Philippa Gemmell is one of Australia’s most experienced complementary therapists for companion animals and veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
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Welcome to
Pets and People
Philippa Gemmell is one of Australia’s most experienced complementary therapists for companion animals and veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
She is able to offer a comprehensive treatment and wellness plans and therapies for your companion animal.
Pets and People offer the full range of complementary medicines including:
- Acupuncture, and Chinese herbs,
- Flower remedies
- Reiki and Pranic healing
- Nutritional advice
- Behavioural advice and counselling
- Grief counselling
Pets and People offer the following veterinary services:
- Diagnosis
- Traditional veterinary medicines
- Vaccinations
- Euthanasia
- Home visits
Referral to the appropriate services can be arranged.
Consultations are by appointment only and can be made via my mobile phone during normal business hours. If I am in clinic please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as I am able.
About Philippa-Page
Philippa Gemmell trained as a Veterinarian in New Zealand and has over 30 years experience working extensively in New Zealand, Europe and Australia.
Philippa practises as a Holistic Veterinarian incorporating natural and complementary medicine, pet psychology and behavioural science with conventional veterinary practice. Philippa is also a trained counsellor working in the areas of pet loss and relationship’s of people and pets.
Philippa’s professional and caring approach when working with both people and animals is to offer a holistic comprehensive assessment of your companion’s health and wellbeing including your concerns and situation, so that the optimal outcome can be achieve for everyone.
Modalities used include Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Flower essences, Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, Bodywork, Counselling and Vibrational Healing.
The understanding of pet psychology and the benefits of behavioural therapy are now well recognised. Our pets may come with problems or develop them with the stresses of modern life. Once an accurate diagnosis is made there are many treatment options available. These include behavioural modification programs, remedies and pharmacological drugs.
Acupuncture can be effective treatment for such conditions as:
- Muscle and arthritic pain
- Skin, Sinus and Eye conditions
- Anxiety and stress.
Fine needles or Laser are used to stimulate specific acupuncture points, which are located all over the body.
Flower remedies work gently to balance the emotions and mind. This can help behavioural and physical problems. Fears and phobias respond well, as do stress-symptoms that arise with moving house, travel, new members of the household and aging.
Nutrition including types of food and supplements play an important role in dis-ease and health. Natural diets need to be balanced. Individuals have specific needs and many imbalances can be restored with attention to what your pet eats.
Chinese and Western Herbal medicine offers natural solutions for many conditions including immune and stress disorders for which conventional medicine has limited options.
Vibrational or energy therapies, healing such as Pranic healing and Reiki, can be used whenever there is blocked, deficient or unbalanced energy in the body. Pain is a common symptom of blocked energy.
Vaccinations, including Homoeopathic nosodes are available.
Accident or Emergency Services
Pets and People is not able to offer Accident or Emergency Services. If your pet is in urgent need of veterinary attention please contact your regular veterinarian or animal emergency clinic.
Consultations are by Appointments Only with Pets and People and are essential.
Please phone 0408 451 421 for a mutually convenient time. At times a message service will receive your call. Please leave your contact details and you will be contacted as soon as possible.
Consultations are available at:
Pets and People clinic,
Kew East. Vic. 3102
Philippa Gemmell
B.V. Sc., I.V.A.S., G.D.C.,
Pet Psychology, Natural and Complementary Medicine for Companion Animals.
Mobile: 0408 451 421
What is traditional chinese medicine for animals?
What is acupuncture and chinese herbs
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are an ancient art of healing originating from China. The earliest books on acupuncture date from 2500 B.C., and since there is already a complex knowledge of physiology and pathology in those works, acupuncture must be over 5000 years old. It is therefore the oldest system of medicine still in use today. Acupuncture is practiced almost all over the world today, and is studied at Universities in some countries like the Peoples Republic of China, Korea, Japan and Australia.
Fundamental to Chinese philosophy and acupuncture is the concept of energy. You will often hear practitioners of acupuncture talk about “energy”. The Chinese saw every phenomenon in the Universe (and Man) as a manifestation and particular mutation of energy. Everything is energy in movement and matter itself is a concentration of energy. (This has been confirmed by modern nuclear physics with its equation Energy-Matter).
Also in ones body there is an energy, which was called by the Chinese “Chi” or “Qi” energy: this is our vital energy. The “Chi” or “Qi” energy flows in the body in channels or “meridians” which have their root in the internal organs. This energy can be compared (but is not the same) to the electrical current. There are 12 main meridians, 6 “positive” or Yang, 6 “negative” or Yin. On the surface of the meridian pathways there are the acupuncture points where the needles are inserted.
In a healthy body the energy flows harmoniously through the 12 meridians with a correct balance of Yin and Yang (negative-positive), thus “irrigating” all the parts of the body. If, for any reason, this flow is blocked the balance is upset and illness results. By using Laser acupuncture or inserting acupuncture needles in the acupuncture points the practitioner restores the balance of Yin and Yang and the harmonious flow of energy.
The meridian system is not the same as the nerve system or blood system, although it is related to both of them. The acupuncture points are not on nerve centres.
Since the patient is treated as a whole, therefore not only is the physical treated but also the emotional and spiritual aspects of the person. It is essential that the patient has patience as acupuncture is not like drugs where effects are immediate, the practitioner is working with the patients own energy and depending on how that is will depend on how quickly symptoms resolve and in time most symptoms will clear up.
What kind of illness can acupuncture and chinese medicine treat?
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine aim at treating the patient, rather than the disease. This means that the acupuncture practitioner looks at the patient as a whole, finds the cause of the illness and the imbalance of energy causing it; the imbalance is corrected, thus restoring health to the entire body rather than removing the symptoms. Thus the acupuncture practitioner cannot answer questions like “can you cure arthritis”. The question should rather be: “can this particular patient be treated to relieve arthritis? And such questions can only be answered after examining the patient.
Since every illness is the result of an imbalance of energy, acupuncture can treat almost any illness, as long as the degenerative process in the tissue of the body is not too far-gone.
About Traditional Chinese Medicine for Animals
TCM differs widely from other forms of natural medicine in that it uses Traditional pattern identification from the symptoms described.
This allows it to identify the underlying cause of the illness and treat the whole animal rather than just the symptoms in the same way as human are treated. Modern herbal medicine uses the same medical symptom diagnosis as vets and therefore can only treat the same illnesses. By using pattern identification instead of illness diagnosis TCM is not boxed in, in the way it sees your pet but can look at the big picture and treat the whole animal to achieve long term results.
TCM treats the root cause of disease as well as the presenting symptoms, which is why TCM is unique. Many other types of medicine deliver the same treatment for the same disease. TCM is becoming increasingly popular because every treatment is tailored individually for the patient. There are no generic medicines for each illness. Each patient whether they are your pet or animal must be treated as an individual, their unique pattern identified and the imbalances addressed.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
In China there are also many studies that have been done on animal disorders that have shown many positive results which has contributed to Chinese Herbal Medicine becoming more accepted.
There are many Chinese medicine herbs that have been researched and shown to have antiviral, anticancer properties etc. Chinese herbal medicines traditionally, were dispensed using raw herbs. Chinese herbs now come in pills, capsules, granules, liquids, plasters, powders and creams that can be taken internally or applied externally.
Chinese Herbal medicine is always prescribed in a formula or combination of Chinese herbs to keep the formula balanced. This also has the ability to eliminate side effects and strengthen the healing action of the herbs. Modern science tends to use singular medicines in large doses, resulting in side effects and immunity to the drugs as is now happening with antibiotics. By using herbal formulas people do not become immune to the herbs. Because these herbs have been used for thousands of years we know their actions and they are very safe to use when used traditionally by a qualified Chinese Herbalist.
Chinese Herbal medicine is so much more than an herbal nutrition supplement - it is nourishment for the mind, body and soul and is used as often in China to prevent sickness as to treat them.
Animal acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular due to its effectiveness as a non pharmaceutical treatment. We have used acupuncture on cats, dogs and horses in our clinic and find that animals respond very well to these treatments. Despite having other positive effects on health problems it also seems to have an obvious effect on an animal’s emotions. Many owners notice their pet’s emotional behavior changes after treatments. We believe it is because animals do not have the same emotional blockages that we have as humans that they seem to be able to release any emotional problem they have very easily.
Animal Behaviour
Behavioural consultations
Consultations can be in duration either weekly or in multiple bookings. Our aim is to help owners deal with behavioural problems such as digging, barking, pulling on lead, aggression/over reactive, etc.
Typical behavioural problems
- aggression
- barking
- destructiveness
- escaping
- noise phobias
- house-soiling
- tail-chasing, "fly-catching", flank-sucking show-ring phobia
- disobedience & training problems
- timidity
- refusal to eat from dish
Please ring for an appointment for a consultation with Philippa to help wit your animals behavioural problems.
QUALIFICATION DETAILS
Animal Therapy, Counselling
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