Veterinarians, nominated and selected by their peers, exemplify leadership and achievement in improving patient outcomes.
dvm360®, the No. 1 multimedia platform in the veterinary industry, announced the 8 winners of their first Veterinary Heroes ™ recognition program on November 16, 2021, including Curtis Wells Dewey, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Neurology), DACVS, CTCVMP, CCRP . The newcomers were honored at a festive gala at Fetch, a dvm360® conference, on December 1, 2021 at the San Diego Convention Center in California.
The Veterinary Heroes ™ program honors those who have made breakthroughs in veterinary medicine. Veterinary leaders are nominated by their peers for their remarkable achievements in improving patient outcomes. A top-class jury from the dvm360® Advisory Board selected a winner in each category who made a measurable difference.
The Veterinary HeroesTM program is sponsored by Nationwide, Merck, Zoetis, Clevor®, Blue Buffalo, NorthStar VETS, and MedVet.
The 2021 Veterinary Heroes ™ program winners will be presented in an 8-part series. Part 5 focuses on integrative medicine winner Curtis Wells Dewey, DVM, MS, DACVIM (neurology), DACVS, CTCVMP, CCRP.
Dewey is the president of Elemental Pet Vets and a champion of integrative medicine. His team at Elemental Pet Vets focuses on rehabilitation, herbal treatments, acupuncture, and other modalities of traditional Chinese veterinary therapy, including acupuncture, herbal therapy, food therapy, and Tui-Na massage therapy.
Dewey comes from a medical family and has always been interested in the field. He was attracted to animals from an early age and said that he believed that training to be a veterinarian was the best way to combine those passions.
“What gets me out of bed every morning and keeps me going [is helping] my patients and their families; Despite the rigors of veterinary medicine, it is worth the effort to help patients feel better, ”said Dewey.
In addition to his clinical work, Dewey is co-author of the Clinician’s Guide to Canine Acupuncture, a comprehensive integrative textbook with numerous color illustrations and photographs, with Huisheng (Shen) Xie, DVM, PhD, founder and president of Chi University.
Dewey helped develop the formula for CogniCaps because he wanted to create a multi-ingredient nutritional supplement that combines conventional Western nutraceuticals with Chinese herbs.
“There was nothing like it on the market, so for years I prescribed several custom dietary supplements for canine cognitive dysfunction,” said Dewey. “Fortunately, my good friend and colleague Dr Firma, Dr. Fossum’s Pet Care. ”
Dewey credits his wife Janette with the fact that she is the “mastermind” behind Elemental Pet Vets and its “dream team” of employees and collaborators who make everything possible.
Dewey said his reaction to being named a Veterinary Hero has been a mixture of surprise and delight.
“This award is of particular importance to me. I only dealt with integrative medicine relatively late in my career as a veterinarian, but I put my heart and soul into making a positive contribution in this area. To be recognized by my colleagues as leaders in integrative veterinary medicine is a great honor, ”he said.