How Holistic Veterinary Care Helped Save My Dog’s Life

In June of 2022, I rushed my 3-year-old chihuahua mix to my local emergency vet at 4 a.m. I had just returned from a trip without him and noticed how uncomfortable and shaky he was the minute I got home. Given his breed and tendency to be a bit of a drama queen, I tried to set aside my anxieties about his health because I was too tired from my drive to take him to his usual vet.

But I couldn’t ignore it as he continued to behave out of character, silently pleading with me to help him. The emergency vet told me my sweet boy blew out two of his vertebral discs, likely jumping or playing while I was on vacation. I was devastated, but I knew surgery was the right choice because he was so young, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

So he braved it. He recovered. He thankfully maintained the use of his legs and some of his quality of life, but I could tell he was still in pain, even after the emergency vet cleared him. Then I moved to Jacksonville, Oregon, and discovered a different kind of vet I wish I had known about before putting my pup through surgery.

This is how the AnimalKind Holistic Veterinary Clinic treats pets using alternative, holistic modalities alongside standard veterinary care. I spoke with Jenny Goodale, a veterinarian assistant and receptionist for AnimalKind, about this unique practice, about all of the ways it helps animals, as my pup lives well beyond their expected years. This is where I now bring my dog after his major spinal injury, and it’s likely the place that could have prevented him from needing surgery in the first place.

What Holistic Means in an Animal Clinic Setting

Having lived in Oregon for over a decade, I have heard a great deal about alternative medicine. Sure, crystals and mantras might help in some situations, but my dog’s pain was not something I wanted to experiment with. I needed legitimate help for him, and I was as skeptical as anyone would be when I found AnimalKind.

AnimalKind describes its philosophy as looking at the whole animal and tailoring care based on individual needs, which sounds broad and difficult to ascertain. However, sitting there with my pup during a spinal injury flare-up, I realized they were paying attention to things that many busy clinics don’t have time for: posture, gait, awareness, muscle compensation, stress levels, and even the specifics of my dog’s diet.

In our recent interview, Goodale says, “We do chiropractic care and electroacupuncture treatments for pets. But we also build care plans with herbal supplements and pay attention to what pets are being fed. So much of health begins with diet. You are what you eat, you know? That counts for pets, too.”

Acupuncture for Pets: What Saved My Dog’s Spine

I made many adjustments to my dog’s lifestyle after his surgery, but it was acupuncture that restored his body to its previous state. All of a sudden, he was a 3-year-old dog again, running and playing like he always had, without pain or discomfort.

AnimalKind isn’t the only vet practice to use acupuncture, but it isn’t exactly common. Goodale states, “Acupuncture’s been around for so long, but most people don’t know it can be good for pets, too. I wish more vets practiced it, because it can really seem like a miracle when it’s successful.”

Veterinary acupuncture is commonly used as an adjunct therapy for pain and neurologic conditions, like my dog’s spinal injury. The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society explains how it’s applied in animal care, advising it as a tool in a larger rehab and pain-management plan.

There is published work looking specifically at acupuncture and electroacupuncture in dogs recovering from spinal disc events, with measured functional outcomes over time. There is moderate evidence of a mild benefit when acupuncture is added to medical management for intervertebral disc injuries under certain conditions. My personal experience with it was remarkable.

However, it’s important to understand that results may vary depending on the condition of the animal and the injury involved.

“I’ve seen dogs come in unable to walk and leave on their own by the end of a session,” Goodale says. “And it’s permanent healing a lot of the time; some dogs come in for tune-ups, but so many don’t need more sessions once we’ve found where their pain is hiding.”

What Electroacupuncture Looks Like for Pets

Despite my best efforts, my dog isn’t the friendliest. He has a few people he tolerates, but vets usually aren’t included on this exclusive list. I dreaded taking him in for an acupuncture session, but I knew it was necessary. His spinal injury flared up, and his neck was stuck, bent over, and hunched; he was aggravated and miserable. So we made an appointment at AnimalKind, and I crossed my fingers that he would behave.

They didn’t restrain him on the table at all, outside of my hands on his sides as he stared at me in pain. A small machine arrived, much like an amp or digital music mixer. The vet produced a container of tiny, sterile needles, and I braced for my pup’s freakout.

But he didn’t react, even as the vet picked points based on his problem area. He placed the needles just under the skin and around where he thought my dog was most in pain. Once the needles were in, small lead wires were clamped onto the needle tops.

The compact electroacupuncture unit sent a gentle, pulsing electrical current between the paired needles, which was turned up slowly until we both saw a subtle response in my dog: the muscles of his neck began to twitch. And my dog remained steady, calm, staring at me even as he was touched by someone he disliked, even as he was in pain.

His session lasted only 15–30 minutes, and the needles were removed as quickly as possible. The vet asked me to put him on the ground and let him walk, and he did. He even shook, attempted to stretch, and gave me the smallest, shyest wag of his tail. I was told to bring him back for another session if he didn’t further improve.

Miraculously, I didn’t have to make another appointment, and that was in early 2023. My pup is almost 7 now, and he’s just as healthy as he was before his spinal surgery, with no flare-ups since his electroacupuncture session.

Other Holistic Vet Methods to Consider

While acupuncture saved my dog’s spine, AnimalKind advocates for many other alternative care methods. “We look at everything, starting with diet. Sometimes, acupuncture is the right route, but there are also herbal remedies and chiropractic care that we offer. It all depends on the pet in front of us,” Goodale says.

Chiropractic and Manual Therapies

AnimalKind includes chiropractic care in its offerings, which is what I thought my pup would need first and foremost. But in spinal cases, appropriate training and careful case selection are essential, which is why you should not assume that every chiropractic adjustment is safe for every injury.

“When an animal is actively injured or in pain, adjusting them may cause more harm than good. That’s why we recommend it for pets that seem stiff or are maybe walking differently, not ones that are more likely to benefit from acupuncture,” Goodale says.

Herbs and Nutrition

What surprised me most after visiting AnimalKind was how much the clinic cared about diet and nutrition. While my pup was given some prescription pain medication in case his injury worsened, he was also given a blend of herbs for inflammation and advised to eat raw or fresh food for his health.

Goodale says that the effectiveness of this holistic care depends on everyday consistency.

“We can do a great session in the clinic, but recovery is really shaped by what happens at home, especially at the gut level. Immunity is built through food, and raw diets are showing their ability to keep dogs healthy,” she says.

That said, there is an ongoing debate and research regarding the benefits and risks of raw versus commercial diets for dogs. Most major veterinary organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, caution against feeding raw food to dogs due to potential health risks, such as bacterial contamination and nutritional imbalances. But there is some anecdotal and limited scientific evidence suggesting that raw diets can be potentially beneficial.

What I Wish I’d Known Before Seeking Surgery for My Dog

I don’t want to steer anyone the wrong way: spinal injuries can be and often are emergencies. If a dog is losing function of its limbs, showing severe pain, declining quickly, or experiencing serious changes in other standard behaviors, a trip to the vet is a must. They will likely advise surgery, and it may be the right option for your pup.

I thought my only options were putting my dog down or paying thousands of dollars for his surgery. I opted for the latter, not knowing that alternative therapies like acupuncture—which may have amounted to less than $100 at AnimalKind—might have supported his recovery alongside or after surgery. There is no scientific evidence that a single acupuncture session can replace the need for surgery in severe cases. But anecdotally, some pet owners like me have reported positive results from such therapies.

If I could go back, I would have asked my emergency vet about alternative options like acupuncture and rehab planning. Maybe my dog would still have needed surgery, maybe not. No matter what, his post-surgery recovery using electroacupuncture allowed him to regain comfort and function faster than I thought possible.

Alternative, Holistic Medicine Exists for Pets, Too

If you’re reading this because your pet is in pain and needs help, my honest advice is this: do your research into alternative care and ask your vet about integrative, holistic support. There may be options just around the corner—options that may seem like miracles.