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The Natural Vet |
Alternative Veterinary Medicine Centre |
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| Alternative Veterinary Medicine Centre Holistic Vet - Homeopathic Vet - Acupuncture Vet - Herbal Vet - Natural Vet The Natural Vet The work of a NATURAL VET explained - Information page
The Natural Vet uses natural medicine?
When we opened the Alternative Veterinary Medicine Centre, we thought long and hard about choosing a suitable name for it. This was a useful exercise, clarifying our thoughts and ensuring that we better understood what we were really doing in our daily work. We could have taken the name 'natural vet' but foresaw snags. Here's some of the reasoning. Natural vet is a comfortable title but it is worth looking a little deeper, so that we understand what is behind the name. It probably indicates to the modern reader that the vet uses one or more forms of 'natural medicine' or 'alternative medicine' e.g. Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Aromatherapy or Homeopathy. It is a tricky term, however, as it can be argued that many of those so-called 'alternatives' are NOT exactly 'natural'. Of course, there are many that are (e.g., herbs, when not extracted or purified). Acupuncture can hardly be called 'natural', in that it involves needling. However, it does exploit a natural response in the body. It is a therapy commonly used by a 'natural vet'. Aromatherapy pushes the boundaries, in that it uses volatile distillates of plants, a method of preparation not found in nature. However, one would not be surprised if a 'natural vet' were to use its benefits. Homeopathy uses extreme dilution and potentisation which, it may be argued, are not found in nature. It certainly uses many wholly natural substances as source material for these dilutions but it also uses some remedies that are not 'natural' in their origins, rather being derived from man-made substances (e.g. a homeopathic potency of a drug or chemical). Homeopathy certainly exploits a natural response phenomenon, without risk of toxicity or side effect. One would expect a natural vet to use some homeopathy. Herbal Medicine, when it uses unadulterated plant material, is a truly 'natural' therapy. However, there is a modern trend towards extracting supposed 'active ingredients', purifying and refining them and even modifying them. This process takes herbal medicine out of the 'natural' category and involves some potential dangers. For some reason, modern mankind has to tinker with everything. A 'natural vet' is likely to shun such altered herbal medicines but readily accept natural herbal medicines, in their unadulterated and holistic state. LASER Therapy is far from 'natural' but it exploits an entirely natural response in the animal patient, for its therapeutic benefits. A natural vet might therefore use LASER therapy. Chiropractic Manipulation is arguably 'natural', in that it uses no artificial process, although the technique has been devised by mankind. Likewise Osteopathy. These techniques sit well with the work of a natural vet. Crystal Therapy is 'natural', using naturally-occurring crystal structures and formations, although some may subsequently have been shaped or polished by mankind. Some natural vets use crystal therapy. Physiotherapy is 'natural' if it sticks to exercise regimens, massage and manipulation and could well be employed by a natural vet to aid recovery and rehabilitation. When it exploits the benefits of machinery, however, it ceases to be natural. Physiotherapy can act as an adjunct in support of veterinary medicine (whether conventional or natural) but is not a stand-alone therapy. Tissue Salts are natural, except there is argument that the potentising process is artificial (see Homeopathy above). Some natural vets use Tissue Salts. The chemicals and reagents that are used for cleaning a veterinary premises, disinfecting, cleaning work surfaces and controlling weeds also impinge on whether a veterinary premises or practice can claim to be a 'natural vet'. At the AVMC, we use no chemical herbicides, pesticides, fly sprays, artificial plant foods, deodorisers or air fresheners and our reagents used in the house and veterinary premises (cleaners and disinfectants) are natural and ecologically-friendly. Visiting animals appear to recognise and appreciate this immediately. At the AVMC we could have used the term NATURAL in our name. While obviously deeply respecting (and depending on and using) the therapies mentioned above and using a lot of genuinely natural methods and medicines, we prefer not to use the term 'natural vet' in our name, to describe our work, as it is so open to argument what constitutes 'natural'. Anyway, sad to say, commerce has hi-jacked and abused the term until it has almost lost its meaning, bending its sense beyond breaking point for commercial advantage. The words 'nature' and 'natural' are used as a selling gimmick, with greater or lesser respect for the truth. There is a serious issue behind this, in that it cynically exploits the desire for many in our wayward modern world to edge closer to nature. Be on the lookout for this insidious trend in product advertising and labelling. Beware 'The King's New Clothes'! The words 'green', 'nature', 'holistic' and 'natural' are used in such a way as to prevent the listener or reader questioning the material. Do you remember the boy who hadn't been told about the King's New Clothes? Whenever these words are used to support an assertion or a commercial interest, take a really objective look and you might see the real 'King' behind the illusion, revealing naked commercialism. It may be useful to think in terms of practising 'integrated medicine' or 'integrative medicine' but that's more terminology and labelling. Arguments aside (see 'holistic, alternative, natural or complementary'), we get on with the important daily business of delivering holistic care to our patients (Services). Natural vet at work: We see animals at the AVMC premises and we regularly visit an area stretching from Wales to London, from Devon to Kent, from South to North Midlands and from Bristol to the Wash and East Anglia. This is mainly to see horses but we can also arrange house calls (home visits) for domestic pets. We see many patients from London and visit London homes. We use acupuncture, herbs, homeopathy, aromatherapy (essential oils), tissue salts, bach flowers, chiropractic manipulation, LASER therapy and natural feeding, in our attempts to salvage the health of our patients. Holistic, Alternative, Natural or Complementary? An information-only website drawn up to introduce readers to natural feeding for dogs, cats, horses & ponies
An overview of the work of a holistic vet & the therapies involved
The work of a chiropractic vet explained
www.equineacupuncturevet.co.uk The work of an acupuncture vet explained
We have a deep respect for Nature and we work with Nature
Chris Day is a vet who qualified from Cambridge in 1972 and whose parents were both extremely vocational vets. He therefore studied veterinary life and veterinary medicine from a very early age. He started to use homeopathy on himself, from about ten or eleven years of age. He bought books on veterinary acupuncture and on homeopathic medicine, while at veterinary school, in 1969. He studied these and started to use vet homeopathy in his first year as a vet. Herbal medicine and acupuncture followed soon after. He became fascinated by chiropractic treatment in the mid-nineteen-seventies. All this explains his holistic approach, his dedication to patient care and his integrated use of the different therapies, each having been carefully built on the previously-studied techniques. He thus has many years of experience in the various therapies and has been brought up in an environment in which patient care was always paramount. Alternative Veterinary Medicine Centre Holistic Vet - Homeopathic Vet - Acupuncture Vet - Herbal Vet - Natural Vet Copyright © AVMC - December 2008 Also known as: natural veterinary surgeon - natural veterinarian N.B.: At the AVMC, we try not to be 'bogged down' by terminology or ideology. Much argument accompanies discussions on nomenclature. We do not mind whether we are called holistic, complementary, alternative or natural. Likewise, it does not matter whether we are described as a holistic, natural, herbal, homeopathic, chiropractic, acupuncture or integrated veterinary practice. The medicine we practise is the best we can offer, for each patient and it matters not whether it is perceived as holistic medicine, alternative medicine, complementary medicine, natural medicine, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM - CAVM) or integrated medicine. We offer traditional standards of professional care, in an integrated package. Although we specialise in alternative therapies, seeking alternatives to conventional drug therapy, we do not shun conventional therapy, per se, considering its worth in each case. Natural vet at AVMC - Putting the patient first www.holisticvetmed.co.uk Page refers to: dog - cat - horse - pony - veterinary holism - holistic vet - holistic veterinary medicine - veterinary holistic medicine - holistic veterinarian - holistic veterinary surgeon - vet homeopath - vet homeopathy - vet acupuncturist - vet herbalist - holistic vet med - holisticvetmed - holistic vet advice - integrated vet - integrated vets - holistic - homeopathic - holistic veterinarian - holistic veterinarians - holistic veterinary advice - holistic advice - dogs - cats - horses - ponies - holistic vets - acupuncture vets - homeopathic vets - herbal vets - holistic vet Oxfordshire - holistic vet UK - natural vet - complementary vets - complementary vet - natural vets Natural Vet - Natural Vet - Natural Vet - Natural Vet - Natural Vet - Natural Vet - Natural Vet Nature is precious |
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