Alternative Health And Healing: What Is Holistic Veterinarian Medicine?

Holistic veterinary medicine combines traditional medicine with alternative therapies, to develop a treatment plan specifically tailored for the individual animal. Holistic veterinarians look at a variety of factors, including nutrition, genetics, environment and the relationship between animal and owner. Holistic veterinary medicine emphasizes not only treating symptoms, but also creating a lifestyle for the animal that is conducive to physical and mental well-being. The Holistic Approach Holistic veterinarians undergo the same training as traditional vets, obtaining degrees in veterinary medicine and using the same techniques and medications that other vets employ.

In addition, many undergo additional training in holistic medical treatments, either at a traditional university or at any number of holistic medicine programs around the country. Holistic vets seek to combine both methods in a way that treats the whole animal, from physical health to emotional well-being to the environment in which they live. In general, holistic veterinary medicine is used for chronic rather than acute conditions. In the case of severe trauma, for instance, the animal will likely benefit most from conventional techniques, which work more quickly than most alternative methods. But for long-term conditions, holistic medicine may provide owners with more options to choose from when seeking to improve their animal’s health.

Treatments Used in Holistic Veterinary Medicine Holistic veterinarians employ conventional treatments like surgery and drugs, and they also make use of diagnostic technology like X-rays, ultrasound and blood tests. However, they also incorporate a wide variety of alternative treatment methods into their practice, in order to provide patients with a wider array of options.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been part of traditional Chinese medicine for 3,500 years, and is believed to activate the body’s natural healing ability. Tiny needles are inserted into the body at specific points along channels, called meridians, that run throughout the body and are thought to regulate certain physical and mental processes. These 14 invisible channels are located deep inside the body, but surface at 360 places, called acupuncture points. Certain meridians are associated with certain organs, and it is believed that inserting needles into the points lying along these meridians can affect the corresponding organs. Modern veterinary medicine uses two types of acupuncture: with the needle alone, or in conjunction with electrical stimulation or stimulation using a laser. For permanent stimulation, gold beads, magnets or staples are sometimes placed into the acupuncture points. Veterinarians use acupuncture to treat several conditions, including digestive problems, pain, hip dysplasia and epilepsy. Some people have also reported an emotional improvement in their animals, even before any physical changes are noted.

Chiropractic Therapy

Chiropractic therapy focuses on the alignment of the vertebrae, or bones of the spine. If they shift out of alignment, an entire area of the body can be affected, including the tissues, muscles, joints, nerves, blood flow and overall function. Chiropractors use quick, controlled thrusts to manipulate and adjust the joints and bones. Chiropractic therapy is often used for treating pain, and can provide immediate relief that is either total or partial. Sometimes the relief is temporary, and the pain returns when the animal moves in such a way as to cause a maladjustment. In this case, several treatments may be required to achieve long-lasting effects. Though usually associated with pain relief, chiropractic therapy can also improve overall health. Because organ systems are controlled by the nerves, anything disrupting proper nerve functioning, such as misalignment or maladjustment, can compromise any number of systems within the body. Correcting these maladjustments, however, may restore internal organs to their optimal health.

Herbal Remedies One of the oldest forms of medicine, herbs have been used for centuries to cure disease in both animals and humans. While many pharmaceutical drugs are actually derived from plants and herbs, herbal practitioners contend that these drugs do not have the same properties as the whole plant. In the whole plant, the various parts may work together to produce effects that cannot be duplicated when a certain compound is isolated and made into a drug. In addition, the natural substance may work differently within the body than does a processed drug. Many people believe that animals in the wild instinctively know which plants to eat in order to remedy certain ailments. The drugs created in pharmaceutical laboratories, however, may differ radically from these natural substances and not produce the same healing effect. Many herbal systems are formulated from observing what plants animals eat when afflicted with certain illnesses, in order to provide domestic animals with the same healing properties that wild animals have access to through the foods they eat. While herbal remedies may be all-natural, they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and formulations vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. It can be difficult to know exactly what an herbal product contains, and for that reason the method should be used with caution. In addition, just because a product is natural doesn’t mean it is free from side effects, and pet owners should educate themselves about any product before using it to treat their animal.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy focuses on identifying energy patterns within the body and determining how to bring that energy back into balance. Homeopathy’s goal is not to merely treat the symptoms, but to correct the underlying imbalance causing the symptoms. Homeopathy views symptoms of illness as the result of the body trying to heal itself and restore balance. This imbalance, it is thought, starts well before physical symptoms become apparent. What we see may only be a small part of what is going on inside the body, and so it is necessary to determine the extent of the illness before formulating a treatment plan. One of homeopathy’s central principles is “like cures like.” To this end, homeopathy uses remedies that produce symptoms similar to what the animal is already experiencing. For example, an animal who is vomiting would be given a substance that produces vomiting, but the remedy would be stronger than the imbalance in the animal’s body and so would replace it. Homeopathic remedies are diluted solutions of various herbs, animal products and chemicals. How they work may at first sound confusing: the more diluted the solution is, the more potent it is, and the less frequently it is administered. The remedy used is determined by studying the severity of the symptoms and identifying which should be treated first. The veterinarian then chooses substances with the appropriate properties to treat those symptoms. Homeopathic veterinarians usually recommend natural diets, and also prefer infrequent vaccinations.

Using Holistic Techniques With its emphasis on treating the whole animal, holistic veterinary medicine can enable owners to not only treat their animal’s symptoms, but help restore their animal to optimal health as well. However, alternative treatment methods work best when combined with traditional medicine, which is sometimes the most effective way to treat certain ailments. As with any form of medical treatment, owners should educate themselves about any technique before they use it. If they do, they have a better chance of ensuring that their animal stays happy and healthy for years to come.