FAQs

Q: How do you balance holistic care with Western medicine?

Although you have decided to seek an alternative holistic approach to caring for your animal, I strongly recommend that you maintain a relationship with a traditional veterinarian. My practice is limited to complementary medicine, and I do not perform any procedure that requires sedation or anesthesia. I also do not offer traditional medications including antibiotics and traditional pain medications.

Sometimes there is no substitute for surgery, antibiotics, or medications in saving a patient’s life. But a holistic approach is often life-changing, especially in patients with chronic disease. Each animal is an individual that has unique needs, and my goal is to identify those needs and develop a treatment approach that best suits that patient.

Q: How do pets tolerate acupuncture?

With few exceptions, animals not only tolerate needles but come to enjoy their treatments because most patients experience relaxation soon after the needles are placed. In cases where animals do not tolerate needles, stimulation of points is done with a specialized light device that activates the points.

Q: What is Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) has its roots in (human) Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which has been used to successfully treat people for thousands of years. 

In Chinese Medicine, Yin-Yang theory states that all things in the universe are governed by two opposing, yet interdependent forces. Yin represents the passive and Yang represents the active. One can find many ways to describe these opposing forces like night and day, or cold and hot. These concepts cannot stand alone. We need to know hot to understand cold, inside in order to understand outside, day in order to understand night, and so on.

From a medical perspective, Yin-Yang theory helps explain imbalances in the body and how these can lead to dysfunction. The application of Yin and Yang theory to the body helps to analyze function and disease at various levels and provides a platform for a holistic approach to the treatment of disease. Once a particular type of disharmony or pattern is identified, treatment proceeds through a combination of methods that may include acupuncture, herbal supplements, and food therapy.

Q: Can you collaborate with my veterinarian?

Yes, I am very comfortable collaborating with your primary care veterinarian and can send regular updates if appropriate so they are kept informed.