misunderstanding. Many times the therapy was appropriate but the expectations of either the practitioner or the client were not realistic. One last cautionary comment about finding a practitioner qualified to work on your dog: Each state regulates who is allowed to work on animals and most non-veterinary practitioners must work under the supervision (not necessarily directly) or guidance of a veterinarian. The laws vary from state to state and if there is any question please contact your state’s veterinary board. There are many additional alternative modalities that have not been mentioned here. The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association lists veterinary practitioners and also details which therapies they use. Your regular veterinarian can also be a potential source of information regarding alternative therapies. Often they know of a colleague who uses alternative therapies or have heard of good practitioners through another client. The resources are out there; sometimes it requires a little networking to find a practitioner that can meet your and your dog’s needs. Alternative medicine offers the canine athlete some interesting and exciting possibilities for maximizing health and performance. It is important to stress that there is not any one methodology that works for all patients and each practitioner has a different set of skills. Remember that each of our dogs is an individual and needs to be looked at from a unique perspective. We can help our companions achieve their full potential by using alternative therapies along with Western medicine. Bodies have amazing potential to heal and by using many tools together you can achieve the results you want and keep your dogs running. Resources for finding a Certified Practitioner American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association www.ahvma.org American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture www.aava.org International Veterinary Acupuncture Society www.ivas.org American Veterinary Chiropractic Association www.animalchiropractic.org Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy www.theavh.org Veterinary Botanical Medical Association (herbal medicine) www.vbma.org Certified Canine Rehabilitation practitioners (University of Tennessee) www.canineequinerehab.com Certified Canine Rehabilitation practitioners (Canine Rehabilitation Institute) www.caninerehabinstitute.com D Julie A. Roos, DVM, is an integrative veterinarian who believes in using medicine from Eastern and Western traditions and is currently practicing in Brimfield and South Hadley, Massachusetts. Dr. Roos has practiced acupuncture, chiropractic, and herbal medicine for the last five years and has begun to practice sports medicine. She lives with two dogs that have the heart but lack the body to support agility activity, and with her fabulous husband as well. Contact her at jardvm@yahoo.com. March 08 | Clean Run 45http://www.ahvma.org http://www.aava.org http://www.ivas.org http://www.animalchiropractic.org http://www.theavh.org http://www.vbma.org http://www.canineequinerehab.com http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com http://www.flatcreekstudios.com