Ask A Vet – Live Q&A 02/26/26

This monthly Q&A webinar, hosted by Holistic Actions, focused on answering community members’ pet health questions through the lens of holistic and integrative veterinary medicine. Presenters Dr. Christina Chambreau (a former homeopathic veterinarian now practicing pet health advising) and Dr. Jeff guided participants through case-by-case discussions covering cat kidney disease, canine digestive issues, skin conditions, behavioral problems, mobility challenges, and the fundamentals of homeopathic prescribing. The session was framed around the book Path to Pet Wellness and the Holistic Actions community platform.

Key Takeaways

Treat the Whole Animal, Not Just the Symptom Holistic medicine aims to rebalance the entire vital force rather than suppress individual symptoms. Homeopathic prescribing is based on the totality of symptoms — from birth onward — not on isolated diagnoses. Suppressing symptoms forces the body to continually recreate them, depleting mitochondrial energy over time and increasing susceptibility to more serious disease.

Skin Symptoms Are Protective — Not a Crisis When the body’s vital force is imbalanced, it channels symptoms to the least critical organ system possible. Skin symptoms (itching, hot spots) are far preferable to the same imbalance manifesting in the liver, heart, or kidneys. Reframing skin issues this way reduces caregiver anxiety and redirects focus toward root-cause treatment.

BEAM Is Your First Assessment Tool Before any treatment decision, assess Behavior, Energy, Appetite, and Mood (BEAM). A dog with diarrhea who still runs eagerly outside and begs for food is in a very different state than one who is lethargic and disinterested. BEAM provides the essential baseline for judging whether symptoms are worsening or improving.

Food Variety Prevents Sensitivity and Intolerance Feeding a single protein or brand long-term creates dependency and sensitivity. Rotating proteins and brands — even in small amounts — trains the GI tract to tolerate variety. If a pet requires slow food transitions or develops symptoms whenever food changes, this signals an underlying internal imbalance that needs holistic correction, not just dietary management.

One Health Medicine = Energetic Hygiene The upcoming One Health Medicine month will cover how to conserve cellular and mitochondrial energy in pets, people, and the environment. Treatments that work with the body’s natural rhythms — rather than suppressing symptoms — preserve vitality. Love, play, and joyful engagement are legitimate and powerful therapeutic tools.

Finding the Right Holistic Vet Is Essential Google searching alone is ineffective. Use holisticactions.com/select to locate holistic, homeopathic, and integrative veterinarians locally or virtually — including international resources for UK and European members. Virtual homeopathic vets are available worldwide. Having a holistic partner before a crisis arises is critical.


Main Topics Covered

  • Finding and selecting a holistic or homeopathic veterinarian (local and virtual)
  • Foundations of homeopathic prescribing: vital force, totality of symptoms, suppression vs. cure
  • Feline kidney disease (CKD): fresh food, protein/phosphorus guidance, sub-Q fluid preparation
  • Canine diarrhea and GI sensitivity: BEAM assessment, marshmallow root, fermented broths, food rotation
  • Respiratory issues in dogs: negative ion generators, snuffle mats, nebulizers, essential oils
  • Skin conditions as protective symptoms: reframing itching and hot spots holistically
  • Behavioral issues: Tellington TTouch, Five Element Theory, clicker training
  • Canine mobility and fitness: Lori McCauley YouTube exercises, hillside walking, incremental training
  • One Health Medicine: energetic hygiene, mitochondrial energy, upcoming webinar series

Next Steps for Attendees

Immediate Actions

  • Read holisticactions.com/select in full to find your holistic vet — do this now, before a crisis
  • Assess your pet’s BEAM (Behavior, Energy, Appetite, Mood) as your baseline monitoring tool
  • Begin rotating food proteins and brands to prevent GI sensitivities from developing
  • Practice picking up loose skin on your cat’s neck and rewarding — preparation for potential sub-Q fluids
  • Save the webinar chat for all links shared during the session (three-dot menu → Save)

Further Learning

  • Take the free Holistic Pet Care course at holisticactions.com (members and non-members)
  • Read Path to Pet Wellness by Dr. Jeff — leave an Amazon review to support the movement
  • Explore homeopathy courses in the Holistic Actions member library (intro + intermediate levels)
  • Check out Herbs for Pets by Greg Tilford for herbal guidance
  • Search YouTube for Lori McCauley (canine mobility exercises)
  • Visit ttouch.com for Tellington TTouch courses on behavioral support
  • Look up Elizabeth Ann Johnson’s book on Five Element Theory and dog behavior

Special Considerations

  • UK/international attendees: holisticactions.com/select includes British and international vet directories
  • For cats with CKD: phosphorus restriction is not necessary with fresh food diets until late-stage disease
  • For animals on chronic supplements: evaluate whether you’re managing symptoms or addressing root imbalance
  • Join the upcoming One Health Medicine webinar series starting Monday (Dr. Jeff + Dr. Liz Shand from New Zealand)

Contact & Resources

Dr. Christina Chambreau Pet health advising; newsletter at christinaborough.com
Dr. Jeff Co-author, Path to Pet Wellness; co-host, Holistic Actions webinars
Holistic Actions holisticactions.com — courses, forum, member library, webinars
Find a Holistic Vet holisticactions.com/select
Free Pet Care Course Available to all at holisticactions.com
Upcoming Webinars One Health Medicine Month — Monday (Dr. Jeff) + Dr. Liz Shand, NZ (Tuesday)
Next Monthly Q&A Last Friday of March

Key Timestamps

Time Topic
00:00:00 Welcome & Book Review Request — Monthly Q&A opens; request for Amazon reviews for Path to Pet Wellness
00:02:00 Finding a Holistic Vet — How to use holisticactions.com/select; why Google alone fails
00:08:00 Homeopathy Basics & Totality of Symptoms — Vital force, prescribing on totality, member courses
00:09:55 Kidney Disease in Cats — Fresh food diet, protein vs. phosphorus, sub-Q prep, laser acupuncture
00:26:45 Diarrhea & Food Sensitivity — BEAM assessment, food rotation, marshmallow root, fermented broths
00:32:37 Skin Problems as Protective Symptoms — Why skin symptoms beat internal organ symptoms
00:46:30 Holistic Actions Learning Platform — Member courses, journals, forum; going beyond single-problem fixes
00:47:00 Behavioral Issues & Tellington TTouch — Demand barking, ttouch.com, Five Element Theory for dogs
00:50:22 Mobility & Canine Fitness — Lori McCauley YouTube exercises, hillside walking, love/play as medicine
00:54:55 One Health Medicine Month Preview — Energetic hygiene, mitochondrial energy, upcoming webinar series

Embrace a whole-istic mindset based on vitality, balance, and your pet’s individuality

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Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare.

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

Dr. Jeff

Jeffrey Feinman, BA, VMD, CVH, graduated in 1985 from the University of Pennsylvania and was Penn’s first veterinary dual-degree University Scholar, holding both molecular biology and veterinary degrees. He is the founder of HolisticActions.com and dedicated to pet parent empowerment.

Dr. Jeff is devoted to researching about how to harness the innate power of the individual using Vitality and Balance. He and his wonderful wife Amy live with Archie, a rescue pup, and a Rex cat named Tigger.

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