When your pet has an illness and the conventional treatments prescribed by your regular family veterinarian are not helping, it may be time to find a holistic integrative veterinarian. Talking to a practitioner who thinks beyond the boundaries of traditional Western medicine might help your pet enjoy better health, sooner. Here’s how to find one of these experts.
What Does A Holistic Integrative Medicine Veterinarian Do?
These veterinarians think differently about disease by working with evidence-based natural medicine. What exactly does that mean? According to the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA), a holistic integrative veterinarian “will determine the best combination of both conventional and alternative (or complementary) therapies for a given individual.”
Every day more and more licensed veterinarians like Drs. Judy Morgan and Richard Palmquist are opening practices that look at the entire animal before recommending a treatment. These veterinarians consider:
- Diet
- Lifestyle
- Environment
- Relationships
- The Disease Pattern
When deciding on treatment, these practitioners will integrate a blend of holistic therapies and those found in Western medicine. Although they don’t shy away from treatments like Reiki that may not have as much research behind it, they also don’t ignore the scientifically proven benefits of say, antibiotics or even chemotherapy.
Turn to the AHVMA website for a more detailed description of the benefits of holistic integrative veterinary care.
How to Find a Holistic Integrative Veterinarian Directory
Here is a listing of directories we compiled for you. If you know of any not included here (especially listings of holistic integrative veterinarians outside the US), please let us know in the comments area.
The College of Integrative Vet Therapies has the web’s biggest list of worldwide Holistic Integrative Veterinarians in countries that include Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Japan, the Middle East, New Zealand, South Africa, South East Asia, and the United States.
The AHVMA has this fantastic directory of holistic integrative veterinarians in North America.
CuraCore, an organization educating veterinary medical professionals on evidence-based natural medicine, has a CuraCore Directory of integrative veterinary professionals who completed the CuraCore Curriculum.
Another USA-based directory is the Veterinary Institute of Integrative Medicine.
Australia residents can check out the Integrative Veterinarians Australia Directory.
And if you still can’t find a holistic integrative vet near you, try searching the web for “holistic integrative veterinarian (in your town).”
Should you decide to work with another veterinarian, don’t worry about offending your current vet. A good veterinarian knows that one person cannot possibly have all the answers, and encourages clients to seek multiple avenues of support for the greater good, a healthier, happier animal. Good luck in your search!
Learn More About Holistic and Integrative Veterinary Care
Check out this previous Tripawd Talk Radio podcast with Dr. Richard Palmquist, former President of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation(AHVMF) and author of Releasing Your Pet’s Hidden Health Potential, a comprehensive guide to utilizing the power of nutrition and holistic modalities such as acupuncture, muscle response testing, and stem cell therapy to help your pet live a long, healthy life.
Listen to Dr Palmquist on Tripawd Talk Radio
