Interview: what is holistic veterinary medicine for dogs?

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As more research becomes available, pet owners are realizing how the choices that they make for their dogs are effecting their pet’s overall health and well-being. The quality of dog food, treats and toys need to be a priority for dog parents, and the animal’s veterinary care should also be a top concern. What is holistic veterinary medicine for dogs? Should you be considering it for your pet?

These are the questions that I sought out to answer this week. I was fortunate enough to be able to speak with Dr. Anna Maria Gardner, a holistic veterinarian, this week. I took the opportunity to ask her about the practice and why it may be more beneficial to some dogs than traditional veterinary medicine.

Holistic veterinarian medicine is the practice of using alternative medicine in the healing of animals. It emphasizes minimal invasiveness and empathy for the animal. Alternative therapies offered by a holistic veterinarian may include:

• acupuncture
• herbal remedies
• homeopathy
• chiropractic care
• aromatherapy
• nutritional therapy

Interview: What Is Holistic Veterinary Medicine for Dogs?

Dr. Gardner told me that she was always interested in holistic care, except in vet school. Sadly, she says that students were actively advised against it at that time. Still, when she became a practicing veterinarian, she had clients who came to her because she was open minded and willing to try any treatment that would best meet the needs of the animal.

One day her dog, Isis, became very sick and was basically dying. Her condition did not improve with the pharmaceuticals that Dr. Gardner had been taught to give her. A friend suggested trying homeopathy. Since she had nothing to lose, she gave it a shot. She consulted with another vet, Dr. Richard Pitcairn, and began feeding Isis a natural diet, as well as supplements.

She also began using homeopathy, and Isis actually began to get better! Holistic medicine made so much sense to Dr. Gardner that she decided it was what she wanted to specialize in. She’s been practicing it ever since with animals of all species that she cares for. Dr. Gardner is now certified in both homeopathy and acupuncture.

You can find out all about Dr. Gardner and her holistic veterinary practice on her website Pet Synergy.

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Holistic medicine, for both humans and animals, has been gaining in popularity in recent years. Dr. Gardner attributes that growth to people becoming disillusioned with allopathic medicine (mainstream medical practices) for themselves and their animals. This pushes them to look for other solutions.

She also believes the Internet has helped a lot. It’s easier than ever before to get information and access to other modalities, and discussion groups that advocate holistic care are also raising awareness.

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People are a lot more educated about alternatives now, and holistic veterinary medicine is becoming more accepted and mainstream.

There are a lot of reasons that dog owners (and all pet parents) should consider holisitc treatments for their animal companion. Dr. Gardner listed just a few of those reasons for me:

• lack of side-effects
• immune support
• focus on preventive medicine
• control of chronic conditions like arthritis with pharmaceuticals
• provides comfort for terminal conditions like cancer or renal failure
• cost effectiveness
• holistic care is better for the environment
• prevents long term antibiotic resistance

I know it’s hard to believe. A few years ago I didn’t believe in the benefits of holistic veterinary medicine for dogs either. Similar to Dr. Gardner, it took one of my own dog’s becoming ill for me to turn to alternative medicine.

When I asked Dr. Gardner what she thinks is holding pet parents back from exploring holistic treatments for their animals, this was her response:

Skepticism – they don’t think it works. Their allopathic vet might not like or support it, or be averse to it – for example, against feeding raw food diets. They might also be concerned about cost, though in the long term I would say holistic care is in fact cost effective. – Dr. Anna Maria Gardner

I couldn’t agree more. Family and friends have criticized our choice of using holistic veterinary medicine for dogs in the past. They doubt the effectiveness of the treatments and always ask us if it’s more expensive than traditional veterinary costs.

We also get asked a lot if holistic treatments are humane. Of course they are – if anything they are more humane than traditional veterinary treatments. The reason family members have asked us this is because pharmaceuticals tend to work very quickly, reliving pain or discomfort usually within a matter of hours.

Holistic treatments may not work quite as fast, but they too will often create improvement in a medical condition very quickly. Plus, your dog doesn’t have to suffer the painful or uncomfortable side effects linked to so many of those drugs. Likewise, all those chemicals are not entering your dog’s body and doing damage that may not be noticeable for many years.

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