When your pet is sick or injured, you want them healed as soon as possible. In many cases, a balanced treatment protocol based on integrative veterinary medicine, which combines holistic therapies with traditional medicine, provides the best outcome, the quickest results, and the fewest side effects. Pets greatly benefit from integrative medicine and its complementary medicine branches, and our Marina Village Integrative Care team is delighted to offer your furry pal these services, and ensure they return quickly to total-body health and wellness. To help you learn how integrative medicine can benefit your pet, we answer some of your most common questions.

Question: What’s the difference between integrative veterinary medicine and “regular” veterinary medicine?

Answer: Integrative veterinary medicine combines traditional veterinary medicine with holistic modalities, to provide a larger toolkit to help treat pets. Regular veterinary medicine, or conventional medicine, relies largely on surgery, pharmaceutical products, and, at times, invasive treatments. Integrative medicine, on the other hand, combines traditional and holistic medicine into one highly effective treatment that offers more options for pets who may have limited traditional veterinary medical choices.

Q: What is holistic veterinary medicine?

A: Pet owners who hear the term “holistic medicine” may think of healing crystals, essential oils, and magic spells for their pet. However, holistic medicine is a science-based branch of veterinary medicine that is often highly successful and can complement traditional medicine. Many times, pet owners turn to holistic therapies when conventional therapies produce limited  results, and are pleasantly surprised to see their pet’s condition improve. And, when paired with traditional medicine, holistic medicine can achieve remarkable success. Common holistic therapies include acupuncture, chiropractic, traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM), nutritional therapies, homeopathy, massage, herbal remedies, and laser therapy.

Q: What integrative veterinary services are offered at your hospital?

A: Here at Marina Village Integrative Care, we focus on offering the best of both worlds of holistic and conventional medicine to create truly integrative medicine. We take an evidence-based approach to treating your pet, to ensure they heal effectively and efficiently. We offer holistic services in addition to traditional therapies, such as surgery and pharmaceutical treatment, including these services:

  • Acupuncture — Hair-thin needles are inserted into various points on your pet’s body. These points are typically bundles of nerves and blood vessels, and the needle stimulation serves to relieve pain, improve circulation, boost nerve function, and speed healing.
  • Chiropractic — Chiropractic adjustments can serve to realign mechanical functions between the soft tissues and the bony skeleton. This results in decreased muscle and nerve pain, reduced inflammation, and the return to normal biomechanics. Chiropractic care is not only for injured pets, but can also be used regularly to maintain a normal range of motion and healthy joints.
  • Herbal therapy — Herbal therapy is a natural treatment modality that harnesses the healing power of plants, and therefore has fewer side effects than pharmaceutical products. While herbal supplements can have adverse effects when used in conjunction with some medications, they are generally benign, and the supplements can form part of an effective multimodal treatment plan.
  • Nutritional consultation — Nutritional consultations are used to evaluate your pet’s diet and determine what they are missing. By tweaking their diet and adding supplements as needed, your furry pal can experience better health.
  • Stem cell therapy — Stem cell therapy uses stem cells harvested from your pet’s abdominal fat to help repair damaged tissue, such as the inflamed joint cartilage that comes with osteoarthritis. 
  • Platelet-rich plasma therapy — Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains concentrated amounts of platelets and growth factors. PRP therapy involves injecting high doses of the body’s own healing components directly to the damaged area.

Q: How can my pet benefit from integrative veterinary medicine?

A: The holistic side of integrative veterinary medicine offers treatment modalities with fewer side effects and less invasive therapies, while the conventional side packs a powerful punch to handle advanced medical cases. When used together, your pet experiences the fewest number of side effects with the most benefits to alleviate pain, promote faster healing, and maintain overall health and wellness. 

A well-rounded toolkit using integrative veterinary medicine services can best treat your pet’s health issues. Our team at Marina Village Integrative Care would be delighted to discuss the best options to manage your furry pal’s condition. Call us to schedule an appointment.