New Insights into Animal Health

Dr Sarah Lavely (pictured) is currently studying the Veterinary Chinese Herbal Medicine Certification Program with CIVT. It’s an enriching, exciting experience for the California-based veterinarian. 

Read what she has to say about the course…

You know it's funny. I'm not really sure why I started down this path, but after 14 years of Western veterinary medicine, I found myself rather jaded … with a new baby (at 40 years old), a desire to redefine myself as a veterinarian, and to be able to find a deep satisfaction in my career. It just came to me out of the blue  – I have been treated by a TCM practitioner myself and thought perhaps acupuncture would be an interesting (and hopefully lucrative) addition to my abilities. I am a very well rounded Western veterinarian, skilled in general medicine, surgery and urgent care (I have had a very vast experience in my career and excellent mentors). 

So, I started the IVAS course, thinking "no big deal, I can do this" and came to learn about not just putting needles in, but ... oh, yes! Veterinary Chinese Herbal Medicine theory. All very esoteric and complex. It was so much more than I had ever imagined it would be, and right up my creative, out of the box thinking alley. 

The most wonderful thing to me is that Chinese Medicine (and related enlightenment – diet, emotions, 5 Elements etc.) fills in these huge, frustrating gaps in Western medicine, and gives me tools I never dreamed of, to really help animals (and their humans) like I never have before. 

I am a better Western veterinarian, because of the way I really look at my patients now, and ask – and listen! What I feel that Veterinary Chinese Herbal Medicine allows me to do as a vet is treat things at the root cause, and not just put a Western bandage on them, and also to empower my clients to be much better to their animals, and consequently to themselves! 

I am fortunate to practice in an area where my clients are very open to a "big picture" approach, and I find that offering them alternatives to the "usual stuff" is very appealing to them, and allows me to easily integrate acupuncture and herbal medicine into my practice. The way that I integrate Western and Chinese medicine is mainly just by helping my clients understand the preventive force of this approach. They are very eager to have healthy pets, and (I don't take it personally) to see me less often!

It is truly a blessing, to have this knowledge, and I look forward to continuing to improve as an integrative veterinarian, a person, a partner, a pet owner and a mother!

Sarah Lavely, VMD
Los Angeles, CA

Read more CIVT testimonials about all our courses by clicking on this link.

Click here for information about the Chinese Veterinary Herbal Medicine Certification Program.