Home Info: Press Room

The Washington Examiner interviews Dr. Danoff

By Kathleen Miller
The Washington Examiner

Dr. Kim Danoff is a licensed veterinarian who operates The Veterinary Holistic and Rehabilitation Center in Vienna, a nontraditional vet clinic she says is committed to enhancing the physical and psychological well-being of the animals they treat. Danoff is certified in canine rehabilitation, acupuncture and reiki.

How is holistic veterinary care different from your average, run-of-the-mill vet service?

With holistic veterinary medicine, we look at the whole patient, from their diet to their environment to their behavior and clinical science. We try to get to the root of the problem instead of just treating things with clinical science. I believe in both traditional and holistic treatments.

An area where we may differ is vaccinations and the frequency of giving them. I believe determining the frequency and what vaccines to use should be done on an individual basis. Using fewer vaccines can sometimes be a healthier approach and still keep them protected.

How many pets do you have?

I have two dogs, four cats, some birds, two snakes and two lizards.

What kinds of animals do you treat?

We will see most anything that can come through our front door. Dogs, cats, birds guinea pigs, ferrets, bunnies. But our most common patients are definitely dogs and cats.

Tell me about your office's director of hospitality.

Charles is an almost 9-year-old black Lab mix. He was born with a congenital limb deformity and he has been coming to work with me for the past seven years. He sees a lot of my appointments with me—he'll curl up next to the patients in bed.

Pet acupuncture, really? That doesn't scare the animals?

Acupuncture is based on the theory that there is energy or chi that flows through the body and needs to remain flowing freely in order to stay healthy. So (acupuncture) helps rebalance an animal's energy. Most of them don't even react when the needles are being inserted.