Scooter, my 11-year-old wirehaired fox terrier, wasn't scooting around like she used to. I knew she was aging, and this would reduce her activity levels some, but I hadn't considered that she might be in pain. The day that I realized that her body was racked with hidden pain was the day I became a believer in holistic veterinary medicine.

While working on my book, "The Healing Power of Pets," I conducted many interviews. One such was with a holistic veterinarian, Narda Robinson, of the Shipley Natural Healing Center at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Whereas conventional medicine tends to treat a specific system or organ, holistic medicine deals with the animal as a whole. Holistic veterinarians consider the impact their treatments will have on the whole body-mind health rather than seeing physical separate from mental health.

After patiently educating me about the range of holistic treatments available for pets, Robinson gave me some practical advice. She had told me specifically about massage, and the important role of physical contact in the Bond. But then she suggested that I start by taking some time to closely examine Scooter.

"Start by just observing Scooter's hair coat," she said. "You can often detect areas of discomfort on the back by seeing where the fur is either flattened or looks 'messed up'." She told me that when the muscles and other tissues below the skin are tight and restricted, the hair coat often reflects that underlying problem. This may result from areas where the animal licks the site in an effort to relieve pain, or just as an outcome of altered circulation to the region. .

Imagine the surprise of this veteran veterinarian when Scooter came in the house and I saw the fur sticking up over her right hip where she'd been licking it, just like Robinson had described.

I had asked Robinson what to do if I found ruffled fur. She had replied, "Place your hand lightly over the area, and feel for areas of heat. Then, gently push the skin over those warmer regions in different directions to see if it is freely movable or if it is 'stuck' to the tissue beneath. The increased temperature and tension in the area may reflect that Scooter has inflammation and pain there." Robinson told me if I found these signs to simply massage the area gently, avoiding pressure over bones, and definitely stop if Scooter indicates "enough" or "that hurts."

Clumsily, I felt for increased temperature and tight skin, and found it. So armed with newfound knowledge, I started to massage Scooter as directed.

Scooter told me immediately what she thought of my new awareness. She arched her back and pushed her body up into my hands. She started panting with delight, her eyes sparkling, occasionally looking over her shoulder at me as if to say, "That's the perfect spot, right there. please don't stop daddy!"

As the massage continued her panting got louder and louder to the point that I looked around to make sure nobody was watching or listening. Talk about 'heavy petting' your pet! But something else happened. Scooter relaxed, and when the session ended, she was wildly energetic. Now I suspected that perhaps an emerging hip problem might be causing her reduced activity.

To confirm my hunch, I took Scooter to the vet's office (yes, I have to use a vet for my pets just like you do) and we radiographed her pelvis where we found the early signs of hip dysplasia. Because of finding it so early on, before Scooter had major deterioration of the hip sockets, we were able to get some weight off of her, change her diet, and start her on some medications to build up, lubricate and protect the joint cartilage. Scooter continued to get at least one 5 minute massage per day until the last week of her life. Usually two.

At one time, the medicine buzzword was "alternative," which signified that it wasn't mainstream, traditional, Western medicine to most people. That was replaced by "complementary" medicine which gave a little more authority but made it seem like holistic care was a bit player in prevention and treatment, but certainly not first string.

Now, most groups, including most medical schools, call the blending of complementary and convention: "integrative medicine." Integrative medicine practitioners use a wider range of treatmentto select the most appropriate healing approaches for their patients.

To learn more, read "Natural Dog Care" by Dr. Bruce Fogle (DK Publishing 1999) or visit a holistic veterinarian near you.