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California Riding Magazine • March, 2010 TJ Holistic: |
TJ Holistic proprietor Terri Van Wambeke has a cranky, bucking horse to thank for her path into holistic veterinary care. As a youngster, “I had a horse that was really bad under saddle,” she relays. “He tried to buck me off every day.” That prompted a visit from holistic veterinary pioneer Kerry Ridgway, who introduced Van Wambeke to acupuncture and chiropractic care for horses. As a teenager, she decided to become a veterinarian and has continually sought out information about holistic and integrative methods that now dominate her practice. Best known as “Dr. Terri,” Van Wambeke serves the greater Sacramento area, including Chico and Stockton, and spends one day per week at two clinics: the Look Ahead Veterinary Hospital in Oroville and the Cherokee Veterinary Hospital in Lodi. This close association with these clinics has now permitted her to expand her practice. In addition to acupuncture and chiropractic, TJ Holistic employs Chinese and herbal medicines and nutrition-based approaches. She treats all manner of equine ailments, from soundness issues to reproductive health. As a lifelong horse owner and active rider, Van Wambeke understands the needs and challenges of the horses she treats and those of their owners. Since leaving a traditional veterinary practice seven years ago to focus on her own holistic oriented approach, the U.C. Davis DVM has been gratified to see growing interest in what were once considered “alternative” therapies. Chiropractic is widely accepted in the equine community, she observes, and acupuncture is catching up. “Often the success of chiropractic opens the doors for acupuncture’s acceptance,” she observes. Both modalities’ acceptance in human healing has transferred over to increasing acceptance in the equine care field. Acupuncture, Van Wambeke notes, is most often requested in cases involving the horse’s musculoskeletal system. Many horse owners are unaware of the modality’s effectiveness with internal issues. “It works on balancing the system as a whole,” she explains. “And that can stimulate the horse’s immune system, affect internal organs, activate uterine contractions or address hormonal and endocrine system imbalances. It’s not just for pain management.” A sporthorse breeder herself, Van Wambeke appreciates acupuncture’s effectiveness in reproductive work. By injecting hormones into specific points on the body, she can use much lower doses. The positive effects are typically the same as those from higher doses, but without the negative side effects, the veterinarian explains. Acupuncture can be of real benefit in the breeding management of sub-fertile mares.
Restoring Natural Function Like all of the treatments in TJ Holistic’s approach, acupuncture helps the horse’s body regain its natural function, which can be compromised by injury, environmental factors, trauma or inherited conditions. Nutrition is one of the most powerful implements in Van Wambeke’s toolkit. “I prefer to give natural substances over drugs whenever I can,” she says. “You can often get equally good results.” The field of orthomolecular medicine uses vitamins and nutraceuticals to address deficiencies. In many cases this route can be a great alternative to joint injections, which Van Wambeke turns to only as a last resort. Anti-oxidants, essential fatty acids, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and Vitamins C and E are some of the most effective nutritional and nutraceutical approaches to improving joint function. Van Wambeke is a certified veterinary acupuncturist and veterinary chiropractor. She maintains active membership in the American Association of Equine Practitioners, California Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, International Veterinary Chiropractic Association and the American College of Theriogenology.
She has a limited practice that emphasizes quality care and customer service over quantity, and is now expanding her practice and accepting new clients. A dressage rider with many years of eventing and jumper experience, Van Wambeke finds herself most often treating sport horses in the english disciplines, though she welcomes clients from all walks of life. The economy being what it is, she’s noticed an increase in the number of clients who are interested in keeping their older horses going comfortably. It’s more affordable than starting over with a young horse and also it has become more difficult to find homes for show ring retirees. When she isn’t caring for other people’s and her own horses, or pursuing her goal of getting back into the show ring after a long hiatus, Van Wambeke is engaged in some form of continuing education and is currently working on advanced certification in both Chinese medicine and chiropractic. She is happy to share her building knowledge base with clients and has been pleased to see horse owners expand their own understanding of what keeps their horses happy and healthy. “I think the average horse owner is more cognizant of things like saddle fit, footing, shoeing, etc. I think the sport has come a long way in that regard.”
For more information on TJ Holstic Inc, visit www.entirelyequinevet.com or call Terri Van Wambeke, DVM at 916-718-9872. |
