Herbal Medicine for Veterinarians with Laurie Dohmen

Have you ever heard about herbal medicine in vet school?

75% of our drugs come from herbs, but the practice of alternative medicine in the veterinary field isn’t something that is usually taught to aspiring veterinarians.

There’s a reason why the herbs are there. Lucky you, someone out there is ready to bring the modality of herbal medicine to you!

Check out today’s Vett Method episode where we interview Laurie, a doctor who has been all-in in providing herbal education for veterinarians since 2013.

 

Laurie Dohmen graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997 and has received training in a variety of holistic modalities, especially Herbal Medicine. She holds a Masters's degree in Therapeutic Herbalism and is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild.

In this episode, Laurie unravels the beauty of alternative medicine in vet med, specifically focusing on the wonders herbalism can make. Here, she mentions how great of a niche it is for veterinarians to practice herbal medicine nowadays, and shares valuable resources where you can dive deeper into the world of herbs.

 

What you will learn from this episode:

• Recognize how herbs are as important as any other medicine out there;
• Discover how an open mind towards alternative medicine does wonders in the veterinary med; and
• Find out why going into the practice of herbalism is a great niche for you as a veterinarian

 

“Keep an open mind and understand that science comes in many forms.” – Laurie Dohmen

 

Topics Covered:

02:40 – Newbie Laurie’s Wish: “That all these modalities were out there.”    

04:15 – Laurie’s Magic Wand for Vet Med: “Just the exposure.”

06:16 – Laurie’s Magic Wand for Learning: “To incorporate more holistic and more chronic healthcare options, and it starts with prevention.”

07:38 – Laurie’s Top Tip: “Keep an open mind and understand that science comes in many forms.”

08:27 – A bad recommendation she’s received: “Either herbs do nothing or they’re dangerous and bad.”

10:31 – Laurie’s Valuable Free Resource: Take a look at Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association and Laurie’s website Purple Moon Herbs & Studies to know more about herbal medicine.

12:07 – The final question: “Why should people go into it [herbal medicine]?”

 

Key Takeaways:

“I think it is starting to change because the world is changing, but it takes a while to trickle to the vet schools; it needs to.” – Laurie Dohmen

“If we had the introduction to all modalities – not just the ones that have become Western medicine – that would be a big boon so people could make educated choices.” – Laurie Dohmen

“The whole picture of looking at the animal more as a whole instead of looking at the disease – which is how we’re taking Western medicine, I think would be the thing I would change.” – Laurie Dohmen

“They [herbs] are medicine. We have to treat them with the same respect as any other medicine.” – Laurie Dohmen

 

People / Resources Mentioned:

•    Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association
•  Purple Moon Herbs & Studies

Ways to Connect with Laurie Dohmen:

• Website:  https://purplemoonherbstudies.com/
• Email: drlaurie@purplemoonherbstudies.com