About Us
Green Paws is a holistic veterinary medicine practice offering chronic pain assessment, acupuncture and herbal medicine to small animals, which complement conventional medical veterinary treatments.
Green Paws is run by myself, Natalie Russell, a general practice vet of almost 20 years. Having grown up following the childhood dream of becoming a vet, I qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the Royal Veterinary College in 2001 and have worked in general practice caring for pets ever since.
In 2021 I obtained my qualification in veterinary acupuncture, which I have developed into a more extended qualification in chronic pain management, helping many pets and their owners.
Alongside this, I have always had a keen interest in herbs, herbal medicine and home-grown food. When time allows, I try to spend it tending the garden and allotment with my dog Ivy, hens and three children. Having used herbal medicines within a general practice setting in recent years, in 2018 I decided to explore my interest in this field further and pursue more formal training in the area, completing a post-graduate diploma in Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine in early 2021.
Green Paws is a member of the British Association of Veterinary Herbalists, covering Staffordshire, Derbyshire and the East Midlands.
What is herbal veterinary medicine?
Herbal veterinary medicine has its roots in traditional medicine and encourages a holistic approach to an animal’s health. Herbal medicines have hundreds of years of practical history and traditional use, with knowledge passed down through generations in many different cultures.
More recently, this information has been built upon in clinical trials to provide an evidence base for the use of these medicines. Specific active chemicals have been isolated and studied in-depth to find a clear mode of action. In some cases, this has led to the development of new drugs, but many clinical trials have demonstrated that the use of the whole plant can be a lot more effective and beneficial than the active ingredient. The theory is that the synergy provided by the multiple components of a plant gives much broader benefits than the individual active ingredient.
When approaching an animal’s health with an herbal point of view, at Green Paws we aim to assess every element of their health and to use herbs to support, protect and optimise the body’s function, using a combination of veterinary experience and traditional knowledge.
“Stevie was tormented with itchy skin along his back to the stage he would chew his own fur out. After ruling out parasites and running allergy tests we then knew what we were dealing with. Natalie was able to use herbal medicines alongside his conventional medicine to treat the itch, to both help prevent allergy and sooth his inflamed skin. Now he is back to his happy, mischievous little self!”
We Recommend
We are pleased to recommend the following businesses:
