Meet Dr. Eve Harrison, VMD, CVA of Marigold Veterinary

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Eve Harrison, VMD, CVA

Hi Dr. Harrison, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Excited to be with you too! I’m originally from New York City. Though I’d always loved animals as a child, I was not allowed to have a dog or cat in our small apartment. I did always have smaller creatures like salamanders, toads, gerbils, hamsters, snails, fish, and even an iguana growing up.

I first realized I wanted to be a vet while volunteering at the New England Wildlife Center in Massachusetts for several summers, working with opossums, foxes, raccoons, water fowl, song birds, and raptors. I initially thought I would pursue a career as a veterinarian for wildlife and birds, and I decided to apply to vet school under that premise. I have always been drawn towards the natural world and also to helping others (people and animals). So, deciding to become a veterinarian fulfilled much of what I felt I was meant to do, even though I did not end up working as a wildlife vet ultimately.

I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011, where I realized how much I also loved working with companion animals like dogs and cats. After veterinary school, I moved to San Diego to complete a one year internship in internal medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, and what we call exotic species. Following my one year internship, I did several years of surgical residency training in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I planned to become a board certified veterinary surgeon for dogs & cats. During this time, I learned to do emergency surgery as well as soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. I got the chance to become a published author in the New Zealand Journal of Veterinary Medicine and additionally completed clinical rotations at the University of California Davis as well as the University of North Carolina and the Animal Medical Center in New York City.

Ultimately, I decided not to practice as a veterinary surgeon, though my surgical training gave me skills beyond what I was taught in veterinary school, and accelerated my level of experience with pain management, particularly in relation to arthritis, orthopedic, oncological, and neurological conditions.

What I also realized was that my primary interests in veterinary medicine were finding novel and innovative ways to optimize health for animals, as well as focusing on pain management, comfort care, and treating medical conditions in animals without traumatizing them or their human guardians during the clinical experience.

In 2017, I became certified in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture at the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine where I studied acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, Tui Na massage, and, in general, reconnected with how to understand and love my patients on a deeper level.

Although I have practiced, lectured, and published internationally as a veterinarian, I discovered my calling when I opened my house call practice called Marigold Veterinary in Los Angeles, focusing on a blend of holistic & western care for animals.

My work with animals in clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, and operating rooms over the past 15-20 years has made it very clear that clinical medicine is stressful for almost everyone involved: the patients of course, but also their caregivers. Even the veterinary team. This is problematic, as we know that stress hormones, such as cortisol, physiologically impede healing & can exacerbate medical conditions.

It is also important to remember that we are all connected. Animals and their human caregivers (including their veterinarians) share an emotional bond. So when we are stressed, our animals can become stressed. When our animals are stressed, we are stressed. I saw the difference it makes to work with animals and their caregivers in the comfort of their homes, when possible.

Since I started my house call practice, I have worked with numerous animals receiving care in a relaxed and peaceful state because they can continue to have the rest and comfort they need at home. Even the humans are much more relaxed and comfortable. I’ve found that it is a joy to work this way and has a completely different feel from practicing medicine in the clinical environment.

Outside of my veterinary practice, I play the flute semi-professionally and am trained as a yoga/meditation teacher. Every once in a while I will lead a meditation with a pet owner during a difficult time, or play flute for my patients. I also do hope to get back to working with wildlife again, someday.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not always been a smooth road. I have certainly worked through my share of challenges and stressful times as a veterinarian. It took some time to find my place in veterinary medicine. I didn’t realize it at first, but I have a very strong sense of how I like to work, mostly guided by my ethics about caring for each other as human beings and our animals. I also have a bit of an independent spirit, which can pose some challenges when working within other organizations! I tried out specialty medicine, general practice, shelter work, doing relief work (like a substitute teacher, but in veterinary clinics).

All of that time, I was a little bit dissatisfied…. And I was formulating ideas about how I wanted the industry to be different— for the practitioners, and especially for our patients.

The nature of the work can also be a struggle. It’s heartbreaking to see animals suffering. Most of the time we can improve the lives of animals, which makes it all worth it. But the universe has an agenda of its own, as well, and as mere mortals, we can’t always make it better. Sometimes pets get sick and die no matter what we do… because that’s life. Seeing clients go through all of the stages of grief is really hard too.

When you add in the financial issues for pet owners and the fact that most people do not have pet health insurance – that adds a new layer of challenge to practicing veterinary medicine. It is quite expensive for veterinarians to be able to provide thorough, effective, and appropriate care for an animal… and many people have a hard time understanding the financial investment that may be necessary to keep their furry family members happy, healthy, and pain-free.

All of the time I’d been experiencing these challenges, I had been trying to find my way in my industry. I was slowly developing an unconventional approach to addressing some of these issues. I realized that I ultimately needed to start working with a new paradigm for animal and human wellness (which are not entirely separate from each other)…. and I knew that if I wanted things to be different, I had to take the leap and start my own practice.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Marigold Veterinary?
Marigold Veterinary is a traveling house call service for animals in the greater Los Angeles area. We create a compassionate and personalized experience for you and your furry family members. Our practice provides wellness and preventative care as well as senior pet care, in the comfort of home using traditional Western veterinary medicine in addition to Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, massage, therapeutic movement, Ayurvedic medicine, and holistic pain management techniques. We aim for you to feel connected and involved in the decision-making process in a way that will bring you closer to your beloved companion.

When you feel supported in your role as the primary caregiver for your companion, we feel successful. We deliberately keep our practice small, as we treat each pet individually as though they were our own. When we treat an animal, we do not just see a physical body. We see the whole animal, their personality, as well as the needs of their family.

We believe that medicine must be holistic in approach, whether we call it by that name or not. We believe that healing modalities should be deeply restorative for both the patient and the caregiver. We know that we must address the mind, body, and spirit of both the patient, the caregiver, and ourselves, in order to create and sustain a net positive outcome. If you feel the same way and want to provide this level of veterinary care for your best friend, please contact us!

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Wow. There is so much to say about this.

Veterinarians have had to adapt quite a bit during the pandemic. Veterinary clinics have become exponentially busier with sick pets. Many people are home with their pets all the time now and are observing medical conditions in their animals that they never realized before. Many people are adopting new pets too.

Most vets working in clinics have masks on all day, and have converted to “curbside” service to keep everyone safe by minimizing exposure to one another. There are many animal guardians who have not been understanding of this and are very afraid to have their animals go into the vet clinic without them. There are also a number of folks who want to accompany their pets into the building without wearing a mask. This has created a very challenging situation for many veterinary teams, who are already very overwhelmed right now.

As a house call veterinarian, I’ve gotten extremely busy as well. I’ve had to adapt by wearing an N95 during each house call, sometimes double masking, cleaning everything thoroughly, and making changes to my work flow to maximize safety for myself and for my clients. I’ve always had a sliding price scale, but have had to use it more often since the beginning of the pandemic, and have been doing much more pro-bono work lately to help out where I can. I also now primarily work with pets and their guardians outdoors for safety. We wear warm layers and bring cozy blankets outside for the animals and their guardians while we work. Most dogs and some cats are happy to be outdoors, and I’ve found it creates a really nice organic experience for the animals to work that way. We often have to get creative to work safely with cats indoors.

Something that I have been most blown away by was that some of my amazing clients snapped into gear and helped to find animals homes when the animal shelters closed at the beginning of the pandemic. I also am totally amazed by some of my clients who have supported other pet owners by paying for their pets’ veterinary care during financially tough times.

My clients really also came through for me and were incredibly supportive when my business looked like it was going to be in big trouble in the beginning of the pandemic. I am so grateful for the support, loyalty, and friendship of my clients during that time, and always.

There is a lot we don’t know right now, but it makes me very happy to see that people are adopting more animals than ever during Covid times, and that people are taking care of each other.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.marigoldveterinary.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marigold_veterinary/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarigoldVeterinary

Image Credits
Photo playing the flute – Barbra Porter, Owl Photo – Jason Mejia Photo, With black cat – Laura Parker