Career Advice on How to Become A Holistic Vet Despite what you might be thinking, a holistic vet does not try to heal your sick animal by chanting and waving around a stick of incense.  Holistic veterinarians are veterinarians that also use approaches that are considered to be unorthodox by some in the medical community, such as acupuncture and chiropractic techniques.  It should be pointed out that some major medical establishments, such as the Mayo Clinic, have recognized the medical benefits of acupuncture.

Career Facts:

Those who are in the process of a job search or a career planning should realize that becoming a holistic veterinarian does involve a great deal of education.  A veterinarian must graduate with a four-year degree in veterinary medicine and earn the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.  

Not surprisingly, the course work requires a wide array of knowledge in animal biology, organic, inorganic chemistry and many of the other core classes that a doctor of medicine would also take.  Additional holistic veterinarians use other techniques such as acupuncture and massage therapy.  Yes, you could end up using acupuncture on a horse as a holistic vet!

Career Opportunities and Job Outlook-Excellent:

If you are going through career planning and potential training to be a vet, how do future career opportunities look? The job growth in the field is expected to be quite good, with a growth of thirty-five percent by 2016.

A Day in The Life:

Many days for a holistic veterinarian begin much like they would for any veterinarians.  They are likely to see a long line of sad looking and sick animals waiting in their office.  Unlike your “normal” vet, a holistic vet is more likely to give your pet a nice rub down, and perhaps realign its spine before a quick acupuncture session.  This may seem like a very foreign approach, but many humans attest to the effectiveness of all of these different time honored approaches.  

Some holistic vets will end their days in bars screaming at people that they could never understand how hard it is to give a two thousand pound bull a spinal adjustment.  Then, of course, there is the obligatory chanting and waiving around incense.

Average Salary:

The average veterinarian does not make chicken feed.  In 2006, the average vet earned about $72,000, with the highest ten percent seeing earnings as much as $133,000.

$72k – $133k

Career Training and Qualifications:

Veterinarians must earn four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.  Holistic vets must, of course, receive training in other alternative therapies as well.