Integrative Wellness Care

Reducing inflammation. Accelerating healing.

We know you do not want your pet to be in pain and we want to help however we can. Complimentary medicine can be very useful in the treatment of both acute and chronic conditions. It can help your pet recover quicker from surgery, improve circulation, and reduce or relieve pain – just to name a few benefits! All pets can benefit from rehab to provide them with a better quality of life, no matter their size or age.

Integrative Veterinary Care FAQ

It is an approach to wellness that combines both conventional and complimentary medicine.
  • Conventional (traditional Western) medicine includes medication, surgery, and lifestyle changes.
  • Complimentary medicine includes therapies that are not part of traditional medicine. We offer care that includes acupuncture, chiropractic therapy, laser therapy and shockwave.
Dr. Sarah Pedersen is a veterinarian who is a Certified Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapist and Veterinary Medical Acupuncturist. She also holds her post-graduate certification in Veterinary Massage and Rehabilitation Therapy. Sarah has a special interest in pain management and is in the process of gaining her certification in pain management. Sarah is a business owner, wife, mom, enthusiastic amateur event rider and a very satisfied Happy Paws client! Sarah also went to school with our owner, Dr. Erin Heck. Her practice is based on high-quality, evidence based complimentary treatment. She is eager to help enhance the quality of life for all our pets – whether young, old, competitive, or couch buddies. She hails from Yorkshire, England, where her experience with horses started. Sarah also received her Master’s of Chemistry in England from the University of Hull. She moved to Saudi Arabia and managed a riding stable for a few years. Upon returning to Canada with her husband, she then completed her DVM and MSc in veterinary science. She began her professional career at a busy equine clinic, where her exploration of integrative medicine began. Her love for small animal integrative medicine grew once she learned both acupuncture and chiropractic care as she realized how much she could help improve their lives and the lives of their owners! Sarah is slated to begin booking appointments at Happy Paws one day a week starting in August of 2022.

Medical Acupuncture:
The use of fine needles placed into the skin to stimulate the trigger points (which are small hubs of the nervous system located throughout the body).

Chiropractic Care:
The use of manual manipulation to adjust the bones of the spine in order to relieve any pressure on all the important nerves coming out of the spinal cord.

Laser Therapy:
The use of non-painful light energy to increase the blood flow to the area and metabolism which speeds up the body’s natural healing processes.

Shockwave Therapy:
This provides targeted mechanical stimulation to the area of the body that you apply it to; creating a pressure wave in the tissues that promotes healing.

Soft Tissue Therapy:
This may include massage, myofascial release, and acupressure. This is useful in animals that may have suffered from a short-to-medium term lameness and have compensatory changes in other areas of the body. Also great for our canine athletes competing in events such as agility or barn hunt.

Options for non-surgical candidates:
Surgery is the gold standard for a lameness problem. However, there are other factors which can impact whether the patient is a suitable candidate for a surgical repair (such as a concurrent disease). Dr. Sarah is experienced with brace fitting for many medical conditions, as well as fitting animals for wheels.

The beauty of Dr. Sarah being trained in all these modalities is that she can prescribe the ones that she feels fit your pet and their needs.
  • Aged or Senior pets.
  • Owners who want to discuss options that will support their current medical treatment.
  • Animals struggling with ongoing lameness or chronic pain.
  • Pets diagnosed with urine or fecal incontinence.
  • Sports Injuries.
  • Working or sporting dogs.
  • Pets who are overweight.
  • Pets who have recently had surgery for lameness.
  • Non-surgical animals who require an alternative to surgery.
Please call our clinic at (403) 299-0336 or email us to learn more.

Integrative Veterinary Care FAQ

It is an approach to wellness that combines both conventional and complimentary medicine.
  • Conventional (traditional Western) medicine includes medication, surgery, and lifestyle changes.
  • Complimentary medicine includes therapies that are not part of traditional medicine. We offer care that includes acupuncture, chiropractic therapy, laser therapy and shockwave.
Dr. Sarah Pedersen is a veterinarian who is a Certified Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapist and Veterinary Medical Acupuncturist. She also holds her post-graduate certification in Veterinary Massage and Rehabilitation Therapy. Sarah has a special interest in pain management and is in the process of gaining her certification in pain management. Sarah is a business owner, wife, mom, enthusiastic amateur event rider and a very satisfied Happy Paws client! Sarah also went to school with our owner, Dr. Erin Heck. Her practice is based on high-quality, evidence based complimentary treatment. She is eager to help enhance the quality of life for all our pets – whether young, old, competitive, or couch buddies. She hails from Yorkshire, England, where her experience with horses started. Sarah also received her Master’s of Chemistry in England from the University of Hull. She moved to Saudi Arabia and managed a riding stable for a few years. Upon returning to Canada with her husband, she then completed her DVM and MSc in veterinary science. She began her professional career at a busy equine clinic, where her exploration of integrative medicine began. Her love for small animal integrative medicine grew once she learned both acupuncture and chiropractic care as she realized how much she could help improve their lives and the lives of their owners! Sarah is slated to begin booking appointments at Happy Paws one day a week starting in August of 2022.

Medical Acupuncture:
The use of fine needles placed into the skin to stimulate the trigger points (which are small hubs of the nervous system located throughout the body).

Chiropractic Care:
The use of manual manipulation to adjust the bones of the spine in order to relieve any pressure on all the important nerves coming out of the spinal cord.

Laser Therapy:
The use of non-painful light energy to increase the blood flow to the area and metabolism which speeds up the body’s natural healing processes.

Shockwave Therapy:
This provides targeted mechanical stimulation to the area of the body that you apply it to; creating a pressure wave in the tissues that promotes healing.

Soft Tissue Therapy:
This may include massage, myofascial release, and acupressure. This is useful in animals that may have suffered from a short-to-medium term lameness and have compensatory changes in other areas of the body. Also great for our canine athletes competing in events such as agility or barn hunt.

Options for non-surgical candidates:
Surgery is the gold standard for a lameness problem. However, there are other factors which can impact whether the patient is a suitable candidate for a surgical repair (such as a concurrent disease). Dr. Sarah is experienced with brace fitting for many medical conditions, as well as fitting animals for wheels.

The beauty of Dr. Sarah being trained in all these modalities is that she can prescribe the ones that she feels fit your pet and their needs.
  • Aged or Senior pets.
  • Owners who want to discuss options that will support their current medical treatment.
  • Animals struggling with ongoing lameness or chronic pain.
  • Pets diagnosed with urine or fecal incontinence.
  • Sports Injuries.
  • Working or sporting dogs.
  • Pets who are overweight.
  • Pets who have recently had surgery for lameness.
  • Non-surgical animals who require an alternative to surgery.
Please call our clinic at (403) 299-0336 or email us to learn more.