Animal Healing Center takes holistic approach to pet care

Dr. Heather Carter, DVM, CVA.

Holistic healing techniques aren’t just for humans anymore. Pets are getting in on the health craze with the next big thing in modern veterinary care being a little something called “integrative veterinary medicine.”

Animal Healing Center at Carlsbad and San Diego has been at the forefront of the movement to combine Western and holistic healing methods in dealing with animals. Offering an unique, compassionate and nurturing environment, the center’s highly trained professionals appreciate the delicate balance between health and disease.

“The appreciation of this balance and an understanding of the patient’s inherent healing ability are the cornerstones of the care provided at the AHC,” officials said.

Katie B. Kangas, DVM, CVA, CVCP.

Katie B. Kangas, DVM, CVA, CVCP.

Doctors at Animal Healing Center are highly trained professionals with knowledge and expertise in holistic aspects of treating illness. Animal Healing Center does not provide full service conventional care such as surgery, hospitalization, or diagnostic tests, and focuses more on complementary holistic services that your regular veterinarian does not offer.

This includes integrative and holistic therapies like veterinary acupuncture, veterinary orthopedic manipulation, traditional Chinese and western veterinary herbal medicine, bio-regulatory medicine, homeopathy, animal chiropractic, animal massage, cold laser therapy, food therapy, essential oils and cancer support.

The quietly growing acceptance of non-Western medical modalities, as treatments are called, by traditional veterinarians and their powerful American Veterinary Medical Assn. (AVMA) is a very big deal. Last year, for the first time, the AVMA admitted to its House of Delegates a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Assn. (AHVMA) and one from the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA).

Dr. Barbara Royal, president of the AHVMA, notes that a growing number of states are accepting holistic and integrative courses for continuing education credit. Traditional veterinary schools, such as UC Davis and Louisiana State University, are offering programs in integrative medicine, particularly acupuncture, as well as intern- and externships, and research programs.

Acupuncture has shown to be effective not only for pain relief but also irritable bowel issues, diarrhea and edema. Under California law, you must be a vet to administer acupuncture or be under the direct supervision of a vet. Courses rapidly fill up, and there are waiting lists as traditional vets begin to incorporate the training into their practices.

Veterinary orthopedic manipulation (VOM) is a healing technique used for dogs, cats, horses and other animals which is safe, gentle and effective. Although VOM is similar to chiropractic care, there are also some key differences. The essential similarity between VOM and chiropractic care is that both modalities seek to restore appropriate body function through the reduction of “subluxations”. Spinal and joint subluxations allow areas of the nervous system to fall out of communication.

Animal Healing Center in North County is at 2564 State St., Suite #C in Carlsbad. For more information call (760) 729-9700 or visit http://www.animalhealingcenter.net/