The Integrative Veterinarian

Dr. Ashley Rossman was raised in Northbrook, Illinois and spent many hours at her father's veterinary clinic, Glen Oak Dog and Cat Hospital. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and her veterinary degree from Ross University in 2006, doing her clinical year at the University of Minnesota.

After graduation, she joined the Glen Oak practice. She was certified in Acupuncture by the Chi Institute in 2007 and was mentored extensively by Dr. Ralph Weichselbaum in diagnostic ultrasound. She has also spent time at the Royal Treatment Veterinary Center and TOPS Veterinary Rehabilitation.

Please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Ashley Rossman as we discuss growing up in the family veterinary practice, attending Ross University, the benefits of mentoring, and her experience representing the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association in the American Veterinary Medical Association's House of Delegates.

Dr. Rob Silver was raised in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. He attended Columbia University and earned a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science, a Master's Degree in Cardiopulmonary Physiology, and his DVM from Colorado State University. After graduation, he worked as a relief veterinarian in the Denver, Colorado area and taught in a veterinary technician program as well.

After relocating to Colorado Springs, Colorado to work in an Emergency Practice, he started a House Call practice that evolved into a brick and mortar practice. He started prescribing his patients home cooked diets and herbal medicines. He was certified by IVAS in 1993 and began teaching Chinese Herbal Medicine courses with Jake Fratkin and Dr. Shen Xie. That same year he also relocated to Boulder, Colorado, opening a new practice, Boulder's Natural Animal.

In 1994 Dr. Silver became the Chief Medical Officer for Rx Vitamins, where he formulated 40 products for the veterinary market. He sold his practice in 2013 and the next year launched the Well Pet Dispensary website, which is still in operation. He also served as Chief Veterinary Officer for Folium Biosciences, a vertically integrated Hemp Company.

In 2015 Dr. Silver published the ground-breaking text "Medical Marijuana and Your Pet," which has served as a guide to both veterinarians and animal caretakers alike since it was published.

Dr. Silver has served as a Board Member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and the President of both the Veterinary Botanical Medical Association and the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine. He is also an Adjunct Faculty member at both Lincoln Memorial and Chi University.

Please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Rob Silver as we discuss his introduction to veterinary medicine on a Kibbutz, his early practice years and immersion into holistic medicine, his new position as the Chief Veterinary Officer for Real Mushrooms, and his upcoming course for CIVT.

Dr. Aleid Hillebrand was raised in Amsterdam and decided that she wanted to become a veterinarian at a young age. She attended veterinary college in Belgium and went into small animal practice in England after graduation.

About four years after being in practice, she developed a chronic debilitating illness that was diagnosed as Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. She returned home to the Netherlands and was unable to work for over ten years. In 2012 she was diagnosed with Lyme's Disease and was successfully treated through holistic methods.

After discovering the power of holistic medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine, she took the IVAS acupuncture course in 2016 and was trained as a human acupuncturist in 2017. She has extensive training in other areas of acupuncture, including food therapy, Dr. Tan's Balance Method, scalp acupuncture, and ear acupuncture. She is currently a self-employed acupuncturist, treating both human and animal patients.

Please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Aleid Hillebrand as we discuss her schooling, the demands of private small animal practice, her illness and recovery, and her journey into holistic medicine.

Dr. Katja Görts knew from age 4 that she wanted to be a Veterinarian. After a brief career in business, she earned her veterinary degree from the University of Hanover in 1999. After graduation, she worked in the Pharmaceutical industry for 10 years before starting her own holistic practice. Her practice is currently 80% equine and 20% small animal.

She got her Chiropractic training through the BackBone Academy, her Acupuncture training from GerVAS, and Craniosacral Training through the Upledger Institute. She mentored with Dr. Bruce Ferguson for a month as well. She has also studied Kinesiology, Chinese Herbal Medicine, and Neurophysiologic Acupuncture.

Dr. Görts has served as President of GerVAS and IVAS, as a Board Member for IVAS as well as an IVAS House of Delegates Representative.

Please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Katja Görts as we discuss her early interest in veterinary medicine, her time in the pharmaceutical industry, her pivot to holistic practice, and her special interest in Hirudotherapy.

Dr. Clare Middle was born in England, and raised in both England and Australia. She earned her veterinary degree as a member of the first class to graduate from Murdock University in 1979.

She entered private practice and took a basic short course in veterinary acupuncture in 1981. After working with natural solutions to help her own children with their health issues, Dr. Middle earned a Professional Diploma in Homeopathy and her certification in Acupuncture from IVAS in the early 1990's. She also was trained in Animal Chiropractic by Dr. Sharon Willoughby.

She worked at, then purchased, the East Fremantle Veterinary Clinic, an Integrative Practice that offered allopathic medicine in conjunction with homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, flower essences, reiki, Bowen therapy, and kinesiology from a variety of practitioners including veterinarians and veterinary nurses, craniosacral therapists, chiropractors, and spiritual healers.

Seeking to restrict her practice to holistic medicine, Dr. Middle sold the practice in 2004 and began to work in a private consultation room, which continues to this day. In 2019 she moved to Balingup, Western Australia and continued to practice in a private consultation room, both in-person and via telemedicine.

Dr. Middle was the Founding President of the Australian Association of Holistic Veterinarians, which has since become the Integrative Veterinarians of Australia. She has also published three books on natural diets for pets.

Please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Clare Middle as we talk about her childhood interest in veterinary medicine, what it was like to be in the inaugural veterinary class at Murdock, her journey in holistic veterinary medicine, and where she sees her career after over forty years in practice.

Dr. Joyce Harman was raised in the Washington, DC area. She started riding horses at a young age and this fueled her interest in veterinary medicine.

She got her veterinary degree as a member of the first class at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984. After graduation, she held positions studying equine exercise physiology in both England and Ireland. She returned to the United States to work in private equine practice in New Jersey before starting her own practice, Harmany Equine, in Virginia in 1990.

She is certified in Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and Advanced Homeopathy. She incorporated these modalities into her equine practice while adding computerized saddle fitting services. She soon limited her practice to holistic therapies and also has written and lectured extensively for over thirty years.

Dr. Harman was involved in the Therapeutic Options Committee for the American Association of Equine Practitioners and was part of the Alternative Medicine Task Force for the American Veterinary Medical Association, helping to write guidelines for the practice of Alternative Veterinary Medicine in the United States.

Please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Joyce Harman as we discuss her childhood, veterinary education, interest in equine performance science, and the transition into the next phase of her long and distinguished career.

Dr. Bill Ormston grew up in Marshalltown Iowa. He got his BS in Animal Science from Iowa State University in 1982 and his DVM from Iowa State University in 1988. After some time working in mixed animal practice, he purchased a practice in Climax Springs Missouri.

Seeking care solutions for an autistic son led Bill to investigate alternative health modalities. He was certified by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association in 1998 and earned a Doctorate in Veterinary Homeopathy from the British Institute of Homeopathy in 2003.

Dr. Ormston was a founder of the Animal Chiropractic training program at Parker Chiropractic College in Texas, where he served as an Instructor from 2001 to 2013. In 2013, he and Dr. Amy Hayek founded the Animal Chiropractic Education Source, pioneering the combination of online and in person animal chiropractic training and continuing education.

Bill has written over 100 articles for publication and a number of books in the areas of nutrition and chiropractic. He is also a prolific speaker, lecturing both nationally and internationally on the benefits of Chiropractic.

Please enjoy this wide ranging conversation with Dr. Bill Ormston as we discuss his childhood showing cattle, his early years in veterinary medicine, his training in Chiropractic, and why Chiropractic medicine is the key to health.

Dr. Amy Watson knew from six years of age that she wanted to be a Veterinarian. She got her Veterinary Degree with advanced study in Pathology from the University of Cambridge in 2005.

After graduation, she joined a large group veterinary practice for eight years, before doing locum small animal work for an additional three years. In 2016 she founded her practice, Pinpoint Veterinary Care.

She started her holistic education with the Acupuncture course from the Association of British Veterinary Acupuncturists in 2013. In that course she met Dr. Linda Boggie and was inspired to complete IVAS training in 2017. Dr. Watson is also certified in rehabilitation from CRI. She is currently finishing her Advanced Certification program in Chinese Herbal Medicine from CIVT.

She is also a two time nominee for Pet Plan's Veterinarian of of the Year.

Please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Amy Watson as we discuss her childhood Guinea Pigs, her veterinary education, starting practice, and the events that led her to founding her own practice.

Veterinarian Dr. Shelley Epstein is a 1985 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She started practicing at Wilmington Animal Hospital, and has since become its sole owner. In 1997, Dr. Epstein became certified in veterinary homeopathy by the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy. She has studied chiropractic as well, and her practice incorporates many CAVM modalities alongside conventional medicine and surgery.

Dr. Epstein is a 1985 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She immediately started practicing at Wilmington Animal Hospital where she introduced CAVM modalities to the practice. She became the owner in 1994, and sold the business in early 2016. She loves the practice and is still working there, filling in her newly-discovered free time with work at local animal shelters. Dr. Epstein became certified in veterinary homeopathy by the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy in 1997. She has studied with Dr. Richard Pitcairn, Lou Klein, and Dr. Prafull Vijakar, among others. After going through the process of having a homeopathy case report published in JAAHA, Dr. Epstein became dedicated to furthering the publication of papers in homeopathy and all CAVM modalities. She serves on the editorial committee for the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association where she does reviewing and copy editing. She has also reviewed for the journal Homeopathy of the British Faculty of Homeopathy. Dr. Epstein is past-president of the AVH and a current Board member. In her free time she enjoys cycling as far as her legs will take her.

Dr. Susan Andresier was raised in the United Kingdom. Her love for animals was strengthened during periodic trips to a relative's farm in Ireland when she was growing up. She got her veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College in 2002 and worked in traditional small animal practice for the next ten years.

She became curious about holistic therapies as a result of being frustrated with clinical outcomes using conventional medicine in her patients. She became certified in Acupuncture and opened her own holistic practice, Acupaws, in 2012. She treats her patients using Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, and Homeopathy.

She is also active in the British Association of Veterinary Herbalists and the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons.

Please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Susan Andresier as we discuss her education, her time in conventional small animal practice, beginning her own holistic practice, and her involvement in organized veterinary medicine.