The diagrams on Dr. Robert Ferrans clinic walls meticulously map out acupuncture points on the body: CV 14, GV 4, GB 30.
"I studied human acupuncture about 12 years ago," Ferran said.
The diagrams on the Brooklyn, N.Y., natives walls do not outline human anatomy though, but rather that of the canine. And although the veterinarian studied human acupuncture, using the practice on animals, along with other alternative and conventional modalities, has become his lifes passion.
"I went into this program because sometimes in conventional medicine we dont have all the answers," said Ferran. "Being a holistic vet we are able to choose from two sides, the conventional and the complementary alternative side."
After graduating from veterinary school in 1983, Ferran practiced in New York before leaving for Florida in 1989 with his family. But it was conventional medicine that he began with while in Miami rather than alternative.
As director and chief practitioner of the Miami Beach Animal Hospital for nine years, Ferran was able to practice conventional veterinary knowledge that he still applies today at his holistic practice.
Ferran now calls the Ludlum-Dixie Animal Clinic home. For the past 11 years, Ferran has been offering a unique breed of veterinary service to pet parents across the city, the state and even from other countries.
Besides graduating from human acupuncture school with an emphasis on acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine and herbology, Ferran is a certified veterinary acupuncturist through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.
Ferran weds ancient eastern practices with modern western medicine to create a distinctive approach to veterinary medicine. "Everything is not about antibiotics. Everything is not about surgery," said Ferran. "There are a lot more natural therapies for a lot of things."
You might say that Ferran has a tie to the natural world unlike others. His mother, who is of Aztec Indian decent, exposed him to the natural world and its remedies. And maybe theres something to it. His grandfather passed away at the ripe old age of 107. His aunt, Santana, recently passed at 101 years old.
Despite his lifelong partnership with the natural world, Ferran stresses his strong relationship with conventional medicine.
"I give clients all the options and tell them what the conventional treatment is for this problem and what an alternative treatment is. And then we decide mutually what is best for them based on everything that we see clinically," said Ferran.
Sometimes Ferran will even throw alternative medicine right out the door. "Sometimes alternative medicine is not in their best interest," Ferran said. "If a pet comes to me that needs surgery I am not going to recommend homeopathy for him, I am going to recommend surgery."
Of his 3,000 patients, about 75 percent are dogs and 25 percent are cats. Common ailments that he sees are arthritis, degenerate joint disease, immune-mediated disease, skin disease, paralysis and hip dysplasia in larger dogs.
"Today its not just about drugs or surgery and people are seeing that," Ferran said. He even cites todays freer flow of information, through such venues as the internet, for a greater understanding among pet parents of alternative methods of veterinary care.
This is the reason that his clinic is beginning to see a lot of puppies from those who want to raise them in a more natural way from the beginning and in hopes that they will have a healthier dog when it is older.
On the flip side, Ferran sees older pets as well. "I have a lot of pets that come here that are 18, 19, 20," said Ferran. "These pets are older and we have them on natural medicines as opposed to things that may have side effects."
He does clarify though that some natural remedies will have side effects too. For that reason, they need to be given by someone who is well versed.
Despite his enthusiasm for alternative methods, Ferran warns of common misconceptions about his line of work. When he first opened his clinic he met some unexpected obstacles from the public.
"When I first came to this site the lettering on the window said holistic veterinary medicine, acupuncture, herbal medicine and herbology," said Ferran. "It was kind of interesting because after a few months I had to take all that off because I was having people come in here thinking I was just going to wave my hand over the dog and heal them."
Ferran is not a witch doctor. "Last time I saw it I dont walk on water. Thats not what we do here," Ferran said.
Rather, Ferrans clinic attempts to treat the mind, body and soul, as the term holistic implies. "Were not treating symptoms here," said Ferran. "We are treating the whole disease."
Getting to the core of the problem is a key element for Ferran. "In conventional medicine I get ten dogs that come in here with diarrhea and I give them all an injection for diarrhea and they go home," said Ferran. "In holistic medicine if I get ten dogs in with diarrhea they are going to be treated differently. A pet can get diarrhea for different reasons and you have to look at all those things."
This comprehensive approach pulses through his entire practice. Its a constant melding of methods. "If a pet has heart disease, during surgery that pet is kind of risky," Ferran said. "In alternative medicine there are other therapies that we can follow than can help to heal them and if not, make them a lot more comfortable."
Ferran also uses acupuncture on pets that are coming out of surgery. Using this method, Ferran said, will help wake them up much faster while using fewer drugs.
Ferrans clinic also takes the time to do their own diagnostic work. "Some people assume that if you are a holistic vet that you do not do a lot of diagnostic workup," said Ferran. "We do our own blood work here. We x-ray here. We definitely believe in diagnostics and believe in getting the whole picture."
Ferran is a detective of sorts, seeing things not only from the front, but from the back and all other sides. "I firmly believe in conventional medicine," said Ferran. "But I am open minded enough to know that there are other ways to do things out there."
Perhaps the most important thing about his clinic though is that he understands his role as a practitioner. "You learn to be very humble about things and who you are," said Ferran of learning alternative veterinary methods. "When you come out of vet school you think you know it all. They bring you animals and you think its this and blah, blah, blah. But as time goes by, what you begin to understand is that there are many things you do not know."
