Holistic Veterinary Medicine

Simply defined, Holistic Veterinary Medicine (HVM) is the practice of examining and diagnosing an animal using a wide range of alternative diagnostic and treatment methods. If conventional methods are used as well as alternative methods, the practice is known as Complementary Medicine.
The main objective of HVM is to design a treatment program for each pet individually, using the most appropriate treatment methods. In order to develop an individualized program for each animal, it is important to take into account the animal’s diet, home environment, amount of exercise, their relationship to the owner or caretaker and other pets in the home, the length of time the problem has been going on, and stress factors. The pet should also get a thorough physical examination, so a background in Veterinary Medicine is a strong plus when choosing treatment for your pet. The treatment program will by necessity vary depending on the training background of the holistic practitioner.
In some acute situations, treatment may involve the use of conventional western veterinary medicine techniques, such as surgery, or even allopathic medicines, combined with or followed by holistic practices.
Holistic medicine, however, does not stop at treating the symptoms of an illness, instead, it aims to discover and treat the root of the problem. When using holistic medicine, it may take longer to reach the treatment goal than conventional medicine (treating the symptoms) but the end result is a longer lasting and more complete state of health than can be achieved by treating the symptoms alone.
A short list of holistic treatment methods includes Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Tui-Na (Chinese chiropractic/massage therapy),Food Energetics (also Chinese Medicine based), Homeopathy, Conventional Chiropractic Medicine, Vitamin therapy and “Western” Herbal treatments, and massage or physical therapy. There are numerous other methods, but these are the ones most commonly employed.