The Integrative Veterinarian

Dr. Kristol Stenstrom was raised in Central Kansas. She did her undergraduate and veterinary studies at Kansas State University, graduating with her DVM in 1994.

After graduation, she moved to Kansas City and did relief work before working as a Research Scientist in companion animal clinical trials.

Looking to make a change, she earned her certification in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture in 2003 and started a house call acupuncture practice. She also became a teaching assistant in the Veterinary Medical Acupuncture program.

She currently has both a mobile and in clinic acupuncture practice and is a...

Dr. Lisa Radwan was a previous guest, on Episode 9, which aired in April of 2020. In this episode, we talk about her current clinical practice, including the physical space and logistics, the farm that she shares with her partner, Dr. Crystal Urban, and their approach to managing their farm and the struggles around practicing regenerative agriculture.

Please enjoy this extended conversation with Dr. Lisa Radwan.

Dr. Lisa Chase was raised in Boco Raton, Florida. She did her undergraduate studies at the University of Florida and Florida Atlantic University. She earned her DVM from Tuskegee University in 2008.

After graduation, she did a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at a large specialty practice. Afterwards, she worked in small animal general practice and shelter medicine in Florida before she moved to Colorado. There she worked in general practice before starting her career in integrative medicine.

Looking to add to her skill set, she earned her certificate in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture...

Dr. Anna Rodriguez was raised in Northhamptonshire England. She new from an early age that she wanted to be a veterinarian. She earned her veterinary degree with honors from the Royal Veterinary College in 2003.

After graduation, she worked for two years in a mixed animal practice in the UK, then spent two years as a locum vet in the UK and New Zealand. She then joined the Anchorage Veterinary Hospital in Norwich, where she practiced for 14 years, eventually working in practice management.

A lifelong gardener, she capitalized on her love of plants in earning a...

Dr. Quinley Koch was raised in South Central Kansas. She had a number of varied animals growing up, and had an intense interest in rodeo. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Fort Hays State University in 2002, her Master's Degree in Agriculture from Texas A&M in 2005, and her DVM from Oklahoma State University in 2010.

After graduation, she completed an Internship at Interstate Equine Services and then joined a mixed animal practice for a year. In 2012, she started her own practice, Elite Equine Veterinary Services. Two years later, she added chiropractic, becoming IVCA certified after taking the course offered by Options for Animals. In 2016, she was certified by IVAS in acupuncture.

Dr. Lauren Genow was raised in the East Grand Rapids, Michigan Area. She worked as a Sign Language Interpreter in Michigan and Tuscon, Arizona before deciding on a second career in veterinary medicine. She earned her DVM from Washington State University in 2014.

She had exposure to Holistic Medicine before entering veterinary school, and began her Holistic education while a veterinary student, getting her acupuncture certification from Chi University and becoming certified in Reiki.

After graduation, she moved back to Tuscon and started her mobile holistic practice, Prickly Pear Holistic Veterinary Care, serving both small and large animal patients.

She has since been certified by the Healing Oasis in Veterinary S...

Dr. Wanda Vockeroth was raised on a farm in southern Saskatchewan around dogs, cats, chickens, cattle, and horses. She knew from age 8 that she wanted to be a veterinarian.

She earned her veterinary degree from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon in 1992, and went into mixed animal practice afterwards. After changing positions a few times, she and her veterinarian husband purchased a mixed animal practice in Manitoba, then moved to Calgary about 7 years later.

Her initial exposure to acupuncture was in veterinary school, but she took the IVAS course while in Manitoba. The...

Dr. April Linson was raised in a small town in West Virginia. She earned her veterinary degree from Ohio State University in 1985, then returned to West Virginia to join a small animal practice.

Afterwards, she moved to Ohio and worked in a few practices before starting her own practice with a colleague. After ten years, she relocated to the Los Angeles, California area, working in a few different practices before purchasing her current practice, Woodland Hills Pet Clinic.

While in Ohio, she began looking for additional help with her chronic disease patients. She trained in...

Dr. Rachel Ramesar was raised in Central Illinois. While in High School, she got a position in a mixed animal veterinary practice and decided that she would make veterinary medicine her career.

She earned her DVM from the University of Illinois in 2000. She had been on a US Army scholarship during veterinary school, so she entered the Army as a Captain in the Veterinary Corps after graduation. She served for 3 years, then left the service and entered private small animal practice.

She held positions doing relief work and working part time at a few clinics...

Dr. Laura Taylor was raised outside of Toronto, Canada. She had her sights set on veterinary medicine from a young age, and earned her veterinary degree from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1989. After some time in small animal practice in Ontario and the UK, she relocated to Calgary, Alberta and began her holistic journey.

She took the Basic Chiropractic course at Options for Animals in 1995, then completed the Diplomat program there, when she had her first exposure to Craniosacral Therapy. With that interest, she took several courses in human craniosacral therapy from the Upledger Institute.

...

Dr. Kimberly Schmidt was raised in the Chicago, Illinois area. She is the daughter of two veterinarians, and grew up in their Feline Only Practice.

She did her undergraduate and veterinary studies at the University of Illinois, earning her DVM in 2008. Afterwards, she did a small animal internship in private practice.

Following the internship, she moved to California and worked in general small animal practice for 7 years. It was during this time that she started her holistic education, looking for additional ways to help her patients.

She earned her acupuncture certification from IVAS...

Dr. Viv Harris was born outside Wellington, New Zealand on a property with animals of all shapes and sizes. She knew early on that she wanted to be a Veterinarian.

She earned a Bachelor degree in Zoology and also one in Veterinary Science from Massey University in 1986. After graduation, she went into mixed practice in New Zealand briefly, then went overseas for five years; doing locum work in the UK as well as working with camels in Kenya.

Upon her return home, she purchased a small animal practice in Wellington and remained there for ten y...

Dr. Ian Bidstrup was raised on a farm in Victoria, Australia. He earned his veterinary degree with honors from the University of Melbourne in 1980. Afterwards, he spent time in small and mixed animal practices in Victoria and the UK, before returning to do an Equine Ambulatory Residency at the University of Melbourne in 1986. Following, he was a partner in an Equine mixed practice before transitioning to limiting his practice to Equine and Canine spinal care.

He was first introduced to Chiropractic while a veterinary student. He did some training in Chiropractic early in his career, then was...

Dr. Lisa Pinn McFaddin was raised in the Baltimore, Maryland area. She identified at an early age that she wanted to be a Veterinarian.

She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Kenyon College in 2003 and her DVM from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. Afterwards, she did a Small Animal Rotating Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery in a private specialty hospital in the Chicagoland area.

After her Internship, she worked in both Emergency and General practice as well as doing Relief work in the Chicagoland area. Looking for a new...

Dr. Lorrie Hale was raised in the Chicago area as well as Kentucky. She earned her veterinary degree from the University of Illinois in 1995. Afterwards, she worked in two practices in the Chicago area.

She then worked for twelve years in general practice in Louisiana before returning to teach clinical veterinary skills at the University of Illinois. She started her holistic education by completing her acupuncture training at Chi University in 2012.

In 2016 she joined the faculty at Louisiana State University, starting a clinical skills program and expanding the Integrative Medicine and Rehabilitation Service in the...

Dr. Laura Weis was raised in numerous cities around the United States, and her family even spent some time during her childhood in Switzerland. She realized when she was young that she was interested in Veterinary Medicine.

After earning her undergraduate degree in Biology from Cornell University, she spent some time gaining animal experience before earning her DVM from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. Afterwards, she worked in small animal practice in Pennsylvania, and after two years purchased a practice with her Veterinarian husband, Dr. Randy Weis.

Looking to provide improved care...

Dr. Jacqui Snell was born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. Veterinary Medicine was a career aspiration from childhood. She earned her veterinary degree from Massey University in 1988. Afterwards, she worked in a small animal practice in Wellington before spending a year doing locum work in London England.

After returning to New Zealand, she worked at Taradale Veterinary Hospital in Hawkes Bay for 21 years, spending 16 years as an owner of the practice. She started her holistic practice, Veterinary Holistic Healthcare, in 2018, after earning a Western Herbal Certification. She completed a Graduate Diploma in Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine...

Dr. Lisa Melling was raised in Chicago and Northern Illinois. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be a Veterinarian, gaining experience working at a horse stable and having a number of childhood pets.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Iowa State University in 1999, and her DVM from Tuskegee University in 2004. After graduation, she entered small animal practice in Michigan. In response to a large commercial pet food recall in 2007, she began prescribing fresh food nutrition and started her journey into Homeopathy. She was certified by the Academy of Veterinary...

Sophie Tieu is a third year veterinary student at the Ontario Veterinary College. She has been interested in veterinary medicine since she was young

She did her undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph, majoring in Animal Biology. Before entering veterinary college, she participated in research projects involving canine nutrition, Vitamin D metabolism, and swine physiology. This work has yielded four publications.

Since becoming a veterinary student, Sophie has worked as a Research Animal Technician on the Veterinary campus.

Please enjoy this conversation with Sophie Tieu as we discuss her education, preparation for h...

Dr. Elizabeth Cutright was born on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be a Veterinarian.

She did both her undergraduate studies in Animal Science and her DVM at the University of Illinois. She earned her DVM in 2001.

After graduation, she worked in small animal practices, becoming introduced to integrative medicine and developing an interest in Nutrition Response Testing as well as advanced dentistry.

In 2016, she started her own practice, Healthier Pets Naturally, which focuses on Nutrition Response Testing and Nutrition Consulting.

...

Dr. Debby Burnett was raised in Greeley, Colorado. She was interested in Veterinary Medicine, but a high school teacher told her that she wasn't good enough in science to pursue it. She started University in Journalism, then switched to Kinesiology and later earned a Master's Degree in Physical Therapy in 1995.

As a Pediatric Physical Therapist, she rekindled her interest in Veterinary Medicine when working with her patients using hippotherapy. She earned her DVM from Texas A&M in 2003. Afterwards, she did an Equine Reproduction Internship, then transitioned to mixed animal practice in Wyoming while still working as...

Dr. Cindy Maro was raised on a farm in Northeast Ohio. She earned her veterinary degree from Ohio State University in 1987, ten years after her brother Rob.

After graduation, she joined her brother's mixed animal practice in Northeast Ohio, then started her own small animal practice in Western Pennsylvania, the first companion animal Integrative practice in the region. Since then, she has started a total of six practices in the Western Pennsylvania region and has enthusiastically promoted integrative medicine to her colleagues as well as the public.

She holds certifications in numerous areas including acupuncture...

Dr. Katie Woodley was raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She did her undergraduate work at the University of Notre Dame, and earned her Veterinary Degree in 2010 from Massey University in New Zealand.

After working in small animal practice in New Zealand, she moved back to Colorado Springs to work in small animal practice there. She had some exposure to holistic medicine in veterinary school, but a health challenge with her husband and her own curiosity started her journey into integrative medicine.

She was certified in acupuncture by OneHealth and has earned a Graduate Diploma in...

Dr. Tracy Duffner was born in Michigan and raised in Northern Ohio. She earned her undergraduate degree from Otterbein University and her DVM from Ohio State in 2006.

After graduation, she moved to South Carolina and worked in small animal primary care practices, then transitioned to emergency medicine and back to primary care.

Looking for a change, she was certified in acupuncture by Chi University in 2019, in animal chiropractic by the AVCA in 2021, and is currently completing coursework in veterinary homeopathy. She started a mobile holistic practice in 2019, partnered in a brick and mortar integrative practice...

Dr. Bill Ormston returns to the podcast, having been a guest on Episode 59. In this episode Bill and I discuss some of the factors that have influenced the acceptance and growth of the Animal Chiropractic profession. Starting with a working definition of Chiropractic, we discuss the historical barriers to natural medicine education in the United States, and finish with our thoughts on the ideal legal landscape for the practice of Animal Chiropractic in the United States.

Please enjoy this second conversation with Dr. Bill Ormston.

Dr. Bart Iaia was raised in Florida. He did his undergraduate education at the University of Vermont in Animal Science, and earned his DVM from Tufts University in 1992. After some time in small animal practice on the East Coast, he moved to Seattle Washington and worked in a number of small animal practices and in industry prior to purchasing an integrative practice in the area.

His holistic education began with the study of Lomi Lomi, a Hawaiian healing art. He has since been certified in Acupuncture by Chi University in 2009, and then by IVAS in 2019. He has...

Dr. Greg Todd was raised in Florida. He was interested in veterinary medicine from a young age, and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Florida in 1983, and his DVM from the University of Florida in 1988.

His holistic education began with an apprenticeship with Acupuncturist Dr. Patrick Sullivan, who provided study materials and the opportunity for Greg to observe the treatment of human patients. He was certified in Acupuncture by IVAS in 1996 and by Chi University in 2008. Since then, he has additional certifications from Chi University in Tui-Na, Food Therapy, and Chinese Herbal Medicine. I...

Dr. Shantel Julius was born on a ranch in Northeastern South Dakota. She wanted to work in veterinary medicine from a young age.

During her undergraduate education at North Dakota State University, she worked in a veterinary diagnostic laboratory and was part of the McNair Scholars Program, performing research involving selenium and its effect on growth and cellular proliferation. She earned her degree in Veterinary Technology before attending the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and earning her DVM in 2011.

After graduation, she worked in small animal general and emergency practice. Following the tragic...

Dr. Theresa SaLee was born in Upstate New York and raised in Illinois. She earned her veterinary degree from the University of Illinois in 1999. Afterwards, she went into small animal practices in Southern Wisconsin and began her holistic education by taking the IVAS acupuncture course.

She has since earned certifications in Rehabilitation Therapy and Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapy. She has studied Chinese Herbal Medicine with Drs. Mona Boudreaux and Steve Marsden, and recently earned a Graduate Diploma from CIVT in Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine.

After her time in Wisconsin, she worked for a few years i...

Dr. Karin Olsen was raised in Brooklyn, New York. She began riding horses at a young age, and a health issue with her horse while she was studying Economics and Spanish at Middlebury College in Vermont sparked an interest in a career in veterinary medicine.

She earned her veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003. During that time, she was exposed to acupuncture because of a demonstration by Dr. Allen Schoen at her school. After graduation, she worked in a few small animal practices before deciding to take the Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians course. She was certified in 2015.<...

Dr. Caroline Pattie was born in San Francisco and raised in Arlington, VA. She always knew that she wanted to be a Veterinarian, and earned her veterinary degree from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008.

After graduation, she joined a small animal practice in Virginia and after a year, the practice owner suggested that she follow her interest in acupuncture and she attended Chi University and earned her acupuncture certification. She stayed in the practice for 15 years, witnessing the practice grow into a 24 hour care center.

At the end of the pandemic, she...

Dr. Marlene Siegel was born in Cuba and raised in Florida. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be a Veterinarian. During her undergraduate years, she worked as an emergency medical technician and was the first female Paramedic in the State of Florida.

She earned her veterinary degree from the University of Florida in 1985. Afterwards, she went to work in a five doctor small animal and exotic practice, then worked in emergency practice and did small animal locum work prior to establishing her own practice, Pasco Veterinary Medical Center, in Lutz, Florida in 1987.

Dr. Marlene Siegel was born in Cuba and raised in Florida. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be a Veterinarian. During her undergraduate years, she worked as an emergency medical technician and was the first female Paramedic in the State of Florida.

She earned her veterinary degree from the University of Florida in 1985. Afterwards, she went to work in a five doctor small animal and exotic practice, then worked in emergency practice and did small animal locum work prior to establishing her own practice, Pasco Veterinary Medical Center, in Lutz, Florida in 1987.

Dr. Shauna Cantwell was raised in the Canadian Prairie Provinces. She earned her veterinary degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1989. After graduation, she worked in mixed and small animal practice before returning to the University of Saskatchewan to complete a Residency and Master's Degree in Anesthesiology and earn her Board Certification in Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia.

She then served as a faculty member on the Anesthesia Service at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine for ten years, working not only in the clinic, but being funded for research and publishing in the areas of...

Dr. Sasan Haghighat was born in Germany and raised in Iran. After earning his veterinary degree, he moved to Canada and worked at an SPCA in Newmarket, Ontario and then an emergency practice in Toronto.

After working for a short period in general practice, he began working at the Holistic Veterinary Clinic in Newmarket. He was certified in Acupuncture by Chi University, and trained  in Postural Rehabilitation with Dr. Judith Shoemaker. He also has training in rehabilitation and Matrix Repatterning.

He earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Bio-Regulatory Medicine from Bio-Medic.

Dr. Haghighat t...

Dr. Aish Ryan always knew that she wanted to be a Veterinarian. She earned her Veterinary Degree with honors from the University of Melbourne in 2003. She then worked in small animal clinics in Melbourne and London prior to starting her practice, Vets at Home, in 2010. The practice began as a full service mobile practice, but as her interests evolved, it transitioned to be limited to integrative medicine.

Dr. Ryan earned a Graduate Diploma in Animal Biomechanical Medicine and is also certified in Veterinary Acupuncture and Animal Nutrition. She also has advanced training in Balance Method Acupuncture, Food...

Dr. Monica Chapman was raised in Bethesda, Maryland. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be a Veterinarian, and she received guidance about medical education from her father, a US Army surgeon.

She studied biology as an undergraduate, and earned her veterinary degree from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. After graduation, she worked in small animal practice for ten years, then transitioned to shelter medicine for fifteen years.

At the end of her time in shelter medicine, she took a course in Western Herbal Medicine from the Green Comfort...

 Dr. Lorena Lloret Nadal was raised in Spain. She earned her veterinary degree from the University of Murcia in Spain in 2002.

While still a student, she was fortunate to see acupuncture used successfully in small animal practice. After graduation, she was certified in acupuncture by the Association of British Veterinary Acupuncturists in 2003. Afterwards, she started a TCVM practice for horses and small animals in the UK.

While visiting Thailand in 2005, she met Dr. Xie from Chi University. She was certified in acupuncture by Chi University in 2006 and was an Intern at the University of Florida i...

Dr. Susan Howell was previous guest on Episode 51 from December of 2021. At the time of the interview, she operated Thrive Holistic Veterinary Care as a brick and mortar practice in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area.

Since that time, she opted to close her brick and mortar practice and her work has evolved into doing Telehealth consultations in combination with seeing clinical patients two days a week in other doctor's offices.

Please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Susan Howell as we trace her evolution from a traditional brick and mortar practice to a hybrid model

Cassidy Kelly was raised in the Chicago, Illinois area. Her interest in veterinary medicine was sparked during a biology class in high school.

She earned earned her undergraduate degree in Animal Science from Ohio State, and is now a first year veterinary student at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

Cassidy has spent significant time interning at the Royal Treatment Veterinary Center and is the CIVT University Liaison for Research and  Student Outreach.

Please enjoy this conversation with Cassidy Kelly as we discuss her undergraduate education, introduction to Integrative Veterinary Medicine, a...