Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) will be used to treat your pet as a whole.  Important aspects that are used in this therapy include Qi, Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements.  Qi is the life force energy that exists within all living beings.  When many animals are ill, they can be deficient in this Qi. The five elements include fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.  These elements have relationships with each other and are used to describe the various organs within the body.  Yin and Yang are two opposing forces that help keep balance within the body and universe.  They can convert into each other and balance each other.  For example, night is more yin and day is more yang.  In Chinese medicine, disease is a state of imbalance in your pet’s body.  Rather than focusing on just the one disease or condition, Dr. Cara uses more natural therapies to treat your pet as a whole and bring their body and energy back into balance.  As a result, your pets feel better and have a better quality of life.

Two main therapies that she uses to bring your pet back into balance are acupuncture and food therapy.  In addition to these therapies, she also uses herbs and tui-na or acupressure to help her patients.  These alternative therapies can help treat patients as a whole by addressing many health issues, including musculoskeletal disorders, neurologic diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, behavior problems, renal disease, and other conditions.  These therapies can be used in conjunction with conventional medicine or as an alternative when Western treatments are not an option or have not been very successful.

There are times when she may use all the therapies together (acupuncture, food, herbs, and massage) to help your pet. While other times, she may only use one or two therapies.  This is based on your pet’s imbalance, their comfort, and your comfort level.  By performing a very thorough examination of your pet and taking an in depth history from you, Dr. Cara determines not only what is best for them, but also what works well for you.

Dr. Cara will work with your primary care veterinarian in providing care for your pet.  She does not seek to replace your current vet, but simply add to your pet’s treatment.  Since 2013, when she started using these natural therapies to treat her patients, it has been her experience that animals benefit from integrative therapy.  Integrative medicine involves using both Western and Chinese Medicine to help your pet.  While they are not absolutely necessary, diagnostic tests performed at your pet’s primary care veterinarian can help determine the treatments that are best suited for your pet’s needs.