Veterinarian Overview
Graduated from Melbourne University School of Veterinary Medicine with Honors in 2001. After two years of practicing as a traditional western veterinarian, she decided to pursue her passion for preventative and holistic veterinary medicine. In 2003 she gained additional education from the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and became a Veterinary Acupuncturist. In 2004-2007 she studied Chinese Herbal Medicine at the Chi Institute and in 2006-2007 studied Bioresonance Therapy. She is a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association. For those that don't know me, I am proud to be an Aussie and according to my American friends, I have not lost much of my accent. Although if you ask my Mum (mom) I have developed a slight American "twang." I have been married eight years to my loving and supportive husband Scott. We have been blessed with two children, Jack who is our spirited, intuitive and colorful 5 year old and Will, our centered, serious and straightforward 2 Karen Rettig's familyyear old. They are the loves of my life. We also share our house with two dogs, Rajah a 7 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback and Emma a 6 year old English Setter and our hilarious rabbit, Midnight. I am very lucky that my work is my passion. Ever since I was a little girl, animals were my "thing." If there were animals around, that's where you would find me. I rode horses competitively in my teens and 20's. I am most centered and content when I am riding. Riding is like Yoga to me. I can tune out the world and be at one with the horse. So when I do find a spare second, which is rare these days, you will find me on or near a horse. In my early 20's, I graduated in Australia with a degree in Finance, spent 3 years working in the financial arena and decided this was not for me. I had always wanted to be a vet and loved Science so thought, why not give it a go. For those that know me, I just worked on this until it was a reality and in 1998 was accepted in the Melbourne University School of Veterinary Medicine. I was so excited to go to school and learn and of course loved being with the animals. It was a match made in heaven. I had found my place in life and everyday was a great day. I graduated in December of 2001, and moved to the USA two days later, sat board exams and started working in Reno, Nevada, in a small animal hospital. I quickly learned that while I loved being a vet, it needed some "tweaking." I wanted to heal the animals and not just send them away with quick fixes. I had been exposed to acupuncture and chiropractic through my horses back in Australia so I understood the concepts and how beneficial it can be for animals to help them find balance. So within 1.5 years of graduating vet school, I started the IVAS course to become a veterinary acupuncturist. I remember sitting in the room on the first day and them saying "your life is about to change." Boy, they could not have been more right. It opened up my eyes to a whole different way of looking at medicine and healing. So I became a convert. And since then I have thrown myself into holistic medicine with all of my heart. I am grateful to have found a form of medicine that provides true healing rather than masking symptoms. All of us and our animals have an ability to heal with the right tools. Wellness comes from balance and harmony in the mind and body. It is with true excitement and commitment that I come to work every day. My patients are my teachers and I am grateful for all that they teach me every day. Thank you for allowing me to practice my passion and for trusting me with your care.
