When your pet isn’t feeling their best, you want every possible option to help them feel better. Holistic veterinary medicine takes a “whole pet” approach–looking beyond just the symptoms to consider your pet’s overall physical and emotional well-being. This comprehensive care strategy often provides additional paths to wellness that work wonderfully alongside traditional treatments, giving your companion more opportunities to thrive even when facing health challenges.

At Mountain View Animal Hospital & Holistic Pet Care, we’re your pet’s wellness team! Our compassionate veterinarians combine the best of both conventional and holistic medicine to create care plans as unique as your pet. Whether you’re curious about exploring natural therapies or prefer traditional treatments (or a helpful mix of both!), we’re here to support your choices while providing the highest quality care for your four-legged family member.

A woman with long brown hair, smiling and posing indoors with a brown dog that has a blue collar. The image, perhaps taken by her veterinarian, features a teal circular border adorned with abstract geometric shapes in the corners.

Our Holistic Treatment Options

We offer an extensive range of holistic therapies that complement our traditional veterinary services. These treatments provide additional options for managing chronic conditions, supporting recovery, and enhancing your pet’s overall quality of life.

Acupuncture

This ancient healing technique uses tiny, ultra-thin needles placed at specific points on your pet’s body. Don’t worry – most pets hardly notice them! These special points help stimulate your pet’s natural healing abilities, improve circulation, and release hormones that ease discomfort. Our skilled veterinarians use acupuncture to help with arthritis, neurological issues, digestive problems, and anxiety.

Chiropractic Care

Veterinary chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function as coordinated by the nervous system. Gentle adjustments help restore proper joint movement, reducing pain and improving mobility. This therapy is particularly beneficial for pets with back problems, joint stiffness, and certain neurological conditions.

Herbal Therapy

Our veterinarians are trained in prescribing traditional Chinese herbal formulations that have been refined over thousands of years. These natural remedies can address many health concerns, including digestive disorders, respiratory conditions, skin allergies, and immune system support, often with fewer side effects than conventional medications.

Prolozone Therapy

This innovative treatment combines the principles of neural therapy, prolotherapy, and ozone therapy. By injecting ozone gas and specialized solutions into affected damaged tissues, joints, or ligaments, we can stimulate healing and reduce inflammation. Prolozone therapy is especially effective for chronic joint pain, ligament injuries, and arthritis.

  • Accelerates the healing of damaged tissues
  • Reduces pain and inflammation
  • Improves joint mobility
  • Enhances oxygen utilization
  • Stimulates the regeneration of damaged tissue
  • Provides long-lasting relief for many conditions

Many pets experience significant improvement after just a few treatments, though the number of sessions needed depends on the condition being treated and your pet’s individual response.

Gold Bead Therapy

This permanent implantation technique places tiny gold beads at specific acupuncture points to provide ongoing stimulation. The gold beads create a continuous mild electrical charge that helps reduce pain and inflammation. This therapy is particularly valuable for pets with chronic arthritis, hip dysplasia, and other persistent joint conditions.

Ozone Therapy

Medical-grade ozone stimulates the body’s natural healing processes by increasing oxygen delivery, activating the immune system, and reducing inflammation. We use ozone therapy to treat infections and chronic inflammatory conditions and to support overall wellness. This versatile treatment can be administered in several ways, depending on your pet’s specific needs.

Canine Massage

Therapeutic massage offers numerous benefits for dogs of all ages. Beyond the relaxation effects, massage improves circulation, reduces muscle tension, enhances flexibility, and can speed recovery from injuries. Our trained professionals tailor each session to your dog’s specific needs, whether they’re an athletic companion recovering from activity or a senior pet with arthritis.

What Is Holistic Veterinary Care?

Holistic veterinary care is an approach to animal medicine that considers the whole patient — body, mind, and environment — rather than focusing solely on a single symptom or diagnosis. Instead of treating a problem in isolation, a holistic veterinarian evaluates how all aspects of a pet’s life interact: diet, stress levels, lifestyle, genetics, and emotional well-being. The goal is to support the body’s natural capacity to heal while using conventional medicine when it is the best tool available.

In practical terms, holistic veterinary care at Mountain View Animal Hospital & Holistic Pet Care in Reno, NV means your pet may receive a combination of acupuncture, herbal therapy, ozone therapy, nutritional guidance, and conventional diagnostics — all tailored to their individual needs. This integrative model is especially valuable for pets managing chronic pain, recovering from surgery, dealing with anxiety, or facing age-related conditions where quality of life matters most.

What Does “Holistic Vet” Mean?

A holistic vet is a licensed veterinarian who incorporates complementary and alternative therapies alongside conventional medicine to treat and prevent illness in animals. The term “holistic” comes from the word “whole” — reflecting the philosophy that optimal health comes from addressing every dimension of a patient’s well-being, not just the presenting complaint. Holistic vets typically receive additional training in modalities such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, herbal medicine, or physical rehabilitation.

At Mountain View Animal Hospital & Holistic Pet Care, our veterinarians are trained in both conventional and integrative medicine. This means they can run bloodwork, perform surgery, and prescribe medications when necessary — and also offer acupuncture, Chinese herbal therapies, and other evidence-informed natural treatments. Pet owners in Reno and across northern Nevada choose our practice because they want a team that can do both, and knows when each approach is most appropriate.

Philosophy and Methods

At Mountain View Animal Hospital & Holistic Pet Care in Reno, NV, our philosophy revolves around providing the best care possible for pets through a harmonious blend of traditional veterinary medicine and holistic therapies. We understand that every pet is unique, and therefore, deserves a personalized approach to their health and wellness. Our team of experienced veterinarians and staff are dedicated to offering compassionate care while continuously exploring innovative ways to treat various conditions and diseases. By focusing on preventative care and early detection, we aim to optimize your pet’s health and well-being, ensuring they lead a vibrant and healthy life. Staying up-to-date with the latest advancements in veterinary medicine is a priority for us, as it allows us to provide the highest quality of care to our beloved animal companions.

Integrating Holistic and Conventional Medicine

What makes our approach at Mountain View Animal Hospital truly special is how seamlessly we blend natural therapies with modern veterinary care. This integrative approach gives you the best of both worlds–using advanced diagnostics and medications when necessary, while incorporating natural approaches to support healing and reduce side effects.

For complex health challenges, we often recommend a multi-faceted approach. For instance, an older dog with arthritis might benefit from a thoughtful combination of gentle anti-inflammatory medication, acupuncture sessions, laser therapy, and nutritional supplements. This comprehensive strategy tackles discomfort from multiple angles, often allowing us to use lower medication doses with fewer side effects.

Our veterinarians partner with you to create care plans that match your values and preferences. We understand every family has their own philosophy about their pet’s healthcare, and we’re dedicated to honoring those choices while ensuring the very best outcomes for your companion.

Holistic Services

As an alternative pet therapy hospital, we pride ourselves on offering both Western and Eastern therapies. Each of our treatments is customized depending upon your pet’s needs. We strive to provide a balanced approach to animal care that achieves maximum healing. Natural techniques can be used with traditional Western medical therapies to obtain the best solution for your pets. Comfort is a key aspect of our comprehensive approach, ensuring that both pets and their owners feel at ease throughout the treatment process. Our treatments include:

Acupuncture

Chiropractic

Herbal Therapy

Prolozone Therapy

Gold Bead Therapy

Ozone Therapy

Canine Massage

Holistic Pet Care FAQ

Holistic pet care addresses the complete health of your pet by considering physical, emotional, and environmental factors rather than just treating symptoms. This approach integrates conventional veterinary medicine with complementary therapies such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, chiropractic care, and nutritional therapy to promote optimal wellness and prevent disease.  Key elements of holistic pet care include:
  • Customized nutrition plans based on your pet’s specific needs
  • Alternative pain management (acupuncture, laser therapy, chiropractic)
  • Natural approaches to behavioral issues
  • Integration with conventional medicine when appropriate
  • Preventive care strategies
  • Environmental and lifestyle considerations

Diet is considered a primary factor in preventing disease and supporting overall health. A properly balanced, species-appropriate diet strengthens the immune system, maintains healthy weight, and can help manage chronic conditions like allergies, diabetes, and kidney disease. Our veterinarians evaluate each pet individually, recommending specific food types, supplements, and feeding schedules based on factors such as age, breed, activity level, and existing health concerns.

Holistic pain management employs multiple natural modalities to reduce discomfort while minimizing the need for medications that may cause unwanted side effects. Treatment options include:
  • Acupuncture to stimulate natural pain relief and improve circulation
  • Cold laser therapy for reducing inflammation and accelerating healing
  • Chiropractic adjustments to improve mobility and nervous system function
  • Alpha-Stim® microcurrent therapy for pain reduction and anxiety relief
  • Herbal remedies and nutritional supplements with anti-inflammatory properties
  • Therapeutic massage to relieve muscle tension and improve circulation

Annual comprehensive holistic examinations are recommended for healthy pets, with semi-annual visits suggested for senior pets and those with chronic conditions. These visits include traditional physical assessment plus evaluation of diet, behavior, environment, and emotional well-being. Your veterinarian may recommend specific preventive screenings based on your pet’s age, breed, and risk factors, allowing for early detection of potential issues before they become serious health concerns.

Holistic approaches to behavioral issues address underlying physical, emotional, and environmental factors rather than simply suppressing unwanted behaviors. This may include identifying and treating hidden pain or discomfort, adjusting diet to eliminate ingredients that may contribute to anxiety or hyperactivity, implementing appropriate exercise routines, and creating a balanced home environment. Treatment plans often incorporate calming therapies such as acupuncture, herbal remedies, pheromone products, and behavior modification techniques tailored to your pet’s specific needs.

Chronic conditions are managed through integrated treatment plans targeting underlying causes rather than just symptoms. This typically involves:
  • Customized nutrition plans to reduce inflammation and support affected systems
  • Appropriate exercise programs to maintain mobility and muscle tone
  • Complementary therapies like acupuncture and laser treatment for pain and inflammation
  • Herbal medicines and supplements to support organ function and immune response
  • Regular monitoring to adjust treatments as needed
  • Conventional medications when necessary, often at lower doses
The goal is improving quality of life and slowing disease progression through multiple complementary approaches rather than relying solely on pharmaceutical intervention.

Holistic care works excellently alongside conventional medicine, creating an integrative approach that utilizes the strengths of both systems. When appropriate, holistic veterinarians incorporate conventional diagnostics (bloodwork, imaging) and treatments (surgery, antibiotics) while adding complementary therapies to enhance healing, reduce side effects, and address underlying imbalances. This integrated approach is particularly beneficial for pets with complex health issues, allowing for immediate symptom relief while addressing long-term wellness goals and preventive strategies.

Holistic pet care often requires more active participation from pet owners, including preparing fresh foods, administering supplements, performing home therapies, or making environmental modifications. However, many pet owners find this additional effort worthwhile as they observe improvements in their pet’s overall health, reduced need for medications, fewer chronic issues, and often lower long-term veterinary costs. The approach empowers owners with greater understanding of their pet’s health needs and provides more options for maintaining wellness and addressing problems before they become serious.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide comprehensive and compassionate care to pets and their families, while promoting holistic health and wellness through natural approaches and preventative care. We aim to create a comfortable and supportive environment for pets and their owners, ensuring that each visit is a positive experience. By offering personalized care plans that cater to the unique needs of each pet, we strive to enhance their overall health and well-being. We are honored to be a part of the Reno community and cherish the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of pets and their families.

Experience the Benefits of Holistic Veterinary Care

We’ve seen amazing transformations in countless pets through our integrative approach. From senior pets who start playing again to anxious animals who find their calm, holistic therapies can truly enhance your pet’s happiness and comfort.

Mountain View Animal Hospital & Holistic Pet Care has been voted Best of Northern Nevada year over year and is recognized as one of the Top 500 animal hospitals nationally by Newsweek! Our AAHA-accredited hospital features separate, comfortable areas for cats, dogs, and exotic pets, ensuring every animal receives specialized care in a low-stress environment. To discover more about our holistic services or schedule a friendly consultation, please call us at (775) 853-6900 or fill out our contact form.

Common Questions:

  • Yes! Per the NRS code 638.1521, the Nevada State Medical Board requires that every patient receive an annual (every 12 months) full body examination by a doctor at Mountain View Animal Hospital and Holistic Pet Care.
  • Unfortunately, no. The Board requires your pet to have a full examination at each hospital your pet visits to receive recommendations, treatments, services, or medications (including over the counter and herbal therapies) by any of its staff members.
  • An annual examination includes reviewing the history of the pet at home including diet, supplements, and lifestyle, a full body examination (listening to the heart and lungs, evaluating the teeth, looking at the ears/eyes, palpating the abdomen and lymph nodes, evaluating the muscles and overall body condition score +/- a internal rectal examination to evaluate the anal glands and prostate (male dogs).
  • Integrative is combining Western and holistic therapies together to optimize your pet’s health and wellness. This typically allows for maximum effect of medications and herbals, minus the potential side effects.
  • Holistic therapy is a type of therapy that addresses the “whole” body. This kind of therapy integrates spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional forms of well-being. Its goal is to help individuals develop a deeper understanding of their pet’s predispositions to diseases based upon their underlying personality. At Mountain View Animal Hospital and Holistic Pet Care, our holistic evaluation is based upon Chinese Five Element Theory (Fire, Wood, Metal, Water, Earth).