Sandy Bay Holistic Veterinary Clinic

What are the benefits of acupuncture for animals?

Acupuncture is used as supportive care to treat pets with arthritis and to speed up wound healing. It is a drug-free treatment which is helpful for - reducing pain, releasing muscle spasms and speeding up healing after surgery.

What is holistic vet care?

Holistic means ‘whole’. Holistic vet care means caring for ‘the whole animal’ - body and mind. Holistic vet care combines traditional veterinary treatments with alternative treatments to suit your preferences and the health needs of your pet. This means you have more options in your choice of pet care. A combination of treatments can also give better results. It can help your furry friend recover more quickly from illness or surgery.

How can homeopathy help my pet?

Homeopathy treats illnesses using much diluted natural medicines. Homeopathic remedies can be useful for conditions like - arthritis, atopic dermatitis, lameness, epilepsy, diarrhoea, breathing problems, aggression, fear, itching, hyperthyroidism and kidney failure.

How does hydrotherapy work?

Hydrotherapy is a low impact form of physical therapy. In the hydrotherapy unit, animals exercise while supported by water. This helps them - regain normal use of legs after orthopaedic surgery, increase mobility in arthritic joints, if they are old and weak and find normal exercise painful, strengthen muscles, e.g. in athletic performance dogs like agility dogs and greyhounds, lose weight, along with a healthy diet and improve neurological function from minor spinal injury.

What is PEMF therapy?

PEMF stands for Pulsed Electro Magnetic Fields. The technology was developed by a NASA scientist and first used by vets to help heal the broken legs of racehorses. PEMFs help with arthritis, muscle spasms, swelling, bruising and pain. Treatment improves the immune system and nervous system function, and can speed up healing. Your pet sits on a mat or with a coil (like a hosepipe) over the affected area, which is attached to the PEMF machine.

What are Chinese herbal medicines used for?

Plants have been used as medicine by many cultures. Dr Boersma has studied aspects of Chinese herbal medicine and prescribes herbal treatments where appropriate. The herbal medicines are made from natural ingredients and minimally processed. Herbal remedies can be good for - stimulating the immune system, liver conditions, poor kidney function, anxiety, arthritis, pain relief, muscle spasm, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and Addison's disease.

What is ozone therapy?

We use ozone therapy as a supportive therapy to help detoxify the body and activate the immune system. It is used to treat infection and inflammatory conditions in animals. It is also used as an aid in the treatment of cancer. The basic principle of ozone therapy is to increase oxygen in the body to help it clear away toxins. A nurse will sit with your pet as tube releases ozone (a gas) into the rectum, this will slowly percolate through the body, and quite comfortable for the animal.