Holistic veterinarians are traditionally trained and licensed veterinarians who add a holistic philosophy and alternative treatment methods to animal care. They focus on treating the whole animal and look beyond presenting symptoms to determine what is happening in the animal's body. In addition to caring for symptoms and illness, they look at environment, owner-pet relationship, diet, emotional history, behavioral characteristics, and stress factors on an animal. To treat animals they use many of the human alternative medical techniques such as herbalism, chiropractic, acupuncture, nutrition, massage, and homeopathy. Animals, like humans, are born with their own healing ability, and holistic veterinarians use the least invasive techniques to support the animal in obtaining optimal health.
"Holistic veterinary care looks at the entire animal and not just the part that is diseased. For example, if an animal had a cough, rather than focus on only the respiratory system, I would also examine where did the cough originate from? Why does the animal have a cough? Is something wrong with the environment? How is the animal's immune system? Is the animal getting enough attention and exercise? I look at a bigger picture of the animal's health."
-Darlene Stevenson, D.V.M.
Philosophy
Holistic veterinary medicine developed from human holistic medicine. People who use holistic medicine themselves started to wonder why they weren't doing the same for their pets. Gradually, human holistic practitioners started applying holistic principles and alternative techniques to animals. At the same time, veterinarians began training in human holistic care and transferred their knowledge to animal patients. Slowly the field has developed into a specialty area for veterinarians.
Types of Clients and Problems
Since holistic veterinarians complete mainstream veterinary school, they are qualified to provide full veterinary care and see animals with all types of health issues. They provide typical care expected from any veterinarian such as regular checkups, rabies vaccines, spaying and neutering, and general health care. In addition to the average animal patient, holistic veterinarians see animals with conditions that are more responsive to holistic care. Depending on the veterinarian's expertise, they may see a high number of animals with chronic, degenerative illnesses that can't be treated by traditional veterinary medicine. Conditions such as cancer, kidney failure, arthritis, chronic infections, and immune system disorders are often seen by holistic veterinarians. Holistic veterinarians that offer acupuncture see many animals with orthopedic problems such as chronic back pain, lameness, and arthritis and joint problems. Holistic veterinarians serve animals with all types of health problems.
Owners who seek holistic veterinary care often use holistic medicine for themselves and are knowledgeable about health issues. Other owners seek holistic veterinary care after mainstream veterinary medicine has failed to offer options for their pets. Often owners are single, couples without children, or individuals who have the time and motivation to provide holistic care. Holistic veterinary care is a long process, and care requires more time on the owner's part than does traditional veterinary care. Depending on the animal's health problems, owners may spend time massaging, exercising, and modifying the diet of their pet. If their pet is receiving acupuncture or chiropractic treatments, owners spend time taking animals to these appointments, which usually require a series of visits.
"The most challenging part of the job for me is seeing things that would respond very well to holistic treatments and diet changes and not being able to convince the owner that it could work. Some owners believe in it and seek it out; others are forced to convert to holistic care if there is no conventional treatment available; and others are skeptical or don't want to put in the time and effort."
-Darlene Stevenson, D.V.M.
Types of Treatment
Practically all of the different holistic care options available to humans are applicable to animals. Nutritional therapy, acupuncture, massage, homeopathy, herbal medicine, and chiropractic are methods holistic veterinarians use to care for animals. Which holistic techniques are used depends on the veterinarian's training, area of interest, and work setting. Most veterinarians use a combination of traditional and holistic treatments to care for animals.
One aspect holistic veterinarians emphasize is the importance of educating owners on the total health of their pets. They teach owners to look at all of their pet's needs and discuss the importance of a healthy diet, exercise, behavioral training, social interaction and attention, and the animal's environment. They also educate owners on the issue of vaccines. Some holistic veterinarians believe animals in the United States are over-vaccinated, which is detrimental to the immune system. They provide information on which vaccines are necessary and which can be avoided. They want owners to be more in tune with their pets and more aware of environmental, psychological, and dietary factors that affect health. They also tend to be conservative in their use of traditional veterinary medicine, if used at all. Holistic veterinarians attempt to use the least invasive, least toxic methods available.
Holistic veterinarians spend a great deal of time with clients. A typical first appointment lasts an hour as opposed to a traditional fifteen-minute appointment. Acupuncture appointments typically last thirty to forty-five minutes per session. Holistic veterinarians need to spend time with owners and animals to treat, educate, and understand all the issues affecting an animal's health.
Holistic veterinarians are concerned with preventing disease and detecting symptoms other veterinarians might consider normal such as red gums or vomiting hair balls. They look beyond a specific symptom to find the cause, asking owners questions to conduct a thorough evaluation. For example, rather than just prescribe antibiotics for an infection, a holistic veterinarian will inquire about the animal's diet and lifestyle for clues to what caused the infection. A holistic veterinarian's treatment plan can include dietary changes, medication, increased exercise, massage, chiropractic care, acupuncture, or homeopathy. Again, the specific alternative treatments depend on the training of the veterinarian. Some veterinarians add one aspect to their care while others have sought out training in multiple areas.
Employment Settings and Working Conditions
"Most of my work is still conventional medicine because I am an associate veterinarian and work for an animal hospital. They are nice enough to let me do holistic care because there is a big market for it."
-Darlene Stevenson, D.V.M.
Currently, the majority of holistic veterinarians work in traditional animal hospitals or group veterinary offices. In this situation, holistic veterinarians work side by side with traditional veterinarians and offer a combination of traditional and holistic veterinary care. Although the majority of holistic veterinarians work in group practices, some have private practices. Recently, a few holistic veterinary centers have popped up around the country, where a group of holistic veterinarians offer a wide range of holistic services including chiropractic, acupuncture, nutrition, flower essences, herbology, homeopathy, and massage. These centers use some traditional diagnostic methods such as lab work and x-rays, but their treatment is focused on holistic methods. Since this is a new and developing field, there is a wide range of difference among veterinarians. Some have just begun to offer alternative treatments as a complement to traditional services, while others consider it the focus of their practice.
Like most professionals in private or group practice, holistic veterinarians have flexibility in organizing their work life. Most work traditional weekdays, but evening and weekend hours may be required if working at an animal hospital that provides twenty-four hour emergency care. Veterinarians in general tend to work longer hours than their human medical counterparts. Veterinarians in private practice have more control over their schedules.
In addition to their primary responsibilities of caring for animals, holistic veterinarians, like all veterinarians and entrepreneurs, are responsible for running their businesses. They are responsible for marketing and advertising their services, billing owners, keeping records, and supervising staff. Typically, veterinary offices employ veterinary technicians and office assistants. Many animal hospitals also provide boarding services that need staff and organization.
Holistic veterinarians can be found working in additional veterinary fields. They can work at farms, zoos, animal research centers, and with horse or other animal breeders. These settings usually require a veterinarian to specialize in a particular area such as large animal care. Federal and state governments also employ veterinarians to maintain communicable disease programs, monitor food animal populations, maintain public health, enforce regulations protecting animals, advise public health departments on animal diseases, and ensure safety of animal food products. While most holistic veterinarians are in private practice, they could bring their skills to these additional settings with the added angle of holistic veterinary care.
Teaching is another viable option for holistic veterinarians. They can be found teaching at veterinary medical schools or training schools that provide holistic veterinary training. Finally, some write and do research.
The Profession
The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association was founded in 1981 by Carvel G. Tiekert, D.V.M., and a small group of veterinarians. Today there are more than 450 holistic veterinarian members in the United States. Membership and the number of traditional veterinarians who are beginning to incorporate holistic methods into their care are expected to grow.
All veterinarians, holistic or otherwise, are required to be licensed. All fifty states and the District of Columbia require licensure. To obtain licensure, candidates must have earned a D.V.M. (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) from an accredited college of veterinary medicine and pass state board exams. There is no specific licensing or law regulating holistic veterinary care. Once a veterinarian has his or her license, he or she can offer holistic care without any additional licensing regulations.
Training and Qualifications
To become a holistic veterinarian, one must first become a veterinarian by attending veterinary medical school. Traditional veterinary school is typically a four-year program in addition to at least two years of college study in the physical and biological sciences. Most people complete a bachelor's degree before applying to veterinary medical school. Acceptance to veterinary school is highly competitive. In addition to a strong academic background, hands-on experience in the veterinary field is helpful to obtain admission. Once admitted, students complete four years of study in veterinary medical care. In addition to classroom instruction, training includes clinical experience in diagnosing, treating, performing surgery, and performing lab work on animals.
Upon completion of veterinary school, students are awarded the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.). Upon receiving the degree, to obtain a license to practice, candidates must pass state board examinations. Some states also require additional hours of training in a residency program to obtain a license. Once licensed, veterinarians are free to design their practice, and this is where holistic care and training begins.
To become a holistic veterinarian, additional training in holistic philosophy and alternative methods is required. Obtaining training is flexible, and there are no set standards or minimum requirements. It is up to the veterinarian to decide what aspects of holistic care he or she wants to learn and offer to patients.
"I graduated from vet school in 1992. I took a year-long acupuncture course that consisted of four, five-day-long sessions. At the end of the course we took a written exam and a practical exam, wrote two papers, and received a certificate from the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. I had a wonderful boss who thought it was a good opportunity for me and said, go for it!"
-Darlene Stevenson, D.V.M.
Since there is not one school that trains veterinarians in holistic care, training can take many forms. The most common way for a veterinarian to receive training is to decide what area he or she would like to be trained in first. Each specialty area requires a separate training program. For example, a veterinarian interested in incorporating acupuncture into his or her practice would contact the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and attend one of their training programs. A veterinarian interested in learning chiropractic would contact the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. The professional associations for the holistic health care modalities are the most common way for a professional veterinarian to receive training. The training programs offered by the professional associations train veterinarians on their specific specialty areas within holistic care such as acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy etc.... Training programs vary in terms of length and cost, but they are considerably shorter than veterinary school. Some offer weekend or week-long workshops, series of training sessions, conferences, and mentorships. Usually, a veterinarian can obtain holistic training while maintaining a job or practice.
Another avenue for veterinarians to become trained in holistic care is to self-design their training. A good place to start is to read books on holistic veterinary care. Along with self-study, a veterinarian may elect to take a few classes on a specialty area at a school for human holistic practitioners, and then transfer that knowledge to animals. A veterinarian may also learn holistic techniques from a practicing holistic veterinarian who is willing to provide a hands-on apprenticeship. Since the field is still developing, training is up to the veterinarian's initiative and interest.
It can be useful to view holistic training as something done piecemeal. Some veterinarians choose to add only one aspect of holistic care to their practice; others will seek training on as many aspects as possible. The benefit of becoming a holistic veterinarian is that the process itself is holistic. It depends on the veterinarian's individual goals, interests, time, lifestyle, and current work situation. There is not one right way to become a holistic veterinarian, and for some it is an ongoing learning process throughout a career.
"There are quite a few veterinarians who are dabbling in it like I do. I don't have the resources to jump in and do this completely, so I gather all my resources, take as much time off as I can afford, and continue to learn, learn and learn!"
-Darlene Stevenson, D.V.M.
Salary and Job Outlook
The job outlook for holistic veterinarians is promising. The field of veterinary medicine in general is expected to grow, especially with the flux of baby boomers into the thirty-four to fifty-nine age range for which pet ownership is high. Holistic veterinarians in particular appear to be on the rise as awareness of preventive health care and other holistic care become more accessible for humans. With more and more humans turning to holistic care for themselves, it makes sense they would consider it for their pets. Human demand for holistic care will fuel the need for holistic veterinarians. Increasing memberships in holistic veterinary associations also indicates this is a growing specialty area.
Holistic veterinarians who offer both traditional and holistic services would be in the same salary range and have the same chance for success as any veterinarian. The average salary for veterinarians one year out of veterinary medical school is $30,000 to $35,000. Established veterinarians in private practice make between $50,000 and $70,000. Holistic veterinarians who offer only holistic care may be able to charge higher rates to owners because of their additional training and specialty, but this would likely balance out the longer period of time spent with clients. Veterinarians interested in providing holistic care should be aware of geographic considerations. In parts of the country where holistic human medicine is available and accepted, holistic veterinarians would have better success than in parts of the country that are unfamiliar with holistic health care options.
