Holistic & Alternative Medicine in Denver CO

Holistic and alternative veterinary medicine covers care that sits outside a standard exam-and-prescription visit: acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, herbal medicine, food therapy, cold laser treatment, and rehab work like hydrotherapy. Denver has 39 practices offering some combination of these, ranging from full integrative hospitals that blend conventional and alternative care under one roof to standalone acupuncture or rehab clinics that work alongside a pet's regular vet.

Most owners come to this category for a specific problem: a senior dog with arthritis who isn't tolerating anti-inflammatories well, a cat with chronic digestive issues, a horse or dog recovering from surgery who needs mobility work, or an animal with a condition that's plateaued under conventional treatment alone. Others want ongoing wellness support, especially for aging pets.

Before booking, check that the practitioner is a licensed veterinarian with additional certification in the specific modality (acupuncture certification through IVAS or Chi Institute, for example, not just a weekend course). Ask whether they coordinate with your regular vet, what a treatment plan looks like session by session, and whether they're honest about what alternative care can and can't fix. A good holistic vet will tell you when a condition needs conventional diagnostics or surgery instead of, or alongside, alternative treatment.

Our ranked guide to Denver veterinarians factors in credentials, communication, and outcomes reported by pet owners, so you can compare holistic providers against each other with some consistency. Details on how we build that ranking are on our methodology page.