once 32 pound kitty weighed 15 pounds. It started slowly, but he began throwing up frequently, first once a day, then up to three times per day, and was showing blood. His coat was dull and dry and he was losing hair in places. Pepper's blood work showed that his endocrine-immune system was way out of balance. We started him on Dr. Plechner's protocol and he is currently taking 12.5 mgs. of Prednisone and doing very well. He has gained a bit of weight back and his fur is beginning to fill in and look healthier again. This large, lumbering kitty is also running around the house being chased by the younger kitty and flying to the top of 7 foot cat trees! He has literally never had this much energy in his life. It's a real riot to watch him. Once again, thank you Dr. Plechner for saving another of our babies' lives!"
By Arlene D. Pilcer
"Good morning Dr. Plechner, just a note to say thank you. "Cassie", my Irish Setter who brought us together, turned 6 on New Years Eve. If you recall, she became ill with terrible skin allergies at 5 months old. No veterinarian, including Dr. Goldstein, specialists at Virgina Tech or NC State could help. Then I called you. Today she has an excellent EI-1 and takes Transfer Factor Canine Complete by 4-Life Research. She is down to 2mg Medrol a day and .2 Soloxine twice a day. "Cassie" is happy and active. We call her the gate keeper as she escorts our other dogs in and out of their play areas. Thank you for all you do. My breeding program will benefit Irish Setters because of your help. Hugs!"
By Mary E. Pollara & Larry
Dr. Plechner,
"I am not e-mailing you for an appointment. This e-mail is purely to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your heroism to take a new approach to save pets through your love of animals. I came across your Pets at Risk book in January of this year at a time where I was taking my cat Larry to vets to figure out why he was not eating and, losing weight. If I had not come to my stage of observing him instead of being devastated and, accepting the diagnosis (Lymph Cancer) of the last two vets he would have been put down already. I wouldn't give up on him when I noticed him stretching and, cleaning himself. I couldn't believe that a cat sick with cancer would be capable of these two healthy behaviors. I was well into acknowledging that holistic approaches can and, do help animals and people.
By the grace of God your book arrived at my local bookstore right during that time. Your book had symptoms of my cat Larry all over it. I contacted both vets in New Jersey on your website. They both were at least an hour away but, with a car all things are possible. When the one vet couldn't take him right away it turned out the other could. Dr. Mark Newkirk in Margate, New Jersey diagnosed Larry within ten minutes of having inflammatory bowel syndrome.
Six and a half months later Larry is reversing back to health. He had, as Dr. Newkirk put it pain all over. Everything from his lymph system, stomach, liver ...everything was messed up not excluding that he was blind in one eye from glaucoma that lead to biphthalmia and,blind from phthisis in his other eye.
Dr. Newkirk put in 110% of his energy for Larry. There was a time when him and, I were'nt sure he would make it. He ended up being in the hospital for two separate two week visits because he was losing alot of weight to dehydration to intense diarrhea the Dr. couldn't control. After Dr. Newkirk's last resort the diarrhea got under control. Larry got all the way down to almost four pounds. We are talking about an eleven year old large framed marked tabby who once weighed thirteen pounds. He started gaining weight two months ago and, is around six pounds now. His next vet appointment is tommorrow. His last appointment was the sign of his first real progress. His steroids were reduced to one instead of two and, he gained 7 ounces.
I'm sorry to make this story so long Dr. Plechner but, I wanted you to get the real picture. It is no small miracle that Larry is alive today. It took all of us to keep Larry alive today. Your book played the most important role in his recovery and, it seems that a thank you isn't enough. His first many years it seems the vets were'nt so good. I believe things are making up now. No more conventional food and, I keep him to the prescribed diet the doctor ordered.
Again, thank you thank you so very much Dr. Plechner. For what it's worth we may never get to meet each other but, through your information that saved Larry you will always be remembered by me. And, will always be remembered for the primary loving man who saved my family. May loved ones always follow you. God Bless always."
By Betsy and Jay Vazifdar, M.D.
"It gives me great pleasure to write and thank you for your great kindness and for the wonderful way you have helped Lucky, our German shepherd/Airedale mix. Lucky is 9 years old & suddenly stopped eating & lost several pounds in weight.
A blood test panel showed an elevated calcium of 14 & a low phosphorus. We were told that Lucky probably had a cancer. It was recommended that he had IV's to bring down the calcium. He not only developed an infection at the IV site but continued to go downhill.
A frantic phone call to ATRA (Airedale Terrier Rescue Assoc). by Betsy m,y wife, as we had adopted him from them, gave us your name & telephone number. We immediately got a blood profile and contacted you with the results!!
You were extremely kind and so helpful as you suggested the line of treatment. As a physician I was extremely interested in your treatment & the many follow-up calls you made! Thanks to your knowledge & skill Lucky has made a remarkable recovery, gained weight & is his usual playful self with his 'brother' our 3 year old Airedale Riley!!
You are a wonderful person and a true healer in every sense of the term. We are so grateful for your kindness and generosity in taking such a personal interest in Lucky.
May God bless you and may He shower you with His choicest blessings."
By Michele Walker-Lewis
"Sophia is our nine year old, spayed, Italian Greyhound adopted from Italian Greyhound Rescue. Adopted at a year and a half of age, we had limited information on her health history, but from what we could obtain it appeared she had been treated for allergies since she was a young puppy.
Once adopted, our primary veterinarian as well as a board certified dermatologist, had tried tirelessly, through testing and various medications, to find a successful course of treatment, but nothing seemed to improve her health. Sophia had a lot of skin trauma from scratching, and many bacterial infections. She regularly had ear infections, urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal issues. We had tried various low antigen diets with novel proteins, commercial as well as home prepared. Diet helped slightly, yet she was still having many health issues and was also very uncomfortable due to the state of her skin. She seemed to constantly be on antibiotics, antihistamines, oral anti-inflammatory, topical medications, medicated shampoos and conditioners. It just seemed endless and didn't improve her condition.
After testing for the hormonal and immunoglobulin imbalance that you have found among animals like Sophia, we finally had a diagnosis to explain these symptoms that all seemed to involve her immune system. Better yet, a way to normalize and regulate her immune system. The one antibody that protects the mucous membranes was so low that it explained many of her reoccurring issues. Her immune system was not protecting her body correctly. Plus her adrenal glands were producing excessive amounts of estrogen.
Once we began treatment for Endocrine-Immune Imbalance, the results were apparent. Giving her body the hormones that it could not produce on it's own and then tailored to her levels, helped not only regulate her endocrine system and normalize the estrogen output, but her immune system rebounded all on it's own.
Once Sophia started treatment for Endocrine-Immune Imbalance, I saw improvement within 10 days. By 60 days, most of her symptoms had completely resolved. Her skin was healed and healthy, the itching had ceased, and she had no infections in that time. We continued to have her blood tested and we also maintained a home prepared diet suited to her requirements. All ingredients go through a trial period to ensure she can tolerate them.
Occasionally over the years she has had a symptom or an infection return but we retested her blood, and adjusted the thyroid and adrenal medications accordingly and it has been an effective course of management.
Recently she had changes in her CBC and chemistry blood work after an eye surgery. One month post surgery her liver enzymes had become elevated and she had also become anemic. Her veterinarians were concerned that it could have been anything from auto-immune disease to cancer. It was soon realized that her thyroid level had dropped after surgery, her regular medications just needed to be adjusted to correct her hormonal levels. She needed no additional treatment or medications. The follow up blood work showed that the anemia had resolved and the liver enzymes were decreasing considerably nearing normal range. Once again, demonstrating how important adrenal and thyroid function is not just to immune cell function but liver and red blood cells also. Dr. Plechner, your work applies to so many health issues and diseases.
You have always been there for Sophia, us and our veterinarians. We thank you so much Dr. Plechner."
By Roz Wheelock
I’ve bred Dobermans for over 30 years; but I say ‘smart’ for 20. That was when I met Dr. Al Plechner; he was treating a friend’s blue Doberman for an immune system deficiency.
While I did want to breed a quality show dog, I was more driven to improve the health of my line of Dobermans. I wanted to know more about developing a strong, solid, healthy dog, so I made my first appointment. Dr. Plechner was generous with his time in explaining the Endocrine Immune System blood panel he had developed, the reason for testing, and how dogs’ and cats’ health could be improved. I was excited to learn of the opportunity to make a difference!
I began a testing program on my breeding dogs, using his E.I. panel. Dr. Plechner was screening my dogs for the best test results to use for foundation breeding stock. Along with that, each dog was x-rayed for hip dysplasia and cervical vertebrae instability. Using a critical eye, a Radiologist in the office made sure dogs were clear of both conditions. Dogs that did not pass these first physical tests, were spayed or neutered and placed in pet homes. Prior to meeting Dr Plechner, each of my dogs had already been tested for von Willebrands to be sure they were not affected by the bleeding disorder.
After adults were tested, pairs for breeding were selected by Dr. Plechner based on their test results, from there I selected on their conformation compatibility. It was exciting to do the E.I. panel on a whole litter! Follow up tests were done on several pups in the litter as they matured, and they were good…things were looking up! These were large, healthy pups, and the E. I. panels done over several months showed great improvement over the first dogs we had tested.
Several health issues were eliminated quickly; such as demodectic mange, chronic ear infections and low response to vaccines. I was excited and confident in a positive outcome for my line.
Over the years with continued testing of every dog I bred, not only were my pups and adults more healthy, but their size increased as well. This was a plus I hadn’t searched for, but which I attribute to breeding healthy dogs to healthy dogs! It was so very rewarding when people exclaimed how different my puppies were than those they had just seen! (In fact I learned to encourage people to see others first!)
I would occasionally become disenchanted because an owner would have a medical problem show up in a dog, I wanted perfection! Dr. Plechner would remind me nothing is 100% in medicine...AND, that environment, food, treats, etc. can affect an animal’s immune system, and I had no control over those things in a dog’s life.
I am proud to say that because of this testing, the first Champion with perfect E.I. test results, a perfect neck, and hips, all in one package, was produced. He had no health problems during his life; but due to an inoperable growth on his spine had to be put down at 10 1/2 years of age, which is still a good age for a male Doberman.
Over the years, Dr. Plechner using his treatment protocol, has saved numerous Dobermans after their owner’s own veterinarians were stumped or had given up on saving the dog.
Let me share some of their stories:
An owner called to tell me her precious pet had been stung by something. Her face had swollen to double it’s normal size, and her vet had put in a drain, he had her on antibiotics, but after three days, nothing was working, and she continued to fail. It looked like she would have to put her down. I told her she must call Dr. Plechner immediately, and to plan to take her into his office…which she did. When I called to check on her dog the next day, Dr. Plechner told me she had been at death’s door, but was responding well and should be fine…she was.
Another owner called describing how sick his Dobie was, and that his vet said she was suffering from liver failure, a genetic problem. Because none of my dogs had ever experienced liver failure, and because of the testing I had done over the years, I was confident it was not genetic. I strongly suggested he take his dog to Dr. Plechner because I was sure he could help. He took her in and Dr. Plechner saved another precious pet with his ‘unique’ treatment protocol!
A few years later when the owner of a six-year old male called to say her dog had liver failure, and again that her veterinarian was unable to do anything more, I told her she should take him to Dr. Plechner, that he had previously saved a female with apparently the same condition. She did take him in, and again Dr. Plechner using his treatment protocol, turned him around. However, her vet then said, the dog just had a liver infection…so, he was taken off the treatment protocol, and was again put on just antibiotics. Sadly, within a short time she called to say the dog had relapsed and died.
Last, but not least, my own story! I noticed one of my Dobies was starting to walk ‘different’. I took her to my local veterinarian who x-rayed her neck and said it looked like an accordion, and that she must have run into something. I took her to my animal chiropractor and she did two major adjustments under sedation. But, my sweet 6 yr old Dobie continued to deteriorate, stumbling and falling, and approaching the point she would need to be euthanized, even though new x-rays showed her neck was now 100% in alignment! I finally decided to take her in for evaluation by Dr. Plechner. After all these years of exposure to his treatment, and I hadn’t considered it an immune system issue, I just considered it an injury! He explained that her body was not healing itself, did an E.I. panel, and put her on his treatment protocol…in just under two weeks I saw improvement, and by the end of the third week, she was totally normal and running all over our property again!
On two occasions I have faxed copies of pertinent pages from Dr. Plechner’s book “Pets at Risk” to the veterinarians who were attempting to treat owners’ dogs. Not once, that I am aware of, did they even consider trying the protocol, and neither was saved.
I cannot understand the mentality of the majority of veterinarians in this country today! There are so few willing to try Dr. Plechner’s protocol, it is said to be ‘out of the mainstream’! Right…but, if mainstream isn’t working, why not try something that has?
Amazingly, I cannot even get a veterinarian to do the E.I. panel on my dogs, let alone use Dr. Plechner’s protocol. While many are aware of the treatment protocol, they don’t seem to want to get involved; or, they don’t want to take the time, perhaps, to find out how successful it can be! I just can’t comprehend the lack of interest in something that has been shown to work.
In the years of seeing Dr. Plechner work with a wide range of dog health issues, and after the success I have witnessed, I totally believe in his program. In fact, I have often told him I would put myself on his program if it were available.
Roz Wheelock
Revimar Dobermans