Services Overview

Although the practice is a holistic practice, Dr. Backus DVM has an emphasis on forensics or identifying cause and thus offers information gathering options such as diagnostic blood testing in both traditional labs and holistic medical laboratory services. She has special interest in regional specific diseases such as Valley Fever and tick borne disease and concomitant infections. Dr. Backus DVM maintains her DEA license as well as her APHIS accreditation and can issue health certificates for travel.

A NOTE REGARDING EMERGENCY/URGENT CARE SERVICES: The practice is not set up as an emergency/urgent care center but has the ability to triage and stabilize emergency situations in order to safely transport the animal/patient to the nearest emergency/critical care center. A deposit of $500.00 is required for such emergencies, which covers basic triage and diagnostics to determine extent/degree of urgency and best action plan for your situation.

If you suspect that your pet has been bit by a rattlesnake, we DO have rattler anti-venom and will always treat your pet if we are in the office. Here is a great link for additional helpful information: https://www.facebook.com/share/9xnEwB9zNcqjHuA3/

Treatment services include:

  • minor surgical procedures without gas anesthesia

  • adjuvant free vaccinations, including rabies with concurrent homeopathy to help process the vaccination

  • vaccination titer testing and individualized vaccine assessment

  • Nutrigenomics through Nutriscan, a very sensitive food sensitivity and intolerance saliva test

  • detoxifying baths and other detoxing protocols

  • deworming options, equine fecal egg counts, a global approach

  • equine dental equilibration options and resources, essential for optimal postural balance

  • acupuncture: dry needle and aquapuncture

  • chiropractic focus on postural rehabilitation

  • integrative cancer therapies including neoplasene treatment and IV therapies

  • oxidative medicine using ozone in many applications: prolozone therapy, rectal ozone therapy, IV ozone, aural ozone, topical (bagging), SQ ozonated fluids, ozonated drinking water

  • Biophotonic blood therapy for small and large animals

  • PEMF portable machine for small and large animals, assisi loops for at home PEMF therapy

  • low level laser therapy Q1000 laser

  • light therapy

  • alpha stim unit

  • NAET

  • Bemer Therapy, all 4 leggeds and humans

  • toenail trimming for functional balance, equine barefoot consultation and resources for functional balance for athletes

Our Philosophy

Holistic Veterinary Philosophy

Traditional or conventional medicine is a paradigm where symptoms are evaluated and either a physical substance or a physical, energetic intervention is applied and provides input to the body. The outcome is a targeted change in symptoms that is then called success; the intended goal. The expectation is that the symptoms are alleviated quickly. And is doctor driven. This paradigm is powerful and deeply ingrained in our Western Society culture, thus sometimes also called Western medicine. It has great value in areas such as broad life saving public health issues and in emergency/critical care intervention and surgical intervention. It is a powerful and effective tool.

Holistic medicine can be defined as another paradigm of healing that may also evaluate symptoms, yet has the intent to expand or broaden the evaluation of the body beyond the physical to include the energetic, spiritual, emotional, psychological, and social-economic aspect of the family as well. This expanded view allows for a deeper evaluation of "the problem" with the intent to find and explore the cause(s). The treatment or input is co-creating solutions of health and well being for the animal in sacred relationship to the person(s) the animal has in its life. The outcome is a uniquely created path or journey of well-being or health as defined for that individual. This approach is a different paradigm of healing that can be called holistic veterinary medicine. Holistic medicine has great value in chronic degenerative disease, allergies and cancer. Allergies, cancer and all chronic degenerative disease are influenced by lifepath (style) choices. In fact, the recent "discovery" of epigenetics by Bruce Lipton PHD suggests that more than 50% of the outcome or manifested reality of a being is from nurture not nature! This is such an incredibly exciting discovery and paradigm as it means that health is in your hands and influence! It also means that health, influenced and created by your choices, demands a commitment to creating habits that become lifelong and thus is a journey ever evolving.

Integrative medicine is a blending of both traditional and holistic medicine. This is technically what Dr. Backus's clinic offers. While her passion is functional medicine and finding root cause, she honors the skills and education of her traditional medicine and does offer basic laboratory services, x-rays, minor surgical interventions, sedation, euthanasia, health certificates for travel, microchips and toenail trims. In fact, because Dr. Backus attends so much continuing education, her traditional medicine skills are current and she prides herself in holding a high bar of good medicine. She is an independent and private practice and is FREE to use her knowledge and tools outside of a corporate setting.

What to Expect

The most notable aspect of the clinic experience is the focus on forensics or finding the cause for the health issue.

This is a different experience from traditional medical paradigm; here the inquiry is more broad and involved. It is extremely helpful to have the previous medical history from any prior veterinary appointments, even a summary of an extensive medical record so that this can be reviewed prior to the initial visit. This keeps the appointment time more efficient and prevents redundant testing or information gathering. And this previous information is a valuable place to begin and to continue to build upon. Often the veterinarian releasing this medical information requires the human guardian(s)' permission.

Oxidative medicine is a foundational treatment at the clinic. Ozone is used as a primary or adjunct treatment in almost every case. Dr. Judith Shoemaker DVM is a highly respected colleague and mentor and her business name says it all, "Always Helpful Veterinary Services". Dr. Backus DVM once inquired of Dr. Shoemaker DVM the hypothetical situation if she had one tool to use to facilitate healing in the body what would it be? Dr. Shoemaker DVM said "getting the body relating right with gravity so effective and efficient healing can take place AND ozone. Ozone has saved more lives than any other treatment tool I have used". This is profound, sit up straight and take note information, coming from Judith Shoemaker DVM and deeply inspired my exploration of ozone. I attended Frank Shallenberger's MD ozone therapy course the first chance I got and have never looked back. The general concept for ozone is that it "lights the fire" physiologically getting the mitochondrial factories in the cells working again efficiently. Ozone therapy may be the most versatile, safe and powerful therapy the world has ever known for infectious, vascular, degenerative, and injury related disease. Our bodies and more so the bodies of animals get overwhelmed by the amount of toxic substances coming into them. Each cells' mitochondria function best when utilizing oxygen. It is isn't just the delivery of the oxygen to the cells, more importantly the ability of the cell to efficiently use oxygen is the key. Oxygen deficit is the key to the development and progression of all disease processes as subsequent toxin build up from oxygen deficiency is the cause of all degenerative disease including cancer. Thus expect ozone treatment for your animal when you visit the clinic.

Vet Care

Experience a Journey of Health

In choosing the path of holistic medicine, you are invited to consider experiencing a journey of health by connecting with Dr. Backus DVM as a team. Because of the broad evaluation and unique life path of health, an open, trusting and mutual exchange and respect as a team will be honored. The exploration involves focusing on solutions to address the problem or underlying cause and not just throwing everything at symptoms and hoping for the best. This team synergy can include a primary care doctor as well as a specialist or remain as a primary holistic care approach. This allows the option of pursuing an integrative approach combining western and holistic medicine or solely holistic medicine; always able to blend or go integrative at a future point in time, a fluid path. This fluid journey and team approach relies on great communication, which is facilitated on an ongoing basis to all team members.

At this point in time, Dr. Backus DVM offers services of holistic consultation working with traditional primary care veterinarians as a team or directly with the client/patient. The journey of health is an exploration, gleaning and gaining knowledge that continually expands and evolves as with all things of the universe. Dr. Backus DVM is a 'continuing education junkie' attending seminars and webinars and networking and reading all the time. The hope and intention is for you to benefit from the myriad of information and get excited and empowered to begin and continue your journey of health for your companion animal in your life.

One final note, a holistic approach always involves more time. With the membership, reserved private doctor access option of $5000/month or $2800 for two weeks, your consultation time whether by digital written means or by phone or face to face are still by pre-arranged appointment time and can be a mixture of any of those contact options. The total number of hours per week is 5 hours.