Integrative Services
Integrative veterinary services emphasize care and healing that considers the whole animal, body, mind, and environment, and strive to prevent sickness through preventative care.
We provide personal attention to the unique concerns of each pet and owner using integrative medicine, including acupuncture, laser therapy, and herbal medicines.
Chinese Food Therapy for Pets
Traditional Chinese Food Therapy is based on the principles of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). These principles recognize that food can influence the body’s internal balance and overall health.
Yin and Yang describe the body’s opposing yet complementary forces.
Yang foods tend to warm the body and raise metabolism.
Yin foods tend to cool the body and lower metabolism.
A healthy balance of Yin and Yang foods supports optimal well-being. Too much Yang (warming) food may lead to restlessness, skin irritation, or feeling overheated, while too much Yin (cooling) food may cause fatigue, cold intolerance, or low energy. Each individual animal has a unique constitution that determines how they respond to different foods.
At our hospitals, we do not formulate custom diets, but we are happy to discuss nutrition and protein choices and to guide you in selecting appropriate foods for your dog or cat based on their individual needs and constitution.
Each of the 5 elements of TCVM, (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water), also have particular food items that can enhance or strengthen their inherent qualities and adds more dimensions to consider when selecting a diet that works well for that particular patient and their condition. A veterinarian trained in 5 element theory methodology can easily recognize the patients pattern needs based on these ancient theories. Excesses and deficiencies can then be addressed through proper food choices and adjusted as needed.