“No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog (or cat) makes you feel rich.”
Mr. Sabin’s words are eloquent and true. Pets are part of our family and provide unconditional love. Pet ownership comes inherently with responsibilities for the health and well-being of our four legged friends. Navigating a holistic approach to inevitable pet illnesses related to age and diet can make that responsibility all the more daunting.
Healing Paws Center offers alternative holistic therapies for our beloved pets nestled right in central east Broward County.
Healing Paws Center: An Alternative to Traditional Care
Healing Paws Center, located at 854 East Oakland Park Blvd in Ft. Lauderdale, is a 3,500 square foot office that offers a refreshing alternative to traditional veterinarian care. Owner Dr. Jessie Dreyfuss, referred to as “Dr. Jessie” by her clients, spearheaded the center in late 2016 after completing an accelerated 2 ½ year education in pet acupuncture, food therapy, and herbal therapy at the Chi Institute at the University of Florida. Dr. Jessie is a graduate of Duke University in North Carolina for her undergraduate studies and North Carolina State School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also a certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute.
She witnessed her own dog Duke’s liver illness and, unfortunately, the grim prognosis of 6 weeks survival time. She reached out to a colleague who offered Duke a life changing regimen of acupuncture treatments, herbal treatments and laser therapy treatments. Duke’s transformative treatments sparked Dr. Jessie’s passion for holistic pet care.
Treating Cancer and Other Illnesses in an Untraditional Way
Dr. Jessie’s cancer protocol typically consists of acupuncture, food therapy, herbal therapy, and ozone treatments. Traditional veterinary care is, of course vital, but pet owners often seek non-pharmaceutical/natural options for their patients. These therapies can also be combined with Western anti-cancer protocols.
Pets with arthritis may be prescribed a physical therapy regimen in office and at home, pulsed signal therapy for collagen stimulation as well as food and herbal protocols. Basically, Dr. Jessie tailors the treatment plan to the individualized needs of the pet and pet owner.
Mental and Psychological Strains of Pet Owners in Mind
As of 2015, less than 1% of Americans have pet insurance for their animals. Standard AND holistic treatments for our pets come with astronomical medical bills. Dr. Jessie realized in vet school that subsidizing proper care for our pets is a major stopgap and hindrance for positive outcomes for our animals. She wrote her senior assignment on the importance of pet insurance and firmly believes that vet/patient education on the importance of suggesting pet insurance early on in pet ownership is vital. Many of her Youtube Videos center on teaching pet owners about pet insurance.
Dr. Jessie films many videos of her in office treatments so that pet owners can educate themselves on her unconventional modalities. Pre pandemic, pet owners were welcome to stay during physical therapy and acupuncture sessions. Due to the pandemic, pet owners now must do drop off; however Dr. Jessie maintains open curtains, videos her sessions and at home therapy options and posts educational video to social media diligently. Dr. Jessie also works hard on YouTube Videos as well as all social media outlets to spread the word about holistic medicine.
Looking Ahead for the Future
Dr. Jessie’s dream is to spread the word about holistic veterinary medicine to the world. She also hopes to assist at local zoos to share her veterinary expertise in holistic medicine. She possesses a thirst for knowledge and learning that thrives on future practice growth and success.
Dr. Jessie’s integration of traditional and alternative pet health care are truly brilliant and a rare find.
