Holistic animal health care has become an increasingly important part of the veterinary care sector in America.
For families that treasure their beloved companion animals, this form of care presents them with a way to avoid the use of harsh medical treatments while also protecting their pet’s health.
Especially in the aftermath of events such as the recent discovery of tainted pet food, holistic animal care has started to move out of the shadows and into the limelight of the American veterinary care sector.
What Is Holistic Animal Care?
Holistic animal care focuses on how all aspects of the animal’s existence can impact its overall health. Holistic care does not ignore the utility of antibiotics and other modern veterinary techniques but integrates them into a whole spectrum of treatment.
For example, when an animal falls ill, instead of merely prescribing some form of antibiotic or just running blood tests, a holistic program of animal care would also seek information about the animal’s diet, living conditions and whether or not it had suffered any recent shifts in its living arrangements.
By doing so, the veterinarian can help determine if such factors might have contributed to the obvious symptoms that the animal was displaying.
A holistic approach would focus on determining how and why the animal had become ill, which would have increased the probability of discovering the link between the tainted food and the pet’s health issues.
Why Is Holistic Animal Care Becoming Popular?
Holistic animal care is becoming popular due to the fact that a growing number of Americans are focusing on holistic care for their own medical needs.
These individuals now feel that their pets should also take advantage of this new form of care. In addition, many veterinarians have started focusing on holistic care as a way to ensure that they can address the underlying cause of a pet’s health issues.
They do not ignore other types of veterinary care, but find holistic care techniques to be a valuable adjunct to traditional types of care.
Another reason for the rise of holistic care has been a growing concern regarding the overuse of antibiotics when treating animals.
The development of drug-resistant strains of bacteria has seen serious health consequences arise among humans and animals alike.
Because of this, many veterinarians are now only using antibiotics when they feel that there is no other alternative. In this case, holistic animal health care can be used to reduce the need to make use of antibiotics as a part of the treatment program.
Finally, holistic animal care, with its emphasis on factors such as diet, exercise, and proper living conditions can help ensure the overall health of the pet, reducing the probability that the pet will find itself suffering from any of a wide variety of ailments.
This is one of the best aspects of holistic care, in that it works to ensure that the pet never has to visit the veterinarian in the first place while also making the pet’s owners an integral part of the veterinary care process.
Where is Holistic Care Popular?
Holistic care is a field that is growing in popularity across the United States.However, it is currently more popular in some of the more urban states, due to the higher number of families that have sought out this form of treatment for their animal companions.
For that reason, it is easier to find holistic health care professionals in states such as New York and California, with more rural states such as those found in the Midwest lagging behind.
In addition, regions with higher numbers of work animals, such as dairy farms and ranches, tend to focus on more traditional forms of veterinary care, although they are also seeing a rise in the number of practicing holistic health care specialists due to the growing pressure to reduce the use of antibiotics in farm animals.
Many of these veterinarians offer conventional services alongside their holistic health care services and quite often mix the two practices in order to produce the best outcome possible for the animals under their care.
When seeking out a holistic veterinary care specialist for their animal, pet owners should check with any state or local veterinary associations.
The American Council of Animal Naturopathy certifies veterinary naturopaths and can provide information on any certified veterinarians in the local area. By using this resource, pet owners can be certain of finding a skilled holistic care provider in their area.
States and Holistic Veterinary Care
Most states require any individual serving as a veterinarian to be licensed as such before they can provide most types of veterinary care.
For this reason, most holistic veterinarians have also passed their state’s veterinary licensure process. This also ensures that they can move beyond holistic treatments should they feel that the pet’s condition requires immediate veterinary intervention.
When seeking a holistic animal care specialist, pet owners should be certain to determine whether or not the caregiver is also licensed as a conventional veterinarian by their state.
Some holistic care specialists are limited to providing advice on pet nutrition and lifestyles rather than being permitted to provide specific diagnoses or veterinary care to an animal.
Ultimately, holistic animal health care is another sign of how America’s love affair with its companion animals is leading to an ever-wider variety of available veterinary treatments.
Whether it is to help improve an animal’s diet or as a way to avoid the unnecessary use of surgical procedures and antibiotics, holistic animal care is here to stay and the
American people will be able to enjoy an ever-growing number of well-trained veterinarians and supporting staff like veterinary techs and assistants who can help provide their pets with the best holistic care possible.