The past few weeks, we’ve focused our blog posts on preventing and limiting our pets’ exposure to toxins found in pet products, grass, etc. We’ve also established that toxins are a reality that we, unfortunately, cannot avoid, no matter how hard we try. For this reason, we believe in taking a holistic approach to our pet’s health and care. Today, we want to discuss holistic veterinary care & top practitioners to follow online.
Defining Holistic Veterinary Care
Holistic veterinary care can mean different things to different people. According to the American Holistic Veterinary Medicine Association (AHVMA), “holistic veterinary medicine is a form of healing that considers the whole patient–body, mind, and spirit–in its approach to achieving optimum health and eliminating the root causes of disease. The holistic approach is gentle, minimally invasive, and incorporates patient emotions and well-being. Holistic thinking is centered on love, empathy, and respect.”
Holistic care takes a more natural route and considers the causes of symptoms before addressing them, which may take a little longer and require more detective work than a conventional veterinary consult would entail. Holistic vets may use herbs, nutrition, and alternative modalities like acupuncture in their treatment while conventional veterinarians typically focus on pharmaceuticals and, when needed, surgery to treat conditions.
Exploring Holistic Veterinary Care
When exploring holistic veterinary care, it’s important to understand the type of practitioner you are considering. There are veterinarians that have completed veterinary school and practice a more holistic approach, there are veterinarians that are considered integrative, bringing together eastern and western medical protocols, and then there are specialty practitioners that may focus on one aspect of the animal, the gut, for example.
Before engaging the care of any professional, get to know what their eduction and background entails so that you can understand the approaches being used and ensure that they fall in line with your preferences and goals.
Top Holistic Veterinary Practitioners to Follow
When choosing a holistic veterinarian to follow online, it’s important to understand who they are and what they are after. Reputable veterinarians will not provide individual medical advice without seeing the patient. They will only provide advice and recommendations in general terms. They also will not bathmouth other veterinarians or push product sales. If you find an online holistic veterinarian that is using their platform to sell, sell, sell, we recommend you run, run, run.
That said, many online vets have online shops and courses. That’s how they make their living. The key is understanding the motivation and the trustworthiness of their content and product. To do so, do a little digging on the vet and their products before buying into their message and supplements.
Following is a list of a few veterinary pracitioners to follow online. These veterinarians have proven themselves and have created a large following of pet parents by educating them on preventive care and alternative medicine for common ailments while still working within the AVMA guidelines.
Dr. Katie Woodley, The Natural Pet Doctor
Dr. Zac Pilossoph, DVM, CMFT, CAVM, also known as Vet Excelsior
Holistic Pet Care
At Shoreline Happy Paws, we believe in a holistic pet care approach that goes beyond veterinary care. From finding a fear free certified professional to care for your pet while you travel, groom your pet when they are due, and board your pet if you require that service, the right pet care always takes the entire pet into account.
Because a pet’s wellbeing starts with their mental and emotional health, we always recommend in-home pet care when you’re away from home. By leaving pets in their home environment, pets thrive and enjoy their much-loved daily routines. Shoreline Happy Paws offers professional in-home dog walking and pet sitting services in the following Connecticut Shoreline areas:
- Old Saybrook
- Essex, Ivoryton & Centerbrook
- Deep River
- Chester
- Westbrook
- Clinton
- Old Lyme
- East Lyme
- Niantic
Certain Areas and Limited Service Hours in:
- Lyme and Madison
- Waterford, New London, Groton
- Uncasville, Gales Ferry, Mystic, Noank
Please contact us by phone or text at 860-964-0464 or via email at info@cthappypaws.com to learn more.
