04/13/2026
Ruby and I got a new dog from the pound, a gorgeous gentle giant. We met with the vet associated with the pound, as we had agreed to have him seen within 10 days of adoption. It's my assumption that this vet clinic probably offers the bulk of the services for the dog's at the pound, which is a great marketing strategy, and I also hope this effort is about wanting to give back to dogs and cats in need. Wonderful.
I was a bit conflicted then, because during our two-week trial with Kopper, knowing almost immediately we wanted to keep him, I went ahead and scheduled an appointment with the local veterinarian who pays to be listed on google as a holistic practitioner. I read the bio on her website - acupuncture and herbal medicine, fabulous.
German Shepherds are known for having arthritis, and our sweet Kopper is already showing early signs so I wanted to be sure we had a good plan for him. My preference is not to wait until he can't climb the stairs because we live on the third floor and he's a 100-pound dog.
When we arrived, the vet tech asked if we were there for a standard evaluation and I explained, "Well, we had just had him seen by a vet so he's had that and we got the Lyme vaccine, but I was hoping to connect with a holistic vet and establish a relationship." She reassured us that Dr. Hill was very holistic and I would really enjoy her. Lovely.
Just a few moments later, we were greeted by the doctor and she immediately states, as she grasped her proverbial pearls, "I am not a holistic doctor!" I was a bit confused because she was clearly offended by this suggestion.
In my mind, having the opportunity and heart to practice holistic medicine is a privilege and mark of a good-hearted clinician. Why? Is? She? Offended?
I think I responded, as I tried to collect my thoughts, "Oh, I googled for a holistic vet in Lexington and your clinic came up." She then climbed up on her high horse and said, "yes, we get that request all the time but no where on my website does it say that!"
She then explained she was certified in acupuncture and trained in herbal medicine, but she made very clear, SHE IS NOT HOLISTIC. Again, what? Do you even know what holistic means?
Many thoughts are going through my head here, such as, "so you don't center the care around the animal" and "why does it offend you that I thought you might have a wellness approach or that you might want to provide compassionate healing options for any chronic care issues beyond standard, conventional therapies?"
I was really baffled and a bit speechless for a moment, so she goes on to explain - repeatedly - that she is a "big fan of conventional medicine."
Hoping to reassure her I said, "holistic care and Western medicine are not oppositional of each other."
I didn't get it right, and that upset her even more. She then over-talked me, reiterating again and again that she has high regard for Western medicine.
I waited and then when I thought I had a moment, I asked her what she thought holistic medicine was because I thought we probably are in alignment - trying to right this wrecked train, but she then says, "I think every time someone comes in here asking for holistic medicine they are..." in an incredibly condescending tone... so I just stood up and thanked her for her time, that we were not in need of her services.
It didn't matter at this point.
Even if our integrative approaches were similar, she was right - she was not holistic. A holistic practitioner listens to her patient. They have a curiosity about understanding what their patient's needs are, not just diagnosing pathology. And this woman did not give one iota about what I desired.
She was shocked that I was leaving which is even more peculiar to me. Did she really think she could just berate me based on her own assumptions and I would just be agreeable to paying her $300 for that experience?
I responded, "I don't know that we aren't aligned in our approach to care. I am a holistic human doctor, but I don't feel like there was ever any effort to understand me. You over talked me the entire time. I was never heard."
I too have a great deal of respect for conventional medicine... I spent $180K investing in that knowledge for my own educational efforts, and I utilize it daily in my healthcare practice. Western medicine absolutely has its place and its an honor to have a license to practice.
I have also added substantially more education during my career in integrative health approaches, so I view this as going above and beyond. How that is an insult is beyond my comprehension, but, what saddens me, is that while I suspect we really were very much aligned in our approach to pathology, even optimizing wellness, but her pride and inexperience causes her to sit in her ego.
So ultimately, she was right.
She is not a holistic practitioner and not because she values Western medicine, but because she doesn't value her patient.