I would love to tell the whole story of how we and the Furter family, which are my dachshunds, came to know Dr. Lu but, however interesting, it would require too much space to tell. Although not a Sunday churchgoer, I do believe that divine intervention had a hand in it…

Frankie Furter, one of my four dachshunds, for the second time, lost control of his bladder and bowel movements due to a ruptured disc in his lower back. He was paralyzed from the waist down. Our vet recommended us to see a neurologist who suggested operating (because that’s their specialty). In our emotional state and considering the alternative we said OK. Frankie was four hours away from invasive surgery. I was haunted with what we were going to subject my son to, I mean dog! Seeking a second opinion we were eventually lead to Dr. John Lu. He was familiar with this procedure but felt very confident that with his knowledge of Chinese acupuncture and Dragon formulas Frankie would respond well. We all felt that this would be worth a try. Within two weeks Frankie didn’t need to be diapered and shortly after was standing. Within a few more weeks he was bouncing and running around. He is doing better today than ever. He is only taking one capsule a day of Dr. Lu’s joint herbs as a preventive maintenance. I highly recommend consulting with Dr. John Lu about any of your pets’ ailments.

Thanks so much Dr. Lu!!   

Wanda and Vincent Miraglia
And the Farmingville Furters!
Farmingville, NY

My husband and I met Dr. John Lu quite by accident. Our dog “Nero” had been a patient of an animal hospital for years. We adopted Nero when he was about 7 or 8 years old. We gave him the benefit of being 7 and knew when we adopted him that he had hip dysplasia. The doctor who treated Nero prescribed a product called Rimadyl. Nero took his medicine and appeared to have unlimited energy and no pain. Nero stayed on the medicine for two years until one day he vomited orange bile. It was the Rimadyl. We stopped the medicine immediately and made an appointment for Nero to be seen at the hospital. Our regular doctor had retired and we were asked whom we wanted to see. Fortunately for Nero and us the doctor we selected was unavailable but a new doctor on staff was…Dr. Lu.

Dr. Lu took a history of Nero’s condition and we filled in the blanks. It was then that Dr. Lu told us that Rimadyl should only be taken for a short period of time for Nero. Before starting Nero on Dr. Lu’s joint herbs and regimen of weekly acupuncture treatments, Nero’s front legs were turned out at the elbow and very rigid. Almost immediately did Nero’s health improve. His front legs straightened, and his gait was that of a younger dog—all due to the treatment Dr. Lu prescribed. We discontinued the acupuncture treatment, but continued with the joint herbs and Nero’s quality of life continued for eight more years.

Nero passed away November 14, 2002 at the age of 17. He wouldn’t have lived that long had it not been for Dr. Lu’s joint herbs.

Joan Evans
Selden, NY

I presently own a 17 year old Chinese pug, which for approximately 2 years has been under Dr. John Lu`s expertise care. Gizmo has several medical conditions. Gizmo’s arthritic condition in the legs and back is currently receiving Dr. Lu’s joint herbs. The herbal effects are immediate & long lasting. As with previous veterinary care i.e. Aspirin, Rimadyl, & even steroids were administered with side effects, some severe, which included GI distress, GI bleeding, kidney problems & cardiac complications, which in my opinion would have shortened Gizmo’s life.

Initially I was skeptical about herbal therapy but hesitantly began joint herbs with unbelievable & remarkable results of decreased or absent arthritic pain & symptoms, decreased limping, improved gait & motion. Also noted with join herbal therapy increased energy, even at 17 years old!!!!

Linda Husband
Holtsville, NY

October 21st was the fourth birthday for our Tibetan terrier, Freckles. So often when she’s up to her antics either with us or with Spunky, our twelve year old poodle, I think how lucky we are to have her so happy and healthy. She was barely five months old when she first showed signs of a “sensitive digestive tract.” We fed her the best diet we could. We used some of the special prescription diets. We cooked fresh food for her. In the mornings it was especially bad. She’d lay really quiet for some time. Then she had obvious discomfort as she battled to “hold it in” until she could get outside. Her stools were mucous-y at best. At worst they were bloody and almost liquid. She’s got an “irritable bowel” we were told. We brought her to Dr. Lu thinking acupuncture might help. Instead, Dr. Lu prescribed colon herbs; feeding her twice daily as we had been doing and adding an herbal capsule to each meal. Within two days, she showed improvement. No more bloody stools and no more whimpering when she lay down.

After two weeks she seemed to be just fine—good appetite, normal stools, and no desperation to get to the outside to relieve herself. I stopped the capsules, and within three days she began having troubles, diarrhea etc. Dr. Lu reminded me that he wanted her on the regimen for at least a month. Back to one capsule with each meal. After three days or so, Freckles seemed back to normal. We kept her on that regimen for several months. The capsule didn’t seem to bother her in any adverse way. Freckles is fully-grown now and eats once a day. With each meal she gets one capsule. It works! She is such a high-spirited little one, full of life and affection and a real sense of “fun.” We love her dearly and are so deeply grateful to Dr. Lu for his patience and caring help. We were at wits end when we came to Dr. Lu. We consulted with three excellent veterinarians. We were told she would outgrow it. We were given medication(s) that made her so drowsy it was hard to believe she was really a puppy. She acted more like a sickly oldster sometimes. We were given prescription food for her. None of it seemed to make her better. The colon herbs and some careful monitoring put her back “in the pink” in no time at all. It was a LUCKY DAY for Freckles, and for us, when we came to see Dr. Lu. Thank you Dr, Lu, for your good care. If Freckles could, she would say “thank you” too.

Constance Ormsby
East Rockaway, NY

My name is Gerda Silver. I have a cat named Cookie. She is now 9 years old and has been suffering with inflammatory bowel disease for many years. She has been treated for many years with conventional medicine, but still continued to suffer. I was told about Dr. Lu and his herbs. After one visit with him, he prescribed Dragon Formula colon herbs to her, and she is thriving!!

Gerda Silver
Setauket, NY

Patricia Miller
Islip Terrance, NY

I am writing this letter on behalf of Dr. Lu who treated my dog, a 19-month-old Newfoundland, for cystitis naturally and successfully with bladder herbs and some minor diet modifications. My dog Callie had developed her first bout of cystitis when she was 3 months old. At that time I had gone to another vet who had checked her urine and saw that there was an infection present and treated her with antibiotics. The problem seemed to clear up only to resurface several weeks later at which time the vet put her on another round of antibiotics. This pattern repeated itself until Callie was 7 months old. This veterinarian I felt was treating the symptoms of the problem without looking at the cause. I could not continue another round of antibiotics as I felt this just wasn’t good for Callie and was concerned about her immune system and what the effects of repeated use of antibiotics was doing to her.

I happened to speak to a co-worker who after hearing my story referred me to Dr. Lu. This person urged me to meet with the doctor and mentioned how successful he had been in treating dogs that she knew of with herbs. At that point, I was willing to try anything and immediately called and had Callie checked by Dr. Lu. He determined that the pH balance of her urine was off. To correct this, he prescribed bladder herbs to be given with food in the morning and night. This treatment has proven to be wonderfully successful and I am so grateful that she could be treated with something that was natural and that I felt was safe.
               
For whatever reason, perhaps an over-sensitive system, she needs to take the herbs to maintain a proper Ph balance. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Lu. His diagnosis and treatment were so on mark. He successfully treated Callie for something that was causing her a great deal of pain and discomfort. I would highly recommend Dr. Lu’s bladder herbs as it has been extremely successful and has left me with good peace of mind that the cause of the problem is being treated instead of the symptoms.

Linda Meglio
Northport, NY

In November 2002, our West Highland White Terrier (Angie) had emergency surgery for liver cancer. The tumor and her left liver lobe were excised, an area of 15x15 cm. The staff surgeon who gave the final surgical recheck told us Angie’s prognosis was poor, the tumor would probably return “sooner than later.” When I asked about the possible benefits of anti-oxidants, dietary changes or other nutraceuticals she said there was nothing we could do. We should accept the prognosis and not let Angie suffer.

I contacted Angie’s breeder to give her the news and she suggested I contact Dr. Lu for an alternative therapy. Before making an appointment, I went to hear him give two talks. I met with Dr. Lu at the first talk and gave a brief introduction regarding Angie’s condition; he assured me there were herbal products that could help. In February 2003, Angie went to Dr. Lu; he reviewed her medical record, gave her an exam and started her on Dragon Formula Immune herbs. It is now March 2004 and we are happy to say we still have Angie. She has had tri-monthly blood tests and repeated sonograms, so far she is still clear of cancer. She has not lost any weight, in fact she is now her heaviest, her appetite is wonderful. She is active, her eyes are shiny and she is still chasing squirrels and cats. There is no vomiting or diarrhea of any consequence.
               
Angie takes two capsules per day and has not had any adverse reactions to the herbs. My husband and I are thankful for any additional quality of time we have with her. As Angie has a compromised liver, many medications are especially harmful to her, so we are happy there is a product available to us. Like Dragon Formula immune herbs, it is our hope that if other problems arise she can be treated safely with herbs whenever possible and continue to do well.

                                                                                                                                                Janet Gammill
                                                                                                            Setauket, NY

Rocky was presented as a nine year-old Tibetan terrier. In March 2001, Rocky became anorexic, unable to jump and was losing weight. An internal specialist at Long Island, NY performed a physical exam on Rocky and ordered a series of diagnostics which include CBC/chemistry blood tests, blood coagulation profile, coombs tests, anti-nuclear antibody test, x-rays, abdominal ultrasound and peripheral lymph node biopsy. All of those tests and exams show unremarkable results. The only abnormal finding was weak positive lyme titer. The vet put Rocky on Doxycycline to treat Lyme disease. Rocky showed no significant response. Instead, Rocky’s condition continued to get worse. Repeat test of lyme titer became negative by July. Rocky was weak and pale. His blood cells (PCV) had to be monitored at a weekly basis. His red blood cells (PCV) dropped from 45.9% (normal range 33-56%) on March 17 to 41.6% June 7, 40.8% June 14, 38.4% June 21, 37.2% June 27, 33.2% July 6 to 30.5% July 28. By July 28, Rocky was in severe pain and discomfort and not able to sleep at night. The internal specialist tried different treatment plans including corticosteriod therapy.  Nothing seemed to stop the trend of Rocky’s mysterious anemia. The cause was unknown. Rocky’s owner was devastated to watch her beloved friend fade away.

By coincidence, Rocky was brought to Dr. Lu’s attention at Broadway Vet Care. Applying theories and diagnostic concepts of Chinese medicine, Dr. Lu diagnosed Rocky with blood and qi deficiency. Rocky was put on Dr. Lu’s dragon formula immune herbs on August 4. In two weeks the owner was thrilled with the significant response Rocky was showing. First of all, his tongue started to turn from pale to pink and he was able to sleep through the night. Blood tests (PCV) started to increase from 30.5% on July 28 to 38.7% (normal range 33-56%) August 18, and 41.3% August 17. The owner happily reported that Rocky miraculously recovered from all of the mess. Three years later, January 2004, Rocky is twelve years old and still doing well.

Dr. Lu’s Chinese medicine and his immune herbs saved Rocky’s life.

Case Report
Broadway Veterinary Care
Hewlett, NY

Troy’s Story:

I owe a world of thanks to Dr. Lu and his amazing staff at the Stony Brook Veterinary Hospital.  If it wasn’t for their knowledge and caring, my dog, Troy, would not be walking. 

It all started in mid-December. Troy started limping on his left hind leg. At first I thought it was arthritis or a minor injury. The next morning Troy was not using his leg at all, it hung limp.  I was concerned and it was a Sunday so Dr. Lu was not in. I called Dr. Lu and he said Troy should be okay until Monday, but if I was concerned I could go to the emergency hospital.  I went to the emergency hospital where they took a few x-rays and wanted to do more work on Troy. By this time Troy had lost feeling in both legs.  The vet at the emergency hospital determined that Troy was paralyzed. They wanted to run blood work and leave him overnight on an I/V. I was concerned, Troy was frightened, so I called Dr. Lu.  Dr. Lu told me that he was fairly certain he knew what was wrong and that Troy should be given a cortisone injection and see him tomorrow.  I promptly asked the emergency room vet to stop the x-rays and do as Dr. Lu requested.  We headed home, where I’m certain Troy and I slept much better.

The next day we went to see Dr. Lu. Dr. Lu diagnosed Troy as having had a spinal stroke (a type of myelopathy).  Surgery was not an option, acupuncture, herbs and physical therapy were our only option.  Troy is an older dog (14 human years) and overweight, so he had a couple of factors working against him, still Dr. Lu was optimistic in a cautious way.  Dr. Lu recommended treatments twice a week at first.  Those first couple of weeks were the toughest. I felt as though I was caring for an infant, it was very bittersweet. Troy relied on me for everything.  Each night I would exercise Troy’s legs and massage them.  After a few treatments I noticed Troy’s toes would respond, twitch a little, when I squeezed them. I wondered if it was just involuntary, but it gave me hope. 

After 6 treatments, Troy’s acupuncture sessions were reduced to once a week.  It was about  4-5 weeks into the treatment when this happened:  as I was preparing dinner in the kitchen for Troy one evening, I heard a clanking noise. I turned around to see the brave guy standing beside me!! I shrieked with joy and naturally, the poor guy tumbled over….against all odds, Troy walked, I was ecstatic!!!

That was about a month ago.  Since then, Troy’s treatments have been reduced to every two weeks.  He continues to walk-we actually walked for 30 minutes today! And sometimes he even runs a little. He has a bit of a limp, but he is fine. He is unable to get up on his own, but once I give him a lift, he gets around on his own.

I couldn’t be happier that Troy is a patient of Dr. Lu’s.  I have complete confidence in his practice and appreciate all of his advice.  I also want to mention that Dr. Lu has been available for me any time, any day.  He leaves his cell phone number for his patients and I admit, I’ve called it on numerous occasions out of worry.  Dr. Lu was always immediately responsive and would offer whatever help he could.  I never felt as if I was imposing. 

I’m so thrilled and so thankful to Dr. Lu, Amanda, Jolene, Janet and Denise for all of their kindness and support.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!