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Holistic Veterinary Medicine

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According to the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, Holistic (or Integrative) Veterinary Medicine is the examination and diagnosis of an animal, considering all aspects of the animal's life and employing all of the practitioner's senses, as well as the combination of conventional and alternative (or complementary) modalities of treatment. When a holistic veterinarian sees a pet, besides giving it a comprehensive physical examination, he/she wants to find out all about its behaviors, distant medical and dietary history, and its environment including diet, emotional stresses, and other factors. Holistic veterinarians combine standard veterinary practices with one or more complementary therapies such as acupuncture, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine and nutritional therapy. The goal is to treat the whole animal and the cause of the illness rather then focusing on symptoms.