Thoughts on Holistic Vet?

[bamawife]

I just found out there is a holistic veterinarian a couple of hours from me. Just curious if anyone on here has ever used one. Pros? Cons? Ironically, this vet is located in the same building as a 24 hour Emergency Animal Hospital. This vet started out as a regular vet but switched over to holistic.

[Yorkiemom1]

My absolutely wonderful vet utilizes BOTH sides of the fence in her practice. She has told me she understands many people's reluctance to give holistic medicine and interest or confidence in it.....I personally was NOT a holistic medicine person....but she has done some things with a couple of my pets that has me not quite as opinionated about it. She also practices accupuncture, and goes all over the country, teaching this to different vets at seminars and also at vet schools....she helped my oldest pet's arthritis and improved the immune system on another pet! So...........just maybe there really is something to all this magic medicine!!

[Sweet Girls]

Like Yorkiemom, I like to have the best of both worlds, and I do. I have a great Holistic vet that is my main vet (she is also certified DVM), and a Vet Chiropractor (also DVM) that practices more traditional type remedies. They both know each other and respect each other. I've come into too many situations where the traditional answer has been, "give this pill"....my particular holistic vet is very though, watches my dogs while in the waiting room, and considers all aspects of their movement and behaviour when deciding on treatment options. The challenge is that there isn't always a "magic" pill that can do the job right away, but as my holistic vet is want to say, "I practice traditional medicine in a traditional manner...the other (western) approach is the 'new fangled approach' and focusses on treating symptoms not underlying causes." She's got a point

[Yorkiedaze]

It would be ideal if you found one Vet. who was into the holistic approach as well as the surgery side. I'm all for the holistic part but I also let medication take over when needed and my Vets. are wonderful and they even work together to help my girls. So if you end up with more than one Vet. then give them all each others names and numbers and let them all know you want to work with all of them.

[Britster]

We have a holistic vet on staff at our vets office. I have yet to see her personally but I actually was thinking about making our next appt with her just to try her out (though I am not sure if she charges more?) But I like having both.

[107barney]

There is no way I would ever see a holistic vet unless it was as a complement to regular conventional medicine.

[bamawife]

This is a link to her website: Holistic Veterinary Center

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by Yorkiedaze

It would be ideal if you found one Vet. who was into the holistic approach as well as the surgery side. I'm all for the holistic part but I also let medication take over when needed and my Vets. are wonderful and they even work together to help my girls. So if you end up with more than one Vet. then give them all each others names and numbers and let them all know you want to work with all of them.

Great!!! Like I am fortunate enough to have at my disposal, the best of both worlds!!!!!

[gemy]

What I feel is that there is room enough and certainly challenges enough for both holistic and western standard veterinary care.

I would not go to a holistic vet to set a broken leg, or to operate on my pup, but there are literally hundreds of other "conditions" that an holistic approach could help with.

[bamawife]

Originally Posted by gemy

What I feel is that there is room enough and certainly challenges enough for both holistic and western standard veterinary care.

I would not go to a holistic vet to set a broken leg, or to operate on my pup, but there are literally hundreds of other "conditions" that an holistic approach could help with.

I agree 100%!

[Sweet Girls]

Originally Posted by gemy

What I feel is that there is room enough and certainly challenges enough for both holistic and western standard veterinary care.

I would not go to a holistic vet to set a broken leg, or to operate on my pup, but there are literally hundreds of other "conditions" that an holistic approach could help with.

I don't know if there is a holistic vet that would attempt to do those things? I know that anytime I've called mine, if she thought it was an "emergency" or something that needed immediate help such as blood in the stool, she told me straight out to get to a vet hospital! And when my other dog was suffering from HGE, she consulted with the vets at the OVC, suggesting possibilities for further testing and diagnostics that might be needed.

[BLowry]

I am a true believer in holistic health for both my husband and myself as well at the furkids. On the other side of this I also believe in giving antibiotics when needed. I feel if it can be cured/treated naturally that is the best way. I DON'T believe in using chemicals to treat my furbutts for fleas and ticks. I use a holistic recipe...yes...has to be applied every couple of days but, the benefits of NOT using chemicals out way the once a month application. When my children were young (they are adults now) their pediatrician would try a holistic method before the medication method...Dont get me wrong...he also prescribed meds for them too...some illnesses HAVE to have antibiotics. I LOVED him for this!

[lisaly]

I go to a vet who combines Eastern and Western medicine. He is widely known for his Chinese herbal remedies, and many people travel a great distance for his treatments. People are often referred to his practice as a last chance for their pups. Throughout the years that I have gone to his office, I have eard many success stories from the owners of these pets. More often than not we used conventional medicine on my girls because they were difficult to pill, but when we did use herbal remedies, they helped a great deal.

[Ellie May]

We do western med only with the pups (with the exception of a few supplements like SAMe that are very well known and used by many vets).

Supplements aren't regulated by the FDA. So there is no reaction report collection. That's pretty concerning since some of these supplements are pretty strong. I'm thinking for humans...Aspirin vs. willow bark. They are closely related and can cause similar side effects. One is regulated and the other is not. Natural is not always better...

Some holistic vets really lean toward chiropractic care and the like. That's fine if you agree with it. I have major concerns about when it is being used. Neurologists do also. I think surgeons should make these kinds of calls.

Not a fan of Dr. Pitcairn, so I avoid his methods.. Looks like this vet is into the raw diet very extensively and likes it for all patients if lifestyle permits. That would concern me. Holistic vets also tend to like heartworm nosodes. Would never trust those for my dogs.

Then it is still important to have a regular vet. They ahve to coordinate which can be difficult when one is prescribing drugs and the other is prescribing a list of herbs and such that a regular vet has never even heard of (nor should they have to keep up with it because they aren't regulated). So unless the two vets work well together, it could be difficult.