Testimonials

“After graduating, I spent 5 years in a busy general practice in the heart of Toronto, where I quickly realized that I was seeing a cycle of animals with chronic diseases that were being managed symptomatically with steroids and antibiotics. The treatments would work temporarily and then they would be back a few months later with even more severe symptoms. I knew there had to be more that I could offer my patients and do so in a way that wouldn’t wreak havoc on their microbiome and immune systems. I decided to leave the practice and start my own holistic mobile service. Having taken multiple Western herbal courses, I had a fairly good background on this modality however I had always wanted to learn about Traditional Chinese Medicine. I stumbled upon the Graduate Diploma of Veterinary Acupuncture and I knew right away I had to enrol. The course was amazing and the staff were incredible. I didn’t know it at the time of enrolment but I was pregnant and gave birth midway through the course. The course coordinators and my wonderful teacher Dr Van Tine were incredible at working with me and providing me with the flexibility I needed to stay on track with the material but also allow for time to enjoy my newborn. Graduating from this course has been such a huge accomplishment for me, and I am so excited that I can now offer my patients even more modalities to help them thrive and manage any of their health concerns.”

Dr Paris Asghari

BSc, DVM, CVH, GDVA

Canada

"Having practiced acupuncture for a number of years, I was looking for additional tools to complement my conventional therapies. Although I had a prior knowledge of Chinese medicine, the Grad Dip in Veterinary Chinese Herbal Medicine was very well taught and I increased my knowledge significantly. The course was presented in a very logical manner with relevant applications and gave me confidence to start using Chinese herbs whilst learning. I have found significant improvement in many of my patients using Chinese herbs. I was particularly happy to see improvement in cases where I had already exhausted conventional treatment options. The course importantly gave me an understanding of how to use the herbs safely with the knowledge of what effects to expect and what potential contraindications may exist. Highly recommend this course to anyone looking to expand their skills and treatment effectiveness, regardless of the type of practice you work in." 

Dr Amanda McLune

BSc(hons) BVSc(hons), CVA, CCICR, GDAC, CVNN, GDVCHM

Australia

"I am thoroughly pleased with the 2-year Certification in Small Animal Natural Nutrition course. As someone who thrives on acquiring knowledge, this program greatly expanded my understanding of nutrition and natural support for animals. The well-crafted assignments, although not extensive, ingeniously require utilization of the entire module, enhancing comprehension. The instructors, who are highly skilled veterinarians, provided invaluable insights, their accessibility and prompt response to inquiries is commendable. I was so gratified with the course that I immediately enrolled in a subsequent program! Highly recommended!"

Kelly Cogen

B.Sc Animal Science, Cert.CN, B.Sc Naturopathic Animal Science

France

"Before I took the course offered by CIVT I was “dabbling” with using essential oils, but always concerned about safety. After taking the course I had the confidence to make sprays and salves and discuss using oils with my clients. Lots of well presented, useful information and the discussions were lots of fun! I would highly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in using essential oils."

Dr Charoul Lekx

DVM, CVA, CCHM, CCRT

Canada

"I've recently completed Certificate in Veterinary Natural Nutrition Course. It is my third course that I completed through the CIVT. I can only highly recommend any of the CIVT courses as they are in-depth, highly professional and of scientific backgrounds. There is a lot of friendly, encouraging and professional support from all the mentors and staff of CIVT.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Vet Natural Nutrition Course as it addressed nutrition from different angles, in depth, and was not afraid to touch on and discuss some of the controversies attached to natural feeding and natural diets. I've also kept the membership for the Animal Diet Formulator that we had access to during the course and have already seen many improvements in all sorts of chronic conditions by improving my patients diets.

All the best to anyone who signs up to this course or any other CIVT courses, you will enjoy it."

Dr Martina McPeace

MVDr, BVSc, GDVWHM, GDVA, CVNN

Australia

"Completing the Graduate Diploma in Veterinary Acupuncture through CIVT was a positive experience that has allowed me to evolve as a veterinary practitioner. The expert tutors at CIVT provided comprehensive knowledge and unwavering support throughout the course, making the learning process engaging and inspiring. I am now armed with invaluable skills, I confidently integrate acupuncture into my practice, witnessing remarkable results in my patients' well-being. I would not hesitate to recommend this course to veterinarians looking to provide their patients with a more holistic or integrative medical approach." 

Dr Amy Vascotto

BVSc, GDVA

Australia

"I was inspired to do the course to support my acupuncture practice and help fill a hole where I felt my treatments could be lacking. I thoroughly enjoyed the course. The amount of time estimated was pretty spot on. The lectures are broken into chunks which suited me well. The material is well explained in a way that allowed me to get started using the treatments immediately. The time frame for getting the work done wasn't overwhelming. It was a very positive experience for me."

Dr Ilona Hudson

BVSc, MACVSc, Grad Dip Animal Chiro, CVA

Australia

“I’ve been interested in adding acupuncture and a TCVM approach to my clinical toolbox since graduating. As a solo practitioner and practice owner, the CIVT distance delivered modules provided me with the flexibility I needed to pursue my professional interests while maintaining services for patients. Additionally, as a veterinarian with significant hearing loss, CIVT faculty accommodated my communication needs seamlessly while maintaining standards for assessing my progress and developing skills. All in all, it was a positive experience and provided me with a solid foundation (from both a Western and Eastern perspective) for integrating acupuncture into my every day clinical practice.”

Dr Kimi Ross

DVM, CVA

United States of America

"My love for both animals and plants developed early being part of a local nature conservation group from a young age. Most of my pocket money I earned harvesting herbs, for example Small Flowered Willowherb, Lime Flower, St Johns Wort and Hawthorn.

In Germany licensed herbal remedies are widely used in human and veterinary medicine. They were part of an integrated approach in my first job in mixed practice and to start with I focused on acupuncture and laser therapy. But moving to the United Kingdom hardly any licensed herbal veterinary products were available. For that reason I started training in veterinary herbal medicine in 2012. The course didn’t lead to a formal qualification, and I was glad that CIVT enabled me to get more structure into my herbal knowledge. They really made an effort to assess my pre-existing learning and helped me understand how to fill in existing gaps.

I live and work in rural Herfordshire (UK) and still “harvest” in our garden instead of weeding. The Mistletoe for cardio-vascular used comes from local organic orchards, where removing some Mistletoe is part of their restoration.

Some of the course work has deepened my relationship with the manufactures of the herbal tinctures I use in practice and enhanced my herbal dispensary considerably.

I enjoy that herbalism incorporates so many traditions, but I didn’t have a good understanding what the actual “Western” approach is. My knowledge especially of the non-native herbs has very much improved during the course and they combine very well with my old favourites."

Dr Iris Ege

DVM, MRCVS, CVA, GDVWHM

United Kingdom

"CIVT's Essentials of Veterinary Acupuncture is a perfect taster course for those exploring acupuncture for the first time. The content and tutors were great and I have been able to use what I learnt to treat some common conditions.  It has definitely piqued my interest for further in-depth study in veterinary acupuncture."

Dr Kate Keating

BSc, BVMS

New Zealand

“I have benefited extensively from this course. The course team listens and provides help in an encouraging sensitive manner. The course notes are comprehensive and fully explanative with access to reference sites, there are also lots of interesting videos to break the study cycle. This evidence based approach is in the interests of animal well-being for pet owners and pet professionals. The course includes access to the Animal Diet Formulator program which suggests foods, nutrients and supplements to formulate as a specifically required ideal diet for any dog or cat, at any life stage to heal and maintain good health from a balanced nutritional aspect. This an important course to be done at your own pace the rewards will be lifechanging.”

Jan Collins

B.App.Sc. (Acup), CCHM, TCM, VT (Alternative Therapies)

Australia

As a Certified Veterinary Technician I constantly get asked about nutrition and what's the best food to feed. After completing every mainstream veterinary nutrition course I could find, I realized that all of them were offered by and sponsored by pet food manufacturers and none of them addressed raw and homecooked diets. With an increasing number of clients interested in and already feeding home prepared diets, I scoured the internet for reputable courses and came across CIVT's amazing program. I highly recommend the Natural Animal Nutrition course for anyone interested in a more thorough approach to nutrition. 

Melissa McClelland

CVT, B.S.

United States of America