Acupuncture and chiropractic treatment for cats, dogs and horses
Every pet deserves care that looks at the whole animal, not just the symptoms. That’s why we combine conventional veterinary medicine with complementary therapies for dogs, cats and horses. Whether your pet is navigating a new stage of senior care, recovering from surgery, or managing a long-term condition, we are here to support their physical health and comfort. By pairing conventional veterinary medicine with complementary therapies, we create individualised pathways to reduce your animals discomfort, improve mobility and enhance their overall quality of life.
Holistic Services
Holistic veterinary medicine is an approach that treats the whole animal rather than a single symptom. Alongside your pet’s physical health, it looks at their diet, environment, emotional stresses and social behaviour, because each of these can affect how well they feel. Treatments are gentle and minimally invasive, and they aim to find and treat the root cause of a problem instead of just masking the signs. By supporting the body’s natural ability to heal, holistic care helps your pet stay as comfortable, strong and healthy as possible.
Every treatment plan starts with a thorough physical examination and a full history of your animal. From there, I’ll recommend the therapies that suit your pet best, which may include acupuncture, herbal medicine, food therapy and tailored exercise advice. No two patients are the same, so it’s really important to me that each plan reflects your pet’s individual needs and looks after every part of their wellbeing. The aim is simple: to help them enjoy a longer, happier and more comfortable life.
What holistic services do Chirovet provide?
At Chirovet we offer Classical and Laser Acupuncture, Herbal Therapies, Food Therapy, Essential Oil Therapy, Tui-na (medical massage), Aromatherapy, and Medicinal Mushroom Therapy.
Accupuncture
Veterinary acupuncture involves placing fine, sterile needles into specific points on the body to trigger a natural healing response. Rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it works on the principle that illness is caused by imbalances or blockages in the body’s energy, and treats physical and emotional health as one. Developed in China over 3,000 years ago, acupuncture is now used in veterinary practices worldwide and is increasingly recognised as a helpful treatment for a wide range of conditions. It’s often combined with chiropractic care, herbal medicine or food therapy as part of your pet’s wider treatment plan.
Veterinary chiropractic
Chiropractic is where the practice originally takes its name from. Gentle, targeted adjustments are used to restore movement where the spine or a joint has become restricted or misaligned. This takes the strain off the muscles which often are compensating for it. Often these compensational mechanisms can become a problem in their own right if not addressed. Chiropractic is most often known for helping back problems, hind limb weakness and dogs that have started to slow down without an obvious cause. We use it alongside acupuncture where needed to get the maximum benefit.
Herbal Formulas
Chinese herbal formulas are carefully balanced blends of typically 8 to 12 natural ingredients. Each herb either has a direct therapeutic effect or helps balance the others, so they work together as a whole. Every formula is tailored to your pet’s individual needs and pattern, and is often combined with acupuncture, food therapy and lifestyle changes for a truly holistic approach. We never use animal products, and all herbs are produced to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, with every batch tested for quality, heavy metals and microbial content.
Food therapy
“You are what you eat.” This principle forms the foundation of our individualised food therapy, where we treat the unique animal rather than a generic diagnosis. Instead of placing every pet with the same condition on an identical diet, we evaluate each patient’s needs and symptoms. In practice, this means selecting cooling foods to soothe an animal with inflamed, itchy skin, or warming ingredients to comfort an older cat who struggles with the cold. By using food as a core therapeutic tool, we can gently nourish the body and improve your pet’s overall health and vitality.
Tui-Na, or medical massage
Tui-Na offers a wonderful, needle-free approach to animal wellness by bringing the therapeutic benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine to patients who may find acupuncture needles stressful. Meaning “push” and “grasp,” this hands-on therapy gently regulates an animals energy by targeting the same points and channels used in traditional acupuncture. It serves as an incredibly effective, cooperative treatment that not only relieves pain and boosts circulation but can also deeply strengthen the bond between animal and owner.
Medicinal mushrooms, essential oils and Homeopathy
Medicinal mushrooms are a regular part of my treatment plan to help with cancer treatment, improve skin disease, for digestive problems or to enhance immunity in general. Homeopathy and Essential oils are not as frequently part of the treatment plan, but where it suits the individual case I will use either to enhance a multifaceted treatment plan.
I treat all animals but horses, dogs and cats are my most regular clients. Other animals I have treated include Pigs, Cattle, Sheep, Chicken, Rats and Ferrets.
My path to holistic veterinary medicine
Graduating as a veterinary surgeon from the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany, I worked exclusively on night duties looking after the inpatients, particularly the intensive care stable, involving both post-surgical care and conservative treatment. I then gained broad experience in general equine practice, where my caseload was mostly first opinion ambulatory work.
Over the years I found that traditional veterinary practice did not always improve my patients to the level I wanted, which led me to explore acupuncture and chiropractic care. In 2008 I started my holistic journey and soon opened my own practice. Since then I have gained numerous certifications in various pillars of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) and western complementary approaches.
What are the benefits of holistic services for animals?
Holistic medicine will give you an approach that looks at your animal as one system, not just a symptom. We are assessing why disease is happening and not just to treat one thing. Complementary medicine looks at the root of the problem, not just the branch. Mapping out the whole picture enables us to see where weaknesses are and therefore address the underlying causes for anything that is happening in the body. Holistic medicine balances the body, it nourishes, tonifies and moves stagnation.
Where we are
The practice is at Great Chart, a couple of minutes outside Ashford in Kent, with parking on site. Owners travel to us from across Kent and the wider South East, including Ashford, Canterbury, Maidstone, Folkestone, Tenterden and the surrounding villages.
If you are not sure which of these treatments would suit your animal, please ring or email before booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Holistic means that we look at the whole animal, feeding, exercise, trauma, environment and anything else we feel is important.
A holistic veterinarian is a qualified veterinary surgeon who is specialised in one or more holistic treatments, for example Chinese and or western herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, food therapy, chiropractic.
Holistic treatment can include conventional medication if necessary but if a veterinarian is not looking at the whole pattern and using complementary medicine the approach would not be understood as holistic.
After making an appointment at Chirovet, we will review the medical records from your conventional veterinarian and discuss with you the major concerns you would like to address with alternative therapy. We will discuss your questions, prognosis, management and costs involved.
The initial consultation is a clinical assessment, visually and physically, during which we talk about the individual characteristics of your pet. We will discuss the diagnosis and treatment plan and make sure you and your pet are comfortable prior to starting any treatment. Questions are encouraged at any time. Acupuncture treatment usually begins during the initial appointment. During this treatment it is encouraged that you be with your pet to comfort them unless you wish differently. I will also give recommendations for diet changes, supplements and herbal medicine, exercises and/or hydrotherapy.
Parking is in front of the Nissen Hut outside the gate or if space in front of the Shepherds Hut in the yard. I will look out for you and acknowledge your arrival and come to get you in once everything is prepared and ready for you.
We offer a full range of holistic services like veterinary acupuncture, Food therapy, Chinese Herbal medicine, Tui-na, Chiropractic and Homeopathy.
I am a certificate holder in several holistic treatments like Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chiropractic, Tui-Na and Food therapy. As vets we are obliged to keep up our standards by participating in Continuous Professional Development courses each year. Over the last 15 years I have selected courses to deepen my knowledge in the holistic treatments I offer. I have travelled abroad numerous times to receive some of the best training available in my field of expertise to serve my clients to my best ability.
No. Vaccinations, diagnostics, imaging and surgery stay with your usual practice. I work alongside your conventional vet and with your permission I will ask them for the medical history to have all the information. This is a legal requirement.
I mainly treat dogs and cats at the practice near Ashford but also horses at the practice at yards across Kent and Sussex.