Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Mahaney.
Hi Patrick, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999 and up to 2008, I had only worked as a veterinarian on an in-facility basis. 2006 found me moving to Los Angeles in completing my veterinary acupuncture certification, so I sought to provide acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the West Hollywood hospital where I was working. I soon realized that the stressful hospital environment didn’t promote better treatment outcomes for my dog and cat patients, as it could not provide a calm place in which pets could really relax.
In 2008 I had an aha moment while driving around Los Angeles and taking my now-deceased dog, Cardiff, to dog parks, hiking trails, and other outdoor activities, as I would see mobile veterinarians, groomers, and dog walkers out and about running their businesses. I realized that to best serve the needs of my patients and clients, I should create my own house called-based veterinary practice, as the home setting is generally calmer and more-suitable to perform effective pet acupuncture treatments.
My boss at the veterinary hospital was a lawyer, so he helped with the incorporation process and California Pet Acupuncture and Wellness (CPAW), Inc. was born. Since then, my part-time Chinese-medicine practice has evolved to the full-time business where I work as the personal, concierge-style, house-call veterinarian to prominent Los Angeles-area individuals and families, which certainly makes my day-to-day life both challenging and exciting.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a rough road, but it’s not been exclusively smooth as well. I feel as though with any business to which you dedicate your life, time, energies, and professional training, it’s a labor of love having both highs and lows. Fortunately, I’ve developed a great clientele portfolio who refer me to their friends, family, and coworkers. Subsequently, when I take on a new client there’s an awareness of my dedication to patient care and willing availability to help manage a variety of pet health and logistical problems. Heightened client awareness of my services and discretion tends to lead to me being welcome into a variety of homes where I get a front-row seat into the inner sanctum of prominent peoples’ lives and their relationships with their pets.
I’d say the greatest struggles involve trying to determine how much work I can take on and manage among my patient roster, as when I agree to work with a client, it’s usually for the long-term and I don’t want to commit to helping if I can’t provide the best care in managing my patients’ health needs.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about California Pet Acupuncture and Wellness (CPAW), Inc?
I specialize in providing a personal level of veterinary in client’s homes and having multiple communication streams through which I frequently communicate with my clients. I feel what sets me apart from others is my dedication to client and patient needs and willingness to help manage complex medical and other pet logistical needs (travel, in-home caretaking, household staff training, etc.) in the comfort of a client’s home.
Besides being holistically trained and having a Chinese-medicine background, I also have strong internal medicine skills stemming from over 23 years of experience working as a practicing veterinarian. I also am readily able to refer my patients to area specialists (internal medicine, cardiology, oncology, etc.) and emergency practices for care above what I’m able to offer, whereas often it is a longer and more-challenging process for clients to arrange for such care on their own.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something surprising about me that most people who know me or may practice may not know is that I’m a big lover of art and hope to make a variety of artistic endeavors into a business when I move into semi-retirement in my mid-50s. I work with a variety of talented clients who are actors, singers, artists, musicians, writers, and more and witnessing the evolution of their projects is so inspiring and motivates me to want to be more creative now and in the future when I have more time to pursue such interests.
Besides running my own veterinary clinical practice, I’m also part-owner and chief veterinary officer of PURE (www.hellopure.com), a LA-based company making cooked, whole-food meals and treats for dogs. As I’m a big believer in the power of whole foods in promoting my health, I take the same approach for my patients.
I’m also a veterinary advisor for Dr. Treat (www.drtreat.com), which is a membership-model veterinary practice having its proof-of-concept, flagship facility in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. Dr. Treat provides a personalized level of care similar to what I offer my clients but on an in-facility basis.
As I believe in the benefits of nutraceuticals (food-derived substances having medicinal benefits), I highly recommend them for my patients and have take a position on the veterinary advisory board of Vetnique Labs (hwww.vetniquelabs.com). Vetnique is a veterinary-founded company which supports veterinarians’ need to provide a variety of nutraceuticals, cleansing products, and other treatments for our patients.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.patrickmahaney.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrickmahaney/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatrickMahaneyVeterinarian/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatrickMahaney?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt7-bJrUoHEK2wBvVKVNsIw
Image Credits
All images are credit to Patrick Mahaney
