Herbal Medicine
Along with acupuncture and other modalities, Chinese herbs are often used to assist the body in restoring balance.
Herbs are plants, valued for medicinal, savory or aromatic properties. Herbal medicine is an ancient practice in many countries. In fact, many of our modern medicines originated from herbs! Digoxin (a medication for heart arrhythmias) originated from digitalis, better known as foxglove. Even a medication as well known as aspirin contains salicylates also found in the bark of the willow tree.
Pharmaceuticals can be taxing on an animal’s liver and kidneys while herbs can strengthen these organs. Herbal medications are very safe in animals when used appropriately and sourced from reliable manufacturers. We source most of our veterinary herbs from Jing Tang Herbal. They comply with Good Manufacturing Practices and are tested with chromatography to ensure potency and test for active ingredients. They are also tested for heavy metals, bacteria, fungus, and pesticides, both in-house and at third-party labs. You should feel safe about the herbs that we are prescribing for your pets.
The doctors at Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice and Integrative Medicine have been trained by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and the Chi Institute in their post-doctoral programs in Traditional Veterinary Chinese Medicine and have found herbal medication to be another useful tool in treating pets.
What is Integrative Medicine?
We are proud to offer integrative medicine as part of our house-call veterinary care services. Integrative medicine combines traditional Western medications and diagnostics with knowledge of Eastern medicine techniques to offer well-rounded care for our patients. The doctors at Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice have been trained by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, The University of Tennessee Certificate Program in Canine Physical Rehabilitation, and the Chi Institute in post-doctoral programs. They have found Traditional Veterinary Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, laser and therapeutic ultrasound, physical rehabilitation, food therapy, Chinese herbal medications, nutraceuticals, and other modalities to be wonderful tools to help treat aging pets without the stress of a visit to the hospital.
Integrative medicine can combine:
- Traditional Medicine & Surgery
- Acupuncture
- Chinese Food Therapy
- Chinese Herbal Medications
- Physical Therapies (Reiki, Tui-na, Chiropractic, Cold laser, Assisi Loop treatment, Physical rehabilitation, etc…)
- Essential Oil treatments
- Western botanical medications
- Nutraceuticals