SignalsAZ.com Prescott News Podcast - Inside a Mobile Vet Clinic: Holistic Pet Care, Acupuncture, and Wellness Tips

Episode Date: April 24, 2026

Send us a text and chime in!In this episode of the SignalsAZ News Podcast, Elicia sits down with Dr. Amardi May from Dr. May's Veterinary Clinic and House Calls, a veterinarian based in Chino Valley, Arizona. She shares how she built her clinic and why she offers mobile vet services for dogs and cats. In addition, she explains how house calls reduce stress for pets and make care more accessible. As a result, pet owners can choose a more comfortable experience for routine visits and end-of-life care#chinovalley #vet #HolisticCare #dogs #cats #veterinaryclinic Check out the CAST11.com Website at: https://CAST11.com Follow the CAST11 Podcast Network on Facebook at: https://Facebook.com/CAST11AZFollow Cast11 Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/cast11_podcast_network

Hey everybody. Welcome back to Signals News podcast. Today I have Dr. Amardi May and she, you guys have a new veterinarian clinic. Well, new. It's been a little over a year. You also do some house calls, which is kind of cool. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do. Yeah, thanks for having me. I've been here for about four and a half years, native to California, but moved out to Arizona in 2021, bought my first home in Chino Valley. And I remodeled a building on the, property to become a vet clinic, which I've just now had for a year and three months. Nice. We see dogs and cats primarily, and we do a whole range of services, exams, blood tests,

other diagnostic tests, x-rays as well as surgeries like spays and neuters, mass removals, and I offer dental cleaning procedures and extractions as needed. So that's out of the clinic, and I can also do house calls, primarily Tuesdays or the house call day. Oh, perfect. Mm-hmm. So I had mentioned earlier, I have my hundred and some pound white lab. They're just more yellow, but scared of everything.

Don't, if you take me in the car, you're probably never bringing me back, and why are you taking me over there? So it's just little Daisy. She's just too much. So I will definitely be calling you. It shows acupuncture and herbs. What's that about? Acupuncture is from ancient China. It's a system of medicine that activates particular points.

that are along meridians on the body and helps to relieve pain, improve mobility and circulation. It's really great for treating dogs with arthritis or disc problems and a variety of other conditions that can be helped with acupuncture along with acupressure. Then herbs work in conjunction with the acupuncture, so depending on the presentation, whether it's a hind end problem or just general stiffness or difficulty getting up. Those are the types of things that herbs can help with. Even tumors can be very helped by herbs that are helpful to shrink the tumors. So we can use that.

Even for calming, anxious dogs, we have herbal formulas that relax dogs that are really anxious. So there are just a multitude of applications for herbs and acupuncture. Yeah, we've had an acupuncturist on our show before, but I've never heard of it happening in animals. So that's, do you do that yourself? Absolutely. Yeah. So I trained with the Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine. I'm certified in veterinary acupuncture. And I've been doing it since 2007. It's great. I love it. So I know like an adult for the most part, you can say, okay, hold still. Do the dogs, are they awake during this? They are awake. So it depends on the dog and their temperament. But if they are willing to be compliant for that, we can do that. And we wouldn't want to sedate them for it if that was needed. So we just wouldn't use it. if it was in that instance.

But if they're willing to sit still and have the guardians holding the animal that can help or giving treats during the treatment, like a lick mat with peanut butter or almond butter, works nicely. Yeah. And then there are actually calming points like GV20, which is governing vessel 20 on top of the head, is good for calming. So I often use that point initially. And then I put my other points along the bladder meridian and other meridians that help with pain relief. moving chi, which is life force energy through the meridians.

That's all. Well, and dogs, in my opinion, are human. Like, really, I mean, they're companions. We love them. But this really kind of proves that. I mean, it's not, I'm not okay. I don't want to hear it. Like, they're really not human, Alicia.

But the fact that they respond to this ancient medicine that's been around for centuries that, you know, the dogs are, that's awesome. So great. And then I'm looking at your services that you offer. There's a picture of you with two giant hogs on your website. What is that? Well, that was actually a farm sanctuary on the East Coast that I visited some years ago. I've been an advocate for all animals for most of my life.

I was raised vegetarian and I went vegan when I was in college, prior to vet school, actually. And I've been vegan for 25 years. So that's just kind of highlighting that pigs are also sentient beings. They feel pain and pleasure. They like to have fun and eat good food. They're very intelligent. You know, they're as intelligent as a three-year-old child, actually. So I just like to bring that to awareness that we should always show compassion to all living beings.

All animals. All animals. And then you've got, I'm just going through everything here so we don't miss anything. Behavior management. What do you do with that? So with new puppies, especially, I can. counsel people about the importance of obedience training and socialization, which is very important, especially in the first six months of life. Even after that point, it is valuable, but those are the

most crucial six months where a dog is more apt to be comfortable around a variety of other animals, whether they be cats, horses, pigs, you name it. And having that exposure at a young age is really key. Also having playmates to play with, so they can actually practice what's known as bite inhibition because it's natural for puppies to kind of play bite, but if they bite on a human hand, that's not a good thing, and we don't want that. So having them have that interaction with others of their own species helps them learn what's appropriate because even the most well-behaved dog may at certain points in his or her life be very frightened or in pain. And suddenly someone might accidentally slam a door on a dog's tail by accident or there could be other

sources of pain, the animal experiences. And the animal might bite just out of instinct. And if that dog hasn't learned bite inhibition, that bite can actually cause damage. And we don't want that, of course. So I definitely counsel people about the importance of that. And I refer to trainers as needed. There are some great books out there. People can read on dog behavior, such as how to behave.

So your dog behaves by Dr. Sophia Yen, a veterinary behaviorist. I trained a nerd when I was at UC Davis vet school. So it's a really important aspect because if we can make our animals more socialized, they'll be calmer, happier, healthier animals overall. And I think, too, when little puppies, they're cute and look, they're biting my hand and oh, how cute and they're playing. And we're just teaching them that that's okay, right? And it's not okay. And then it becomes very sad because I have had some people call me over the years who want me to youth. a dog because of aggression, and that makes me very sad. So I don't like that, but, you know, we can prevent that at the front end of that equation. So for sure, it's important.

I saw an ad the other day on Facebook. You know, we have to get rid of our dog because he's, you know, aggressive towards other dogs. He needs to be in a one family-only dog, our household. And I would assume a lot of times that's just because you got a dog and probably stayed in your house all the time. And now maybe you want to get another dog, but you never. introduced this dog to playmates or the dog park or anything like that. So it's hard. Yeah. Yeah.

So the earlier they're having that exposure, the more likely they are to adapt and do well, longer term. So for wellness exams, how often should people be taking their dogs in or calling you to come out for wellness exams? Once a year at the minimum, if there's no outward issue or concern is important so we could do a thorough physical examination, listen to the heart to see if there are any heart murmurs, feel the abdomen for any masses or possible issues there, skin lesions, parasites, checking the blood to make sure the kidneys and liver are in good condition and checking hydration. And of course,

dental health, which is very important. And that often gets overlooked. So making sure the teeth are not getting heavily covered with tartar, which is inevitable if one doesn't brush the dog's teeth, but getting them in at least annually so they can get the needed care, which definitely includes dental care that I offer here at the clinic. That's awesome. And not only do you go out and help with the animals or take care of the animals, are you able to kind of, you know, if I called you out for a dental exam, can you help me like, hey, this is how you should be brushing your dog's teeth or, you know, absolutely. Yeah. So, I mean, once there's tartar buildup, it has to be scaled and polished away, but after that's done, or even as a preventive, brushing the teeth at

home is key. So you can use organic coconut oil to brush the teeth. There are also some great products out there like plaque off that's approved by the veterinary oral health counsel. You can add to the dog's food that helps prevent plaque from turning into tartar, and it enzymatically breaks down the plaque. It has a seaweed base. And then another great product is from Healthymouth that you can add to the water. And that helps prevent plaque from building up to HealthyMouth.com. Lots and lots of tricks. What is cold laser therapy?

So there's a laser unit that I have. It doesn't use heat. So that's why they call it cold laser. It's a class three laser, which emits a beam that penetrates the tissues, providing pain relief and inflammation reduction, which aids in healing and pain reduction for dogs that are arthritic or having joint issues that need to have consistent relief of that pain.

So it's a great adjunct to acupuncture and even other therapies or as a standalone. And then one other little thing I wanted to just touch on is you do offer at home euthanasia, which there's nothing harder than having to put your dog down, but then to have to load it in your car and take them in and set all that up. And now the dog's scared because, you know, what's happening and, you know, the fact that you're able to go out to the home and do that. I think that's pretty amazing that, yeah. Yeah, it's definitely a needed service. And I do recognize the importance of not having extra stress on this animal when it's the final day of life.

And there's already that discomfort going on. And so, yeah, we definitely want to be able to continue to offer that. And even sometimes on other days besides Tuesdays, I'll do those if it's feasible. That makes sense. So if somebody was looking to book your services, I see you have vegan vet.net. Yes. That a good website for them? Yes.

And then where are you located for your vet clinic? It's Chino Valley, northwest Chino Valley. It's on a private residential address. So we give out the address when clients book appointments. Gotcha. But it's close to Winsongway and Road 3 North. Perfect. And then if I want to call you and say, okay, it's time for our checkups. It's time for everything.

My dog's not getting in the car. Daisy's not going to do it. I'm going to need you to come down. Do you do nail clips, all that stuff? Nail trims, anal gland expression. Yes. And, you know, if you need a little minor mat, shaving, cleaning clip type of thing, I can do that too. That's awesome. What an amazing career you've gone through with everything with the acupuncturist. I'm just like crazy. So lots of great information on your site, a couple of blogs that you have on there, some podcast stuff. Just this is great. You do a lot of stuff. And I see a lot of ads for people or you see things like, oh, I'm a traveling vet. People are so hard to get a hold of.

And I wonder if they start doing it, then they just can't anymore. But this is great that you're available for this because I will definitely be like it's time to go get shots again. And come on, Daisy, get in the car. Why are you mad at making me go on the car? So again, that's veganvette.net. Do you have a phone number that they can call you on? 310, 614-3530. Awesome.

Again, this is Dr. May, and she's got her new veterinarian clinic about a year old. And then house calls too. That's awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time to come in and chat with us and sharing your business with us. Yeah, thank you for having me. And may I mention a few other services that I offer? Of course. glad you. Oh, yes. So ozone therapy is another modality I've been using for several years,

which is really promising and can help with reduction in inflammation, pain relief, overall detoxification. It's administered in a variety of ways depending on the patient's needs. So that's something I also have at the clinic. Sometimes I can do that on a mobile basis as well if I know in advance that's needed. And then another remedy that I offer is missile toe therapy, which is helpful for treating cancer patients. So it's a botanical extract that's given as an injection several times a week, and it helps support patients who are dealing with cancer. Since there's another couple cool ones, I didn't mention that because it wasn't bolded,

so I was like, I don't know if she does that anymore. The, that's, where was the one? Oh, nutritional counseling. So, yeah, so nutrition is a really important part of veterinary medicine because really our food is what we take in, like, every, day and same with dogs and cats. And so a lot of the toxins that are found in pets' environments are in the food, whether it's carcinogens, heavy metals like arsenic and mercury, bioaccumulated pollutants that concentrate as you go up the food chain. So offering a plant-based

diet, particularly for dogs, is a great option. And we have recipes we can share from Dr. Richard Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, the fourth edition. There are also other resources that are available, which I share with clients as needed. It's interesting that dogs actually oftentimes have allergic reactions to beef and chicken. Those are the top allergens for dogs. Yeah. So a plant-based diet can do wonders for a lot of these dogs. And it's also just meeting all their nutrient requirements without the toxic overload.

That's crazy to hear because you think like they're carnivores, right? They eat me. Well, traditionally they've been thought of. As more research has been done, it's known now that they're more on the omnivore classification because they have more genes for digestion of carbohydrates, much more so than wolves. And ancestrally, they kind of co-evolved in a symbiotic relationship with humans. And so in places like Thailand and India, there are a lot of dogs eating plant-based naturally because those communities are vegetarian inherently.

So that's what they have access to. And they're doing fine. It's about getting the right amino acids, but I've been vegan myself for 25 years and I'm doing fine. I've been vegetarian my whole life, basically. And I went vegan when I was in college. I read a book called Diet for a New America by John Robbins and really opened my eyes to the confinement practices, the cruelty that's gone on for years in factory farms. And I didn't want to be a part of that.

So I cut out dairy and eggs from my diet. But then as I learned more, I realize it's actually a lot healthier. And now more studies are showing that dogs are living longer, an average of a one-and-a-half-year extension of their lifespan on a plant-based diet provided it's nutritionally adequate. So I think it's just shifting paradigms a little bit to get accustomed to that. But it can be very powerful. So if you're, you know, thinking at home, like, oh, I'm going to have an office. offer, like if I'm cooking or something, you know, is there, you've got broccoli or whatever? Broccoli, green beans, carrots.

Is there something we shouldn't, vegetables that we should be staying away from? Don't feed onions, don't feed macadamia nuts, chocolate. Those foods are not for dogs. But a lot of the foods that we, you know, obviously know, like chocolate or marijuana or rising dough that's from yeast is not good. But those other, and grapes you don't want to give either. Really? Right. Grapes and raisins are off limits. But most of the foods, and you don't want to feed high fat foods that are going to trigger pancreatitis, things like pizza and hot dogs and like barbecue. Those are very rich. And I've seen quite a few cases now of dogs with pancreatitis from consuming really high fat foods.

So we're eating, right? And yeah, it really does a number on that. Because my leftover whopper, part of my Big Mac or whatever. So foods that are easy to digest that you can start slowly, like, especially if they have sensitive stomachs, just like simple tofu, rice, pumpkin, and then just gradually add in foods, you know, sweet potato, broccoli. But the recipes we offer have more detailed information. And then you can also use it as a weight management plan because a lot of dogs are overweight or obese. And that has health problems associated with it.

So getting them to a healthier weight can be easier to achieve through plant-based because it's more fiber-rich. It's got all the fiber and healthy nutrients from plants. And therefore, they don't have to feel like they have to eat more food to feel full because that fiber helps them feel satiated. Got it. Awesome. Well, thank you so much today.

I want to make sure I covered everything because you do so many amazing things. You know, I think of dog care and it's, you know, they've got to get their monthly and their shots and, you know, a few things. clip their toe knells, but you do a lot of really cool things for everybody. Microchipping. You do it all. You're awesome. So again, give Dr. May a call 310614-3530.

Give her a call. She'll come out to you or she'll get you into the clinic so she can help you with all your pets. If you happen to have giant hogs, she can help you with that too right now. I'm just kidding. Dogs and cats. Just dogs and cats. Again, that's veganbet.net.

and thank you so much for coming in. My pleasure. Talking to you. Likewise. Guys, we will see you next time.