A holistic veterinarian may draw on much of the same equipment and medication as a conventional animal doctor, but some of the tools reflect the specialty:
A veterinarian who practices acupuncture will carry a range of needles that vary in size, just as the animals do. They can measure as small as three-eighths of an inch in length for cats to 2 inches in length or more for horses. Each needle is packaged in an individual paper wrapper and usually includes a plastic insertion tube.
All vets use their hands in treating animals, but a veterinarian who administers chiropractic adjustments is even more hands-on. Animal chiropractors must learn to work on small cats and dogs as well as larger dogs and horses, which means studying the muscles and bone structure of these animals and learning how to apply the treatment without inflicting harm.