Holistic vets have pursued training in treatment options beyond what’s taught in vet school. But where to start? And when do you become a holistic vet?
Let me start with the second of these questions. The point at which you feel comfortable calling yourself a holistic vet is going to differ for everyone.
I was a holistic vet before I ever went to vet school: I went to vet school knowing that’s what I wanted to be, and I accumulated quite a bit of training in alternative therapies long before I graduated.
For others, the process might take years. Many people pursue alternative training after practicing conventionally for a while, until they run into one of two problems:
- They or a loved one are diagnosed with a condition that does not respond to conventional medicine, or
- They feel as though they’re not helping their patients, and are merely suppressing symptoms rather than treating root causes of disease.
Whatever the reason you’re here, there is no right or wrong answer. You can call yourself a holistic vet whenever feels right for you. (Side note: because that is the case, I would also be cautious about whom you turn to for advice!)
But how do you get to that point?
First, it helps to understand that you will never be done learning all the possible ways to approach medicine, and there are many, many paths you can follow.
But here are two things I’d do to start:
First, I’d attend a holistic veterinary conference. The largest of these is the annual conference of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, and it’s very beginner friendly, since they always include a track for people just getting started. Another great option is Integrative Veterinary Conferences Australia.
The next thing I’d recommend is choosing a modality that appeals to you. Many people start with acupuncture, but pick the thing that interests you enough to study it for a while, whether it be acupuncture or chiropractic or homeopathy or herbal medicine or something else. Pick a modality and go get some training in it.
Notice I said, “some training in it.” I did not say, “go get certified in it.” Not that certification is a bad thing, but a few things to understand about certifications are that:
- For some modalities there are competing certifications and certifying bodies, but that’s okay because
- Certification just says that you passed one set of benchmarks; it doesn’t necessarily equate with competency in a modality.
- Many, many excellent holistic vets started practicing integrative medicine long before certification even existed, and
- Most clients don’t care.
So, go get certified if it feels right to you. Or don’t get certified if it doesn’t feel right. You’ll know whether you’ve learned enough about something to feel comfortable incorporating it into your practice. I’m reminded of something our anatomy professor said to us about a month in to vet school: don’t learn this stuff to pass the test, learn it to practice good medicine.
Once you feel as though you’ve got a decent handle on that first modality, then start branching out. Typically, in the process of learning the first modality, another path makes itself clear. For example, a natural segue after learning about acupuncture is learning about Chinese herbal medicine.
And of course, join our forum, where you can connect with holistic veterinarians from around the world and see the many ways to skin treat a cat.
I hope to meet you there!
