Where to Find a Holistic Veterinarian?

These days more owners are embracing alternative medicines (holistic approach) as part of their dogs’ health care program. This is a very good trend and I strongly believe holistic veterinary will gain greater exposure as more dog owners are aware of its “existence.”

We know that conventional veterinarian clinics and hospitals abound and to locate a good veterinarian is pretty easy. All you have to do is to ask friends and neighbors or get referrals from breeders and trainers. Conventional veterinarians far outnumber alternative veterinarians, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding a quality conventional veterinarian in your area.

Whereas finding a good holistic veterinarian may be a little more challenging especially if you live in a rural area, or in a part of the world where holistic veterinary medicine isn’t widely accepted yet. Most owners, including myself, need to drive a little further to visit our holistic veterinarians but in the long run it is worth all the effort considering the non-aversive methods they use.

Having said, I’m not advocating that you should totally ignore conventional veterinarian assistance if holistic veterinary clinic is some distance away. You still need to have a conventional veterinarian within close proximity to go to in extreme emergencies such as life-and-death situations. In those cases, conventional veterinarians can provide immediate care and stabilize your dog so that you can get him to your regular holistic veterinarian. You’ll also want to have your holistic veterinarian on the phone to consult with your conventional veterinarian about proper care.

Finding a Holistic Veterinarian

Just as you would find a professional dog groomer, you want to get referrals from your friends and neighbors who own dogs, your breeder, pet supplies stores, dog trainers, animal shelters and welfare groups, and so on.

Although it may seem so yesteryear to many youngsters, local phone book is still one of your best sources to locating a holistic veterinarian. I’ve good reasons for stating it, so hear me out before calling me a Stone Age woman. Firstly, not everyone has Internet access or feel comfortable maneuvering technology gadgets. Secondly, many holistic veterinarians or practitioners have yet to incorporate technology into their “system.” In another words, they don’t have website highlighting their services.

Side note: As a student of holistic health medicine, I’m constantly being approached by peers seeking help to setting up their websites or blogs. As much as I love to help them set up a basic five-page website but I just don’t have the luxury to spare. Judging from my infrequency posting lately pretty much tell you how desperate I need of some personal time, REALLY! Anyway…

There is another indirect approach to locating a holistic veterinarian, that is to talk to holistic doctors or practitioners for humans. Many, if not some, have holistic veterinarians in their network. While searching for holistic doctors, you may want to look under these keywords in the phone book or google them: Naturopath, Homeopath, Acupuncturist, or Chiropractor.

Some useful resources on finding a holistic veterinarian near you:

For US Dog Owners

• American Holistic Veterinarian Medical Association
• The Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy
• American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture
• Veterinary Institute of Integrative Medicine

For International Dog Owners

• International Veterinary Acupuncture Society
• British Association of Homeopathic Veterinarian Surgeons
• International Veterinarian List

If you cannot find a holistic veterinarian near you, then you may have to search for a conventional practitioner who’s interested in holistic and alternative ideas. Talk to the staff on the phone to get a feel for the doctor’s viewpoints. If you feel good about what you’ve heard, go ahead and set up an appointment. Only then you can get some face-to-face time to see how receptive the doctor is to alternative veterinary health care for dogs.

Bear in mind that many medical doctors are still skeptical on holistic health about its usefulness and effectiveness, be it on humans or animals even though herbs and alternative therapies have been used for thousands of years. I dare say this from experience—an ongoing quest in persuading friends (including MDs) to adopt or at least be open to holistic therapies and alternative medicines.