After graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and practicing in the field for several years, Dr. Mitch McKee began to explore alternative treatment methods that would improve his four-legged patients lives, working collaboratively with conventional treatments and therapies.

McKee went on to pursue various accreditations in holistic veterinary medicine from Chi University in Reddick, Florida, including a masters degree in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, making him one of only approximately 300 people across the country with this certification.

He now incorporates these accreditations and practices into his treatments daily for patients at both Cupola Animal Hospitals locations, including Berry Farms Animal Hospital in Franklin and Concord Road Animal Hospital in Brentwood.

Using both traditional and holistic methods of medicine allows us to provide our patients and their owners with the best of both worlds, McKee said. Western medicine is great, we love it and need it, but its more of a one-size-fits-all method. You tend to treat the problem and not the patient. With an integrated approach, Chinese methods and holistic practices allow us to individualize therapy so that we treat the underlying issue that led to the problem at hand, often with fewer side effects.

McKee and his fellow certified veterinary acupuncturist at Cupola, Dr. Ben Larson, are among just a handful of veterinarians in the Middle Tennessee area qualified to use acupuncture, and they utilize it as a treatment option regularly. Both clinics offer three types of acupuncture, which has been shown to initiate healing and decrease pain to improve a patients quality of life.

The clinics also offer chiropractic care, food therapy, massage therapy, herbal medicine, stem cell therapy, and ozone (O3) therapy in addition to acupuncture, treatment options the doctors recommend for a number of animal patients.

Any patient, regardless of age or medical issue, can benefit from these integrated therapies, McKee said. You can utilize them one time for a particular situation, or monthly, or however often you need to. Theres a great deal of flexibility with offering multiple modalities of therapy, and weve found that using them can decrease the need for expensive or risky surgeries. We have witnessed countless success stories with our patients that demonstrate these treatment options are effective and reliable.

Berry Farms Animal Hospital recently celebrated its fourth anniversary in March, and Concord Road celebrated its second anniversary last month. To learn more about the clinics or to make an appointment, visit CupolaAnimalHospitals.com.

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Local veterinary clinics offer integrated care options for pets - williamsonherald.com