Alternative veterinary medicine

Integrative nutrition combines both aspects of alternative veterinary medicine as well as traditional western veterinary medicine. As with other aspects of alternative veterinary medicine, it has become an increasingly popular topic within veterinary clinics amongst pet owners and their veterinarians. This approach typically analyzes the benefits and drawbacks to popular diets such as grain free, raw, vegetarian, vegan, or home-prepared diets. Integrative nutrition is more and more common within the agriculture industry as well because of the increased amount of production and growth that can come with altering the diet of cattle, chicken, hogs, or other livestock.[9] There's even evidence to suggest that changing the diets of cattle can change the rates of metabolic and infectious disease rates.[9]

Some information about diet is already known, such as cats suffering if denied meat because they don't have all the necessary amino acids to create proteins.[10] However, dogs don’t experience the same lack of essential proteins when they eat vegetarian diets.[10] As with other aspects of alternative veterinary medicine, more research needs to be done to definitively say what diets are best, although it is likely that different diets are best for different pets, depending on species, activity level, pre-existing health conditions, and financial stability and time commitment of owners.[10]

Physical rehabilitation and sports medicine is typically treated as an umbrella term referring to underwater treadmill therapy, photobiomodulation or laser therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, therapeutic ultrasound, shockwave therapy, and personalized exercise plans.[2] This form of alternative veterinary medicine has permeated traditional western veterinary medicine with great success, likely because of its similarity to treatments that humans receive. Many types of physical rehabilitation and sports medicine treatments have been studied in humans and in animals enough to have some sort of evidence to support its usage.[2]

Underwater treadmill therapy has various reports of efficacy, but it can be used for both rehabilitation and conditioning.[2] Photobiomodulation hasn’t yet been proved to be a legitimate treatment plan but there are tentative connections to benefits. This therapy refers to when stimulation occurs via light and reportedly increases energy and antioxidant production. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy functions in a similar way to photobiomodulation therapy and lacks legitimacy as well.[2]

Therapeutic ultrasound provides deep tissue thermal stimulation to increase range of motion and tendon strength and is often used to help heal deep injuries.[2] Shockwave therapy uses acoustic sound waves to alter tissue mechanics and inflammation. Lastly, personalized exercise plans often are proven to be very effective, although some exercises have not been researched extensively.[2] This treatment is used for pets who are recovering from injury, surgery, or for other reasons need to build strength or increase range of motion.[2]