Evidence based veterinary medicine (ebvm) vs holistic veterinary medicine

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For a dog owner seeing their best friend in distress is very upsetting, we love our dogs and they fast become one of the family. We will always do our very best for them. Usually the first person we turn to when our dogs are in distress is our vet. But, what about other options, such as holistic veterinary medicine. What’s the difference between evidence based veterinary medicine (EBVM) vs. holistic veterinary medicine?

Many people use the holistic approach with their pets, and they say it works very well. Others aren’t so sure. Evidence based practices and holistic practices each have their place in veterinary medicine, but is one really better than the other? Or, could there be the option of combining the two and getting the best of both worlds?

Taking a closer look at each of them may give you a better understanding about the benefits they can offer your dog. It’s not necessarily a competition, but more about choosing what is right for your pet’s individual needs. You need to find the safest and healthiest treatment for your dog.

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Evidence Based Veterinary Medicine vs Holistic Veterinary Medicine

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Holistic Veterinary Medicine

There are many different therapies that are used with holistic medicine. Oftentimes holistic treatments are confused with homeopathic medicine. Homeopathic remedies focus on helping the body to stimulate it’s natural healing processes with the use of plants, minerals and other natural remedies.

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Holistic veterinary medicine focuses on your dog’s overall health, not just the symptoms that he’s showing, and uses a combination of homeopathic and traditional remedies to treat him.

Holistic veterinarians aren’t opposed to using traditional veterinary methods, they just choose to look at your dog as a whole and prescribe the safest and healthiest option of treatment.

Treatments used in holistic veterinary practices include:

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the use of inserting very fine needles into certain areas of your dog’s body. What this does is balance the flow of energy.

This approach is often used to control pain and can also cure chronic ailments.

Chiropractic care

This provides your dog with hands on spinal adjustments which will work to relieve your dog’s pain.

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Herbal remedies

Herbal remedies are used to treat many conditions that your dog may be suffering from, for instance for allergies alfalfa is recommended.

Massage

Massage lowers your dog’s stress levels by lowering the stress hormones that are in his body. This will increase circulation, boost the immune system and also ease pain.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is amazing for your dog, and really can help him heal. The thing with homeopathy is that your dog will be provided with a substance that will actually cause the same symptoms that he is suffering from.

So for instance if your dog happened to be suffering from diarrhea he would be given a substance that would actually cause diarrhea. The aim of this is to jumpstart your dog’s body to help it go on to heal itself.

Laser Therapy

This is very similar to acupuncture, but instead of using very fine needles a low level laser is used. The laser targets specific parts of the body and will help to treat many ailments. It can also help after your dog has had surgery.

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