Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association

 

Dedicated to Developing Responsible Herbal Practice

 

 

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VBMA FOUNDER SUSAN WYNN

Susan Wynn, DVM, CVA, CVCH, AHG, DACVN, is an incredible individual who had the energy and dedication to start the VBMA. In her words, here is how her idea became the Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association, as well as her vision for our future.

 

"VBMA became an idea in about 2002, when I had finished foundation courses in Chinese veterinary herbal medicine (which was not science-heavy enough for my taste) and a human Western herbal medicine (which had no veterinary information or experience to present). Knowing that holistic veterinarians were really the best source of information to start accumulating a 'collective memory' and information database, I talked to a few other vet herbalists (specifically Ihor Basko) and we put VBMA together.

 

10 years later, we have Listserv archives that are beginning to serve that purpose, and I know that VBMA members really helped Barbara Fougere and I gather all the knowledge we needed to write the Veterinary Herbal Medicine text book*.

 

When it came time to start planning annual conferences, AHVMA was really supportive, allowing us to have our own track and room for board and other meetings.  From our get-togethers, it became obvious that VBMA really could play a role in educating not only veterinarians, but regulators and the public, so we developed  white papers (over lunch) that have ultimately been studied by FDA and other bodies to learn about veterinary herbal practice.

 

I'm not aware that herb identification walks were a common practice at *any* veterinary meeting until VBMA began offering one at its yearly conference. I think  veterinary herbalists now recognize that personally knowing and being able to identify these plants helps us understand their actions and place in our materia medica more thoroughly.

 

One of our goals in the beginning was to offer certification of a certain knowledge level so that pet owners and other veterinarians could recognize true herbal expertise at a glance. This program involves a yearly exam and some additional work, and has been slow to take off.  VBMA will have reached its true potential, at least in my eyes, when our certification process is sought after and better monitored.  I hope newer members will recognize the value and work with older members to make it a reality.

 

I practice in a hospital with 30+ veterinarians, and herbs give me the capacity to offer clinical benefits  that none of these other veterinarians can provide.  I'm often amazed at the difference they make, and hope to continue to teach our interns and other impressionable vets how to use them effectively!"

 

*You can purchase a copy of Susan and Barbara's Veterinary Herbal Medicine from Amazon, either in print or ebook, HERE.

 

To learn more about Dr. Wynn, please visit her website, Veterinary Nutrition and Integrative Medicine.

 

 

 

VBMA Endorses Quality Herbal Products

 

VBMA recognizes that the herbal product industry has faced quality control and regulatory challenges, and we recommend supporting those companies attempting to self regulate in a meaningful way. Companies that manufacture herbal products marketed for humans should be members of the American Herbal Products Association, an industry organization which explores issues, interacts with regulators, and establishes policy.  Veterinary product companies should be members of the National Animal Supplement Council, an organization which develops policies and procedures on adverse event reporting and quality control.

All content © Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association (VBMA) 2023.

 

The VBMA is not affiliated with the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine (ACVBM).

 

 

 

Important Message For Pet Owners

 

The VBMA does not endorse any products sold on the internet for self prescribing to animals. We believe in the interests of safety that any herb should always be prescribed by a qualified practitioner. There are companies using our name with the suggestion that we endorse their recommendations or products. We specifically DO NOT support any website that unethically sells herbs to the public for non prescribed use in animals.  If you are in any doubt as to the authenticity of a claim made on a website about VBMA, please contact us at office@vbma.org. You may use the 'find a veterinarian' link on our site menu to find a qualified practitioner near you.

 

Dedicated to Developing Responsible Herbal Practice

 

VBMA Endorses Quality Herbal Products

 

VBMA recognizes that the herbal product industry has faced quality control and regulatory challenges, and we recommend supporting those companies attempting to self regulate in a meaningful way. Companies that manufacture herbal products marketed for humans should be members of the American Herbal Products Association, an industry organization which explores issues, interacts with regulators, and establishes policy.  Veterinary product companies should be members of the National Animal Supplement Council, an organization which develops policies and procedures on adverse event reporting and quality control.

 

To Pet Owners:

 

The VBMA does not endorse any products sold on the internet for self prescribing to animals. We believe in the interests of safety that any herb should always be prescribed by a qualified practitioner. There are companies using our name with the suggestion that we endorse their recommendations or products. We specifically DO NOT support any website that unethically sells herbs to the public for non prescribed use in animals.  If you are in any doubt as to the authenticity of a claim made on a website about VBMA, please contact us at office@vbma.org.

All content © Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association (VBMA) 2022.

 

The VBMA is not affiliated with the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine (ACVBM).

 

Dedicated to Developing Responsible Herbal Practice 

VBMA Endorses Quality Herbal Products

 

VBMA recognizes that the herbal product industry has faced quality control and regulatory challenges, and we recommend supporting those companies attempting to self regulate in a meaningful way. Companies that manufacture herbal products marketed for humans should be members of the American Herbal Products Association, an industry organization which explores issues, interacts with regulators, and establishes policy.  Veterinary product companies should be members of the National Animal Supplement Council, an organization which develops policies and procedures on adverse event reporting and quality control.

 

To Pet Owners:

 

The VBMA does not endorse any products sold on the internet for self prescribing to animals. We believe in the interests of safety that any herb should always be prescribed by a qualified practitioner. There are companies using our name with the suggestion that we endorse their recommendations or products. We specifically DO NOT support any website that unethically sells herbs to the public for non prescribed use in animals.  If you are in any doubt as to the authenticity of a claim made on a website about VBMA, please contact us at office@vbma.org.

All content © Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association (VBMA) 2022.

 

The VBMA is not affiliated with the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine (ACVBM).

Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association

Susan Wynn, DVM, CVA, CVCH, AHG, DACVN, is an incredible individual who had the energy and dedication to start the VBMA. In her words, here is how her idea became the Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association, as well as her vision for our future.

 

"VBMA became an idea in about 2002, when I had finished foundation courses in Chinese veterinary herbal medicine (which was not science-heavy enough for my taste) and a human Western herbal medicine (which had no veterinary information or experience to present). Knowing that holistic veterinarians were really the best source of information to start accumulating a 'collective memory' and information database, I talked to a few other vet herbalists (specifically Ihor Basko) and we put VBMA together.

 

10 years later, we have Listserv archives that are beginning to serve that purpose, and I know that VBMA members really helped Barbara Fougere and I gather all the knowledge we needed to write the Veterinary Herbal Medicine text book*.

 

When it came time to start planning annual conferences, AHVMA was really supportive, allowing us to have our own track and room for board and other meetings.  From our get-togethers, it became obvious that VBMA really could play a role in educating not only veterinarians, but regulators and the public, so we developed  white papers (over lunch) that have ultimately been studied by FDA and other bodies to learn about veterinary herbal practice.

 

I'm not aware that herb identification walks were a common practice at *any* veterinary meeting until VBMA began offering one at its yearly conference. I think  veterinary herbalists now recognize that personally knowing and being able to identify these plants helps us understand their actions and place in our materia medica more thoroughly.

 

One of our goals in the beginning was to offer certification of a certain knowledge level so that pet owners and other veterinarians could recognize true herbal expertise at a glance. This program involves a yearly exam and some additional work, and has been slow to take off.  VBMA will have reached its true potential, at least in my eyes, when our certification process is sought after and better monitored.  I hope newer members will recognize the value and work with older members to make it a reality.

 

I practice in a hospital with 30+ veterinarians, and herbs give me the capacity to offer clinical benefits  that none of these other veterinarians can provide.  I'm often amazed at the difference they make, and hope to continue to teach our interns and other impressionable vets how to use them effectively!"

 

*You can purchase a copy of Susan and Barbara's Veterinary Herbal Medicine from Amazon, either in print or ebook, HERE.

 

To learn more about Dr. Wynn, please visit her website, Veterinary Nutrition and Integrative Medicine.