Wholistic Paws Veterinary Services

12/17/2024

☯️ Tui-na (pronounced "twee nah") is a manual therapy modality that is one of the four branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and uses Chinese medical theory as the basis for its application and actions. It was first used in the 16th-11th centuries BCE.

Tui-na is most commonly used to treat acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions and is also useful as a preventative medicine therapy because it promotes balance in the body. It can also be used in conjunction with and to enhance acupuncture and herbal treatments.

Our own Dr. Hannah Powell is a Certified Veterinary Tui-na Practitioner (CVTP) and often uses Tui-na in conjunction with and to enhance acupuncture treatments for her patients. 💜

12/16/2024

It's way past Halloween, but this universal message of self-care spans the whole year. 💜 When our days are busier than usual and our routines are off, these are some of the best times to take a moment for yourself. 😌

12/13/2024

We hope your weekend is a 0 on the tail wag happiness chart! 🐶

12/12/2024

"Endorphins" are the body's natural pain killers. 🧠 Released by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in response to pain or stress, this group of peptide hormones both relieves pain and creates a general feeling of well-being. 😎

🤓 FUN FACT! Did you know that endorphins is a shortened version of the term "endogenous morphine"? "Endogenous" because they're produced in our bodies, and morphine refers to the opioid painkiller whose actions they mimic.

Acupuncture is an effective way to trigger the release of these feel-good hormones into the body. Thanks to Kalani and Reyka for thoughtfully demonstrating the effects of post-acupuncture endorphin release. 😌💜

12/11/2024

💜 A Bowl Full of Love 💜

This month, we are collecting pet food donations for the Loudoun Pet Pantry! 🐶🐱 The Loudoun Pet Pantry is a partnership between The Humane Society of Loudoun County, Loudoun County Animal Services and Loudoun Hunger Relief. Its mission is to help keep pets in loving homes by providing food supplies for families in need.

The Loudoun Pet Pantry accepts all brands of unopened, unexpired, nonprescription cat and dog food.

🌟 Please drop off your donations to Wholistic Paws before December 24 so that we can bring them to the pantry before Christmas. 🌟

Thank you for helping us help others in our community! 🤩

The Loudoun Pet Pantry provides pet food supplies to families in need. Donation bags include dry food, wet food, and educational flyers.

12/10/2024

When you visit the Wholistic Paws Companioning Center, you might notice a heart painted on the trunk of the beautiful tree mural in our waiting area. 🌳

"Who are Jim, Amadeus, and Grace?" people often ask.

These three beautiful souls represent the cornerstones behind Wholistic Paws:

❤️ Jim is Dr. Erwin's dad. He was always her biggest fan and most ardent supporter for any venture throughout her whole life. His final lesson to his daughter has played a pivotal role in her desire to help coach and counsel her families as their pets move through the end of life and beyond to the great transition. It is the goal of Wholistic Paws that families be empowered so that the last stages of their pet's life are comfortable, loving, and dignified.

🧡 Amadeus was Dr. Erwin's roommate, companion, and best friend for 15.5 years until he passed away in 2010. He was an eater of homework, a chaser of tails, and endless fetcher of tennis balls. He helped Dr. Erwin through every major life change that she has experienced in her adult life and he was Jeremy's first dog. He taught Dr. Erwin the powers of acupuncture, how to look at pain management from many angles, and the importance of physical therapy in maintaining normal activities of daily living. He made her a better doctor and a more compassionate care giver. He taught her to look at each patient and each ailment from different perspectives to continuously come up with new ideas to make things easier and better for them.

💛 Dr. Erwin first met Grace during her last year at Longwood College. This special kitty quickly stole Dr. Erwin and Jeremy's hearts and became an amazing companion for 9 years. Grace gave Dr. Erwin the challenge of seeking novel pain management approaches so she could be comfortable, alternative herbal therapies as the cancers she developed couldn't be treated with conventional medicine, and mobility solutions as one of the tumors caused Grace to be paralyzed in her rear leg.

You can read more (and see photos) about how these three inspired Dr. Erwin to create what is now Wholistic Paws on our website: https://www.wholisticpawsvet.com/about_us_history.html 💜

12/09/2024

💜 Look for the beauty and magic in the every day... the curl of your pup's eyelashes, the gentle purr of your kitty's contentment, the remarkable shade of orange on the leaves still clinging to their branches... 🍁 What did you see today?

12/09/2024

It’s time for our December service project so we can be stewards of love in our community! Won’t you help us in supporting the Loudoun Pet Pantry? We are collecting at the center and will deliver food and supplies after the new year. Please feel free to bring any donations in with your appointments or to drop off directly to the Pet Pantry!!! Thank you! Let’s all go be love and make the world shine bright!

This program helps pets stay in their homes by providing food supplies for families in need.

12/06/2024

The purrfect kind of book club! 🐱📖

12/05/2024

💗 We love Duke and his humans so very much! 💗

"It’s hard to put into words what an incredible veterinarian Dr. Erwin is, and I’m not sure any google review will do her or the team at Wholistic Paws justice for the incredible services they have provided to me and my fur babies. Specifically Duke, who was diagnosed with NCL in 2020. The neurologist estimated I had about 3-6 months left, with no available forms of treatment to prevent his condition from progressing.

I was pointed in the direction of Dr. Erwin as one of the only people with experience and success in managing a condition like this. This woman does god's work, and I don’t say that lightly. Three years later, Duke is still a happy, smiley boy wagging his tail AND standing on his own feet.

Jeremy and Dr. Erwin have become a part of our pack -- I have never seen a dog so excited to go to a regular vet appointment. He squeals with delight when he sees them open the door to the office and runs to them. Now the neurologists are taking note of what Dr. Erwin is doing to be able to use it for reference with other patients that have Duke's condition because we are in uncharted waters and that alone is remarkable.

If you have a beloved pet with any form of need, this is the place to take them. If they don’t have the answers, they will figure them out or point you in the right direction. This team of vets has change my life, my pets' lives, and has given me the priceless gift of more time with a cherished loved one. Something I’ll never be able to repay them or thank them enough for, so I’ll share it with the world." 💜

12/04/2024

🌞 On this "WELLNESS WEDNESDAY," we're shining a light on massage therapy for animals! 🌞

We take animal bodywork, like massage therapy, very seriously. Rather than being a luxury service for pampered pets, massage therapy is an important part of a pet's ongoing health and well-being. 🐶🐱

Just a few of the many benefits of massage therapy for animals include:

❤️ STRESS RELIEF: Massage therapy helps to lower a pet's anxiety and stress levels, which can be beneficial for those who suffer from nervousness or separation anxiety.

🧡 PAIN RELIEF: Massage stimulates the release of endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers. This can be especially important for aging pets or those with chronic pain conditions.

💚 IMPROVED CIRCULATION: Massage stimulates blood flow and improve circulation, which promotes healing and the delivery of nutrients throughout the body.

💙 ENHANCED FLEXIBILITY & MOBILITY: Massaging the muscles and joints improves flexibility and range of motion, which is beneficial for pets that are recovering from an injury or dealing with arthritis or other orthopedic conditions.

💜 STRENGTHENS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM: Massage therapy boosts a pet's immune system by stimulating the lymphatic system and removing metabolic wastes from the body.

Massage therapy is an important way to improve an animal's physical and emotional well-being, and it’s a beneficial addition to a comprehensive health care plan.

📣 Give us a call if you'd like to explore wellness massage for your furry friends! ☎️

12/03/2024

🎉 Huzzah! We are so happy to announce that our own Dr. Hannah Powell has earned her certification in Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapy! 🎉

❓ What is veterinary spinal manipulation therapy (VSMT)?

VSMT is the same thing we call chiropractic in humans. VSMT is performing an adjustment to a specific joint in the body to improve joint motion, increase blood circulation to the area, stimulate the nervous system, and decrease pain. While most of the time we think about just doing adjustments on the patient’s back, VSMT can be done with any joint in the body. Most of the time adjustments should not be painful, so our pets may not even know that they got adjusted.

❓ When can we use VSMT?

Spinal manipulation can be used for a wide variety of conditions, from musculoskeletal to neurologic. It can be used post-injury to aid in recovery and can also be used as a tool to evaluate for subtle changes in the body before they become bigger problems. VSMT would not be recommended for fractures, surgical sites, or areas with excessive motion.

❓ What training is involved?

Dr. Powell completed her certification for VSMT with the Healing Oasis in Wisconsin this past fall with 226 hours of supervised education and over 85 hours of hands-on practice. 🤩

We’re excited to start offering this service! Please contact us to see if VSMT could be right for your pet! 💜

12/02/2024

There's no better present than the present moment. 🎁

11/29/2024

Too soon? ☃️

11/28/2024

🍂 We are thankful for our patients and their families every day! We wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving! 🧡

11/27/2024

Don't forget our year long spirit of giving experiment! There is still time to donate to this amazing cause if you would like to. We know there are many in our communities in need and opportunities and what resonates with each person will vary. We love you all and appreciate any act of love or kindness you can do in your little piece of the world!

11/27/2024

☯️ Yin Tang Acupressure Point for Calm and Focus

Holidays can be stressful for humans and pets, especially with the inevitable change in routines and an influx of guests.

We recommend that you take a moment (or several) throughout the day tomorrow to give yourself and your animals a mini acupressure session designed to help relieve anxiety and stress as well as to promote increased focus. 💜

✨ Yin Tang is an acupressure point located between and just above the eyes on both humans and animals. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and gently stroke this spot with your fingers for a minute to create a sense of calm and ease. You can also gently tap this point or move the skin here in small, slow circles to find the most soothing way to initiate this point's benefits. You and your pets can share a moment of peace together during a day that can often feel like a whirlwind of activity. 🌪

11/26/2024

💜 Hidden Opportunities for Helping Heart Patients 🐾

Many of our patients suffer from arthritis and neurological conditions and it is common to seek out acupuncture, pain management, and body work to support these pets.

But did you know that we have many modalities that can support patients with other conditions such as heart disease? Sadly, clinical heart disease is not curable, but thankfully, it can be very well managed with conventional drugs. But even beyond what is conventionally available, herbs, acupuncture, and massage can help to support a heart patient!

💚Acupuncture can help to regulate arrhythmias, improve blood flow, and ease respiratory symptoms and distress.
💙Herbs and supplements can provide nutrition for the heart
and further help to promote healthy circulation and alleviate signs of distress associated with heart disease.
🧡And Kasey and Sara taught me about how much lymphatic drainage massage can help provide peacefulness and improve quality of life through our dog Prudence!

If your pet has been diagnosed with a heart murmur, please call to see how we can help give them a new leash on life! 🥰