What Makes Us Different?
Integrative Medicine is what makes Sun Dog Cat Moon Veterinary Clinic different from other veterinary practices.
Our goal for you and your pet is to care for the emotional and physical well being of you and your pet. We want you to be well informed so that you can help guide us in making the best healthcare decision for your pet.
What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine is a term that loosely describes combining different modalities to treat the patient. That’s a mouthful, but what it boils down to is using all the tools available to provide the very best, safest and most effective treatment for an animal or a person. In Human Medicine, Dr Andrew Weil brought the idea to the forefront of most people’s minds. In Veterinary Medicine, Equine veterinarians were early adopters of integrative treatments. Many veterinarians are practicing integrative medicine simply by adding nutritional supplements like glucosamine for the joints, and milk thistle to protect the liver, into their daily practice habits. As more and more people seek out holistic or alternative treatments for themselves and their pets, many doctors are integrating these treatments into their practice. Because there are so many different options, some definitions may be helpful in sorting through what is available.
Holistic medicine: This is what most people think of when they think of alternative medicine. Many associate it with homeopathy in specific, but it really is more of a healing philosophy which views the patient as a whole rather than as a disease or a collection of symptoms. it recognizes that a patient's emotional and spiritual state can affect the patient's condition, and so aims to treat mind, body and spirit. Holistic practitioners may combine traditional forms of treatment (medication and surgery) with alternative forms of treatment. In it’s purest sense, this is integrative medicine.
Chiropractic: A system of healing which is based on the idea that the body has an innate self-healing ability and seeks homeostasis. However, subluxations in the joints interfere with the body's ability to maintain optimal health. Through manipulation of the spine and other joints and muscles, the body is brought back into balance and the neuromusculoskeletal system can function smoothly. While we do not offer chiropractic care, we can refer you to one.
Acupuncture: The Chinese practice of inserting needles into specific points (acupoints) along the "meridians" of the body. It is used chiefly to relieve pain, but is a complete method of treating internal medical problems. The insertion of the needles stimulates the acupuncture points and alters the flow of Qi.
Homeopathy: A system of therapeutics founded on a philosophy of "like heals like". In this system, the treatments are composed of substances which, in their undiluted state, actually produce the symptoms of the disease in a healthy individual. The substances are diluted to infinitesimal amounts in solutions and vigorously shaken (succussed) before they are given to the patient. Many homeopaths also believe that the patient's mental, physical, and emotional constitution may also need to be treated.
Western Medicine: This is the system of medicine with which we are most familiar. It involves advanced technologic diagnostics, synthetically produced medications and excellent emergency care. The whole process should start with a careful history of the patient, a thorough physical examination, and then a differential diagnosis list is developed, and tests are done to confirm or rule out differential diagnoses, and arrive at a definitive diagnosis if possible. Wellness care such as vaccinations, dental cleanings, and heartworm prevention should be utilized bearing in mind the pet’s exposure to disease, health status, and future needs.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: Encompasses 5 disciplines to maintain health and promote a long and enjoyable life. They are 1: Exercise and Meditation (Tai Chi or Qi Gong), 2: Proper diet or food therapy, 3: Chinese Medicinals or Herbal medicine, 4: Tui Na (a form of massage for pets and humans), and 5: acupuncture and moxibustion. We think of acupuncture as the main method of treatment, but in China, 80% of a doctor’s practice is Medicinals, and 20% is acupuncture. We have adapted these methods for acupuncture for dogs and cats. Herbal medicine for pets has been developed based on classical formulas for humans, many of which have been in use since 2500 BC.
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) offers treatment options for diseases that western medicine has no options for. For instance the older dog with a dry red tongue that paces at night, pants and keeps everyone up, then sleeps all day...Western medicine offers a diagnosis of Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, and a medication that was 10% more effective than nothing in controlling symptoms. TCVM would see the pattern as Yin deficiency, and offers herbs, acupuncture and food therapy to tonify the Yin and cool the dog so that he can sleep at night. TCVM would balance the pattern a pet was showing with heart failure to improve quality of life, restore energy, allow exercise and play. We would continue the western medications that have saved the pet's life, and add herbal formulas, acupuncture, and a change in food to help return the pet to a state of health. We may never be able to completely take the pet off of it's western medicines, but the overall purpose is to combine the 2 modalities for the best health of the pet.
Our goal for you and your pet is to care for the emotional and physical well being of you and your pet. We want you to be well informed so that you can help guide us in making the best healthcare decision for your pet.
What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine is a term that loosely describes combining different modalities to treat the patient. That’s a mouthful, but what it boils down to is using all the tools available to provide the very best, safest and most effective treatment for an animal or a person. In Human Medicine, Dr Andrew Weil brought the idea to the forefront of most people’s minds. In Veterinary Medicine, Equine veterinarians were early adopters of integrative treatments. Many veterinarians are practicing integrative medicine simply by adding nutritional supplements like glucosamine for the joints, and milk thistle to protect the liver, into their daily practice habits. As more and more people seek out holistic or alternative treatments for themselves and their pets, many doctors are integrating these treatments into their practice. Because there are so many different options, some definitions may be helpful in sorting through what is available.
Holistic medicine: This is what most people think of when they think of alternative medicine. Many associate it with homeopathy in specific, but it really is more of a healing philosophy which views the patient as a whole rather than as a disease or a collection of symptoms. it recognizes that a patient's emotional and spiritual state can affect the patient's condition, and so aims to treat mind, body and spirit. Holistic practitioners may combine traditional forms of treatment (medication and surgery) with alternative forms of treatment. In it’s purest sense, this is integrative medicine.
Chiropractic: A system of healing which is based on the idea that the body has an innate self-healing ability and seeks homeostasis. However, subluxations in the joints interfere with the body's ability to maintain optimal health. Through manipulation of the spine and other joints and muscles, the body is brought back into balance and the neuromusculoskeletal system can function smoothly. While we do not offer chiropractic care, we can refer you to one.
Acupuncture: The Chinese practice of inserting needles into specific points (acupoints) along the "meridians" of the body. It is used chiefly to relieve pain, but is a complete method of treating internal medical problems. The insertion of the needles stimulates the acupuncture points and alters the flow of Qi.
Homeopathy: A system of therapeutics founded on a philosophy of "like heals like". In this system, the treatments are composed of substances which, in their undiluted state, actually produce the symptoms of the disease in a healthy individual. The substances are diluted to infinitesimal amounts in solutions and vigorously shaken (succussed) before they are given to the patient. Many homeopaths also believe that the patient's mental, physical, and emotional constitution may also need to be treated.
Western Medicine: This is the system of medicine with which we are most familiar. It involves advanced technologic diagnostics, synthetically produced medications and excellent emergency care. The whole process should start with a careful history of the patient, a thorough physical examination, and then a differential diagnosis list is developed, and tests are done to confirm or rule out differential diagnoses, and arrive at a definitive diagnosis if possible. Wellness care such as vaccinations, dental cleanings, and heartworm prevention should be utilized bearing in mind the pet’s exposure to disease, health status, and future needs.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: Encompasses 5 disciplines to maintain health and promote a long and enjoyable life. They are 1: Exercise and Meditation (Tai Chi or Qi Gong), 2: Proper diet or food therapy, 3: Chinese Medicinals or Herbal medicine, 4: Tui Na (a form of massage for pets and humans), and 5: acupuncture and moxibustion. We think of acupuncture as the main method of treatment, but in China, 80% of a doctor’s practice is Medicinals, and 20% is acupuncture. We have adapted these methods for acupuncture for dogs and cats. Herbal medicine for pets has been developed based on classical formulas for humans, many of which have been in use since 2500 BC.
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) offers treatment options for diseases that western medicine has no options for. For instance the older dog with a dry red tongue that paces at night, pants and keeps everyone up, then sleeps all day...Western medicine offers a diagnosis of Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, and a medication that was 10% more effective than nothing in controlling symptoms. TCVM would see the pattern as Yin deficiency, and offers herbs, acupuncture and food therapy to tonify the Yin and cool the dog so that he can sleep at night. TCVM would balance the pattern a pet was showing with heart failure to improve quality of life, restore energy, allow exercise and play. We would continue the western medications that have saved the pet's life, and add herbal formulas, acupuncture, and a change in food to help return the pet to a state of health. We may never be able to completely take the pet off of it's western medicines, but the overall purpose is to combine the 2 modalities for the best health of the pet.
Sun Dog Cat Moon 2908 A Maybank Highway, Johns Island SC 29455 (843) 437-0063 info@sundogcatmoon.com
