In this episode, I sit down with one of our incredible vet assistants, Mickie, for a fun and refreshingly candid conversation about what it really looks like to go from total skeptic to full on believer in holistic medicine. When Mickie first joined us as an extern, she didn’t hold back—she was questioning everything from acupuncture to fecal transplants to crystals (especially the unicorn one 😅). But what she experienced behind the scenes changed everything. Mickie opens up about the pet patient that cracked her heart wide open and why she now believes that we’ve been conditioned to trust pharmaceuticals without questioning side effects—while dismissing holistic care that’s been used for thousands of years. This episode is about unlearning what we’ve been taught. About realizing that suppressing symptoms isn’t the same as healing. And about the power of keeping an open mind—because when we do, we just might witness something miraculous. This is a must-listen for any pet parent who’s been curious about  holistic medicine but isn’t sure what to believe.

✨ Why Mickie was completely against holistic medicine at first and what finally changed her mind.

✨ What happened when she watched a dog with Cushings fully heal with microbiome therapy, nanolight therapy, and acupuncture. 

✨ Why she thought acupuncture was nonsense… until she saw it work. 

✨ How we can use a pendulum to figure out where an animal is holding pain is when we can’t pick it up on an exam. 

✨ What conventional vet training gets wrong about healing, and why so many good techs and vets feel stuck in a system that doesn’t fix the root cause. 

✨ The emotional toll of working in veterinary care and how our team culture at Integrative Pet Wellness Centre helps us show up with empathy and presence. 

✨ What pet parents should look for when choosing a veterinary team and why team dynamic matters more than you think. 

✨ Why individualized care will always create greater results than “standard” protocols (even the “gold standard” ones).  

Download any of our free resources: 

Itchy Pet Action Plan 

The Preventative Testing Guide That Can Help Your Pet Live (Almost) Forever

The Step-By-Step Pet Detox Guide 

FOLLOW:

Mickie's IG: @mickiecurtice

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com

Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet

Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet 

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