What is a holistic approach?

Holistic medicine takes many factors into consideration, including the unique mental and physical factors, when a patient is evaluated.   It focuses as much as possible on incorporating natural healing methods and engaging the bodies own natural healing capacities to work toward health.  The animal's environment, diet, stress factors, disease pattern and relationship to other pets and humans in the household are evaluated.  

Holistic medicine is often reached for as the last resort.  Ideally, prevention of disease would be the focus in the early years, thus necessitating little intervention until the patient older.  Often, people turn to holistic medicine after a pet has aged significantly.  A holistic practitioner trained in the area of acupuncture, herbal medicine, chiropractic, nutrition and homeopathy would have alternatives to cortisone and harsh medications in the later years and when all else fails.  

In many situations the holistic practitioner will chose from Western/conventional technology (surgery, diagnostics and drug therapy) and combine this with alternative/complementary techniques to create a treatment plan.  These alternative techniques include acupuncture, Chinese and Western herbal medicines, Tuina (Chinese massage and acupressure), chiropractic and homeopathy.  Being truly holistic means looking at the whole picture and having an understanding of all the healing modalities and their suitability to the patient and the illness. 

Be sure to evaluate the credentials of veterinarians who advertise that they are holistic as many will advertise this interest.  Make sure you inquire as to their completion of a comprehensive program or that they are working toward certification in acupuncture, herbal medicine, chiropractic or homeopathy.  Have they trained extensively in acupuncture, herbal medicine or hiropractic?  Sad to say, but there are weekend courses in how to prescribe herbs and even to perform an adjustment on your pet.