Meet Dr. Christina Howard
Dr. Howard's education includes:
- Certification in Veterinary Chinese Herbal Medicine, currently completing coursework
- Certification in Veterinary Chiropractic, Options for Animals, 2016
- Certification in Veterinary Acupuncture, International Veterinary Acupuncture Association, 2015
- Internship, Large Animal Surgery, Medicine, and Emergency/Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, 2012-2013
- Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 2012
I always had a love for animals. Growing up in rural New Jersey, I spent every moment I could at a local stable—mucking stalls, grooming horses, and riding. I took lessons and eventually had two horses of my own. My desire to provide top-notch care to them sparked an interest in veterinary medicine. By age 12, I had amassed a small library of veterinary textbooks and magazines. Every time our veterinarian visited, I eagerly asked questions about what I had read, and he patiently answered every single one of them. His huge wealth of knowledge and ability to positively impact my horse's well-being inspired me to pursue veterinary medicine as a lifelong career.
Once I set my sights on becoming a veterinarian, I sought out any opportunity for hands-on animal experience. Through high school and college, I shadowed the veterinarians at a mixed animal practice and worked at numerous horse farms. I even spent two months at a sea turtle rehabilitation center in Athens, Greece. After graduating from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine and completing an internship at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center Hospital the following year, my husband and I moved to the Pacific Northwest to work as an equine ambulatory veterinarian.
As a veterinarian, I felt like there were some conditions that I couldn't treat effectively. It sometimes felt like I wasn't treating the underlying root problem. There were patients where I had a feeling that all of the seemingly random disease processes they had were interconnected but I didn't have the ability to explain how or why. That's where my journey with integrative care started. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine gave me a new framework to understand how seemingly unrelated diseases were part of a larger imbalance. If I could correct that underlying imbalance, all the other symptoms would improve or disappear. I attended the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society's course in 2015 and immediately after the first session, started getting amazing results. After that, I pursued certification in veterinary chiropractic care at Options for Animals, recognizing how improving biomechanics can reduce the risk of injury and enhance performance. While working at Petzen, an integrative veterinary clinic in Gig Harbor, I was further inspired by the effectiveness of veterinary herbal medicine leading me to pursue training in veterinary herbal medicine through Chi University.
When not working, I am spending time with my Bernese Mountain Dog, Oakley, or my husband. We are often seen walking on a mountain trail or around West Seattle.