What problems can be treated with holistic veterinary medicine?

Holistic care can be used to treat any of your pet’s health concerns. That being said, traditional allopathic medicine is generally indicated for acute, life-threatening emergencies. Additionally, it may be useful to integrate allopathic and holistic medicine to optimize your pet’s treatment.

Holistic care is often the treatment of choice for chronic diseases that seem resistant to allopathic treatments or where the side effects of allopathic drugs are concern. A few examples of conditions treated with holistic medicine include but aren’t limited to: arthritis, inter-vertebral disc disease, skin problems, geriatric problems and epilepsy

Does my pet have to be ill to see a holistic veterinarian?

Holistic medicine aims first and foremost at maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Disease prevention is always ideal. Occasional holistic “checkups,” especially in spring and fall, should include acupuncture, detox treatments and dietary consultation.

How is a holistic health exam different than an exam from my regular veterinarian?

During your pet’s initial exam, an extremely thorough history of all present and past medical concerns is taken. I also focus on many lifestyle issues. Current medications, amount of exercise, diet, personality traits and past and present household stresses are all important factors to consider. Each time I see your pet, his or her history will be updated. I perform a “hands-on” Chinese Medical exam that includes a look at your pet’s tongue and pulse, both important diagnostic tools in this type of exam. I check various acupuncture points for heat and/or pain and I pay attention to your pet’s demeanor, or Shen. All of these factors, along with the history, will help establish a disease pattern, upon which treatment will be based.

In addition, your pet will be checked for vertebral alignment. Finally, simple Western exam techniques such as checking ears or eyes, or listening to the heart or lungs will be completed.

Based on my findings, a treatment regimen is outlined combining acupuncture, herbal medicine, homotoxicology, chiropractic adjustment, dietary modification and/or lifestyle changes.

What if my pet needs more Western-oriented diagnostics?

While allopathic medicine is not currently part of my practice, I have over fifteen years of small animal allopathic medical experience. If I feel it’s necessary to do further diagnostics (lab work, x-rays, etc), you will be encouraged to visit your regular veterinarian for such services and to integrate those results into my diagnosis and treatment. This approach enables your pet to experience the best of all forms of medicine.

How many visits are necessary to treat my pet’s problem?

The number of visits needed to treat a condition varies greatly. For acute conditions, where symptoms have recently begun, one to three visits may be enough. Most patients seeking holistic medicine have chronic conditions with symptoms that have been present for years. Since these chronic diseases often require more visits, it’s generally recommended a client commits to four visits. At the conclusion of four appointments, the pet’s response to the treatment will be discussed to determine whether or not treatment should continue.

The general course of treatment is an initial visit followed by a second visit one to two weeks later. Depending upon your pet’s response, the interval between visits is prolonged so a patient is eventually on “maintenance” therapy of one visit per one to three months