Integrative Medicine Treatments
There are many forms of alternative treatments that can be used to complement Western medicine. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians must complete additional training and/or certification to provide many integrative techniques.
Depending on your pet’s condition/ailment and the services available at your local clinic, one or a combination of the following treatments may be recommended for your pet.
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM)
Traditional Chinese Medicine is built upon the theory that disease stems from an imbalance within the body. Veterinarians trained in TCVM see the body as an interconnected entity, holistically treating ailments through 4 primary interventions: Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Food Therapy, and Tui-na (Chinese medical massage).
Acupuncture
Veterinary acupuncture is a therapy used to relieve pain and muscle spasms, and to increase nerve regeneration and blood circulation. During medical acupuncture for animals, slim, sterile needles are applied to specific points on the pet's body, leading to clinically proven improvements in comfort and function of muscles, organs, and nerves.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal, or botanical, medicine involves the use of plants or plant-based products to aid in the treatment and/or management of ailments in pets. Many plants have naturally-occurring active properties that may have beneficial effects on a pet’s health and wellbeing. Depending on the plants used, herbal medicine has shown promising results for pets suffering from pain, inflammation, digestive problems, emotional distress, and more.
Nutrition and Weight Management
Your pet’s overall health and longevity is largely determined by their diet. With a diet tailored towards your pet’s unique needs, you can help them manage allergies, chronic health conditions like kidney disease, and prevent nutrient deficiencies and weight-related diseases like diabetes.
To help find the ideal diet for your pet, schedule a wellness appointment or nutrition consultation with your veterinarian. During this visit, your veterinarian will conduct a physical exam of your pet and assess their medical history. From here, they will work with you to produce options of specific brands and types of food that will best fit your pet’s unique needs.
Rehabilitation Therapy and Pain Management
Through a combination of medical and therapeutic interventions, integrative veterinary care plans can be formed to help animals requiring additional support with recovery, mobility, pain management, physical therapy, or orthopedic conditions.
Physical Therapy
Therapeutic exercises and manual therapy (stretching) can aid in healing, improve flexibility, and reduce risk of injury in athletic or working pets. Physical therapy in pets involves the stretching and manipulation of limbs and muscles to identify and treat areas of abnormality and pain.
Underwater Treadmill/Hydrotherapy
Underwater treadmills provide a variety of benefits to pets in need of rehabilitation and most pets really enjoy the experience! The soothing warm water provides buoyance to lift weight off your pet's achy joints, while improving the range of motion and mobility. The speed can be easily adjusted to suit the phase and targets of your pet's rehab journey. Underwater treadmills are used for many conditions, including:
Therapeutic Ultrasound Therapeutic ultrasound is a non-invasive technique used to aid healing in pets. The waves cause cells in the body to vibrate which can help improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation, and speed up recovery of damaged muscles, ligaments, or tendons. Cold Laser Therapy Laser therapy (also called cold laser, therapeutic laser, or low-level laser) is an incredibly safe technology that delivers photons of light directly to a pet's injured or painful tissue. Extensive research has shown how this process can help to improve neurologic function, heal wounds, decrease swelling and reduce their pain by interacting with mitochondria, stimulating rapid repair of damaged cells. Cold laser therapy works well for pets suffering from:
Osteoarthritis
Joint Pain
Spinal Cord Injuries
Rattlesnake bites
Muscle Tension
Wounds
And More!
Chiropractic Treatment Animal chiropractic treatments are a form of manual therapy focused on manipulating the pet's joints and spine to provide greater alignment of the body. By receiving these adjustments, pets can experience a reduction in pain, greater balance, and stronger mobility. Chiropractic treatment can help alleviate symptoms stemming from several neurological and orthopedic conditions.
Regenerative Medicine (Stem Cell & PRP Therapies)
Stem Cell and Protein Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapies are innovative forms of non-surgical regenerative treatments that use the body’s own healing abilities to help treat injury and disease in pets. Sometimes a pet’s natural repair cells need an extra ‘jump-start’ to trigger their healing processes due to aging or injury.
Regenerative medicine uses a pet’s own healing cells and initiates their repair mechanisms. Your pet’s freshly activated healing cells can then be directly applied to areas of need, either in an injection (Stem Cell therapy) or topical gel form (PRP).
Massage Therapy & Manual Manipulation
Pet massages are similar to those we love as humans; however, our rehabilitation therapists perform the therapy in a much more medically calculated way, focused on the unique recovery goals for your pet.
Massage therapy aids in the circulation of fluids throughout the body which helps the joints and muscles flush toxins from their tissues. Massage also increases blood flow, lowers blood pressure, and improves cardiovascular health. The overall results of massage include reduced pain and stiffness, more flexibility, and a greater range of motion for your pet.
