Episode 33: A closer look at holistic veterinary medicine

For Texas holistic veterinarian Shawn Messonnier, DVM, skin problems, ear infections, and allergies are all too common at his practice. Early on in his career, he noticed that conventional methods such as steroids, antibiotics, and antifungals, were helping to improve these conditions, but his patients weren’t staying healed.

What started as a search for alternative treatment options for his dermatology patients turned into a newfound passion for holistic medicine.

In this episode of The Vet Blast Podcast, Messonnier defines holistic medicine and explains how its instilling hope in the hearts of his clients and helping to extend the life of his patients.

Messonnier tells Dr. Adam Christman that holistic veterinary medicine involves the following:

• Looking at the whole pet. For example, if a pet comes in with a skin problem, he says, he might recommend a liver detox, plus offer immune and GI support. Holistic treatment means looking at all options available. “We aren’t opposed to conventional medicine, but it would be a second choice unless it’s a life-saving choice you need to make,” says Messonnier.
• A functional medicine approach. This means always trying to restore the pet to its normal, proper homeostatic function. “If we are functioning well, then there is less likely to be a disease and if there is a disease, usually we can fight it off better,” says Messonnier.

“One of my hopes is to give hope to the hopeless. Though I can never promise a cure, I can tell most owners that based upon my experience, I expect [their] pet to do better… and most of the time, we get those really good, positive results.”

Listen below to learn more about holistic veterinary medicine.