Functional Medicine for Pets in Chicagoland: A Holistic Approach to Optimal Health

Here at Arya Animal Acupuncture, we are built upon a foundation of 360 personalized care for our pet clients. This includes traditional and integrative veterinary medicine as well as the holistic practice of Functional Medicine for pets. If you seek out healthcare that looks at the root of the problem rather than at just the symptoms, then you know the impact of Functional Medicine. It brings with it so many more complimentary therapies to help heal pets. Dr. Bhatt offers functional veterinary medicine in Glenview, the Chicago area, and beyond. Let’s explore what this fascinating practice involves.

What is Functional Medicine For Pets?

Wouldn’t it be great to identify what is helping your pet and what is harming him or her? Well, this is it! Consider Functional Medicine an amazing holistic modality in Dr. Bhatt’s arsenal of healing treatments. Dictionary.com defines Functional Medicine as: “Individualized medical care that recognizes the interactions between genetic and environmental factors and between the body's interconnected systems.”

Functional medicine for pets is part of an integrative, whole-body approach that aims to treat the underlying root causes of your pet's condition, not just manage the symptoms. Rather than looking at isolated issues, functional vets like Dr. Bhatt consider every aspect of your pet's life that could impact their health - from lifestyle to breed, food to health history, environment to activities - the functional medicine model uses all of this information to begin the healing and recovery process.

It’s a very in-depth look into everything that affects your pet, and provides a roadmap for Dr. Bhatt to customize a specialized integrative plan for your pet.

The core principles behind this approach are:

1) Treating the whole animal, not just the symptoms. Your pet's condition is viewed as an imbalance or dysfunction affecting their entire system, not just an isolated ailment. Dr. Bhatt also incorporates her expertise in Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and more to help balance out your pet’s body balance!

2) Using natural, minimally invasive therapies whenever possible. Functional medicine emphasizes dietary changes, supplements, herbal remedies, acupuncture, chiropractic, and other natural modalities to restore optimal health, only incorporating traditional medications when absolutely necessary.

3) Preventing future disease by addressing underlying causes. Rather than just suppressing symptoms, Dr. Bhatt works to identify and eliminate the triggers behind illness to stop it from recurring.

4) Developing individualized treatment plans. Every pet is unique, so their path to wellness must be personalized based on their specific circumstances, history, and potential imbalances.

5) Enhancing the body's innate healing abilities. The goal is to rebalance and optimize your pet's own natural physiological systems to enable self-healing and vitality.

How Does Functional Veterinary Medicine Differ from Integrative Veterinary Medicine?

Integrative veterinary medicine combines conventional treatments with complementary therapies like acupuncture or massage. While integrative and functional medicine are closely related holistic fields, there are some key differences that help support one another for a more in-depth approach to holistic healing:

Integrative medicine utilizes a broader toolkit of complementary modalities like acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage alongside traditional drugs and procedures.

Functional veterinary medicine, on the other hand, places a stronger emphasis on identifying and treating root causes through detailed investigation of the pet's history, environment, and lifestyle factors. It relies more heavily on natural, preventative interventions like nutritional therapy and herbal remedies.

In essence, integrative medicine blends alternative and conventional approaches, while functional medicine digs deeper to restore proper function and balance using primarily natural therapies as the first line of defense.

Both disciplines, however, share the goal of treating the whole animal through holistic, multimodal care tailored to each pet's unique needs.

Functional Medicine for Dogs

Dogs can face a range of chronic issues that may benefit from a functional medicine approach including:

• Allergies and skin conditions

• Arthritis and mobility problems

• Autoimmune disorders

• Inflammatory bowel disease and other digestive issues

• Chronic kidney disease

• Endocrine disorders like diabetes

Rather than just prescribing medications to dull the symptoms, Dr. Bhatt spends extensive time investigating the underlying causes behind your dog's condition through a comprehensive assessment of their diet, environment, exercise habits, and more.

For example, a dog with chronic allergies may have an unidentified sensitivity to an ingredient in their food, or imbalances in their gut microbiome. Functional treatment would involve eliminating dietary triggers, supplementing with gut-healing nutrients, and reducing environmental exposures - a multi-pronged plan to tackle the root issues.

This preventative focus on restoring optimal function can not only manage current ailments but also build up your dog's vitality to ward off future disease.

Perhaps most importantly, functional protocols for dogs emphasize the immense healing power of nature. Customized treatment plans prioritize gentle, food-based remedies, nutraceuticals, herbs, acupuncture and other modalities that work with your dog's biology, not against it.

Only when absolutely necessary are conventional drugs or surgical interventions introduced - ideally as a short-term bridge to allow the body to regain balance.

Dr. Bhatt takes the time to educate you as a pet parent, too. Since this approach requires diet and lifestyle adjustments, your participation is vital. You'll gain a deep understanding of your dog's unique situation and how to provide the nutritional and environmental support they need to thrive.

Functional Medicine for Cats

One example is that Cats can struggle with stress-related conditions that may originate from boredom, anxiety, litter box aversions, conflicts with other pets, or environmental factors like loud noises or cramped spaces.

Functional medicine for cats takes a holistic approach to addressing these types of stress-induced issues by identifying and eliminating the underlying triggers, rather than just treating symptoms like urinary problems or over-grooming.

Dr. Bhatt will evaluate every aspect of your cat's environment, from vertical space and hiding spots to litter box location and pheromones. She might even make specific recommendations tailored to your cat's unique stressors, like adding cat shelves, pheromone diffusers, or adjusting the number of litter boxes.

Nutritional therapy is another powerful tool. Specialized cat diets, probiotics, and calming supplements like alpha-casozepine can help rebalance your cat's neurochemistry and gut health, enhancing their resilience to stress.

Complementary therapies like acupuncture, gentle massage, aromatherapy, and pheromone products can also promote relaxation and minimize anxiety.

Importantly, functional feline protocols aim to provide enrichment and outlets for your cat's natural instincts and energy, rather than just medicating unwanted behaviors. Environmental modifications, playtime, and positive reinforcement training all help create an low-stress, enriched lifestyle.

Only as a last resort are anti-anxiety medications used, and always as a short-term bridge while the root stressors are systematically identified and eliminated.

Through this holistic lens, every aspect of your cat's mental, emotional, and physical health is addressed. The goal is to enhance their ability to thrive and cope with unavoidable stressors, not merely suppress the symptoms of stress.

Is Functional Medicine Right for Your Pet?

While functional medicine takes a different approach than conventional care, it can be an incredibly powerful way to address chronic, stubborn conditions in pets when traditional methods fall short. We have seen superb results as a functional medicine and integrative veterinarian clinic.

However, it does require an invested pet parent willing to make diet and lifestyle adjustments as part of the healing process. Since each treatment plan is customized, it also involves more in-depth analysis and frequent re-assessments by Dr. Bhatt.

The natural, preventative focus on boosting vitality is also ideal for keeping generally healthy pets in optimal condition as they age. Catching imbalances early can stop minor issues from snowballing into major problems.

Ultimately, the holistic functional medicine philosophy views your pet as a whole, living system - not just a set of isolated symptoms. By restoring proper function through gentle, natural interventions, functional vets can unlock your companion's remarkable self-healing capabilities and resilience.

If you're battling chronic or recurring issues with your dog or cat's health despite trying conventional treatments, it may be worth exploring a functional medicine / integrative approach offered by Dr. Bhatt here at Arya Animal Acupuncture. Talk to us to see if this holistic path and integrative veterinary medicine can help your beloved pet thrive.