Testimonials: Our clients time to "speak"
"Basil" and Tel C.
We brought our beloved dog Basil here for acupuncture and holistic care when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Due to the nature and location of his cancer, other treatment options were not available to him and we were hoping to make his remaining time with us as happy and healthy as possible. We wanted to give him as many good days as we could. We could not have asked for better care or kinder care givers. Basil was always anxious and scared at the vet, but not at CIAM. I could tell he felt safe and relaxed with Dr. Yamate and at peace in the office. They gave him their very best for his last few months. And when it was time to say goodbye, not only did Dr. Yamate take my personal phone calls after hours to walk me through the painful process, but she helped us decide when he was no longer well enough to continue at home under our care. I will be forever grateful that we got to bring him to a place where he was loved and felt at peace for his final moments. It was evident how much every staff member loved our dog, even though we were only with them for a short time. He was so cared for, and we were so cared for through every step of the process. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for holding me and my family through this experience. Dr. Yamate is an absolute gem and we wholeheartedly recommend this practice to everybody. (posted on Google 6/2023)
"Maxie" and Tom M.
When our previous Lab, Maxie was suffering from Laryngeal Paralysis, we took her to see Dr. Yamate. The Western Med vets said we would be lucky to have her through the summer. Two and a half years later, we had to put Maxie down. Dr. Yamate helped her not with just her Laryngeal Paralysis, but also with her arthritis and Hip dysplasia as well. The team is kind and caring. My only regret, we moved away, so our new dog, Ram won't get to experience the great care the team at Center for Integrative Animal Medicine can provide. (posted on Facebook 11/2019)
"All Our Dogs" and Nancy K.
Dr. Yamate's discerning eye, magical hands, & encyclopedic Chinese & Western veterinary knowledge provide outstanding health care for our four dogs. Our journey with Dr. Yamate began with our oldest, now 9 year old, lab/golden girl who was displaying beginning kidney function & mobility issues. Diet change along with regular acupuncture, chiropractic sessions, & appropriate supplements have significantly reduced her symptoms & stabilized disease progression. Our other dogs aged 6 & 5 years old & the 10 month old puppy see Dr. Yamate regularly too; a young dog profits just as much, if not more, from her care! She works cooperatively with the dogs' high caliber Western vet professionals at South Davis Vet Clinic. Dr. Yamate's Chinese traditional medicine approach benefits the dogs by truly emphasizing preventative health care. Now their coats are silky, soft, & richer in color. Their digestive issues & chronic ear infections are under control. Their energy & emotions are better balanced. They are happier, healthier dogs. And that is the bottom line for Dr. Yamate's abundantly passionate & compassionate way: being proactive with your beloved pet to keep them in better health throughout their life.
"Chief" and Bry M.
It's about time I wrote a review for Dr. Yamate and Candace. It's been over 2.5 years since I took my boxer Chief in. He has just had an emergency surgery, had been diagnosed with blood cancer...oh, and he was given 3 months to live. Dr. Yamate was phenomenal. I was just getting ready to move to Texas and had no idea what to do. She gave me a list of approved foods to start cooking for my Chief, and made a blend herbs and supplements tailored to him and even recommended similar vets to go to that live out in Texas. During the next year, they sent me his medicine when I had ran out and were always happy to answer any questions I had about which shots to give him, or what to do about heartworm, flea and tick prevention...or really anything. I still send them pictures of Chief and my parents still stop in to pick up their all-natural treats for him. They still remember and ask about his progress and truly care about him. I'm so incredibly grateful to Candace and Dr. Yamate. (posted on Google, 2018)
"Jinx, etc etc" and Donnelly W.
Dr. Yamate sees all our “complicated” pets - they’re old and they have issues! She’s incredible!! She and her team have provided complimentary treatments for arthritis, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, heart conditions, tumors, allergies, etc etc - they’re always kind, compassionate, and up to date on the latest therapies available. She caught several health concerns early enough that it made a huge difference in outcome, too. My only regret is that we didn’t know about her sooner! (posted on Facebook 9/2019)
"Presso" and Maria T.
I recently saw a video, meant to be funny, of dogs’ reactions to being at a vet’s office. They all were scared, anxious, trying to hide. Seeing this, I thought “that’s how it used to be for Presso”. (Presso was my Chocolate Labrador Retriever). Not so, not after he started treatment with Dr. Madeline Yamate at the Center for Integrative Animal Medicine. When he came in for his first consultation with Dr. Yamate, he had to be carried in, he could barely get up. He was almost 14 years old, very arthritic, in pain. He had just been diagnosed to be in third stage kidney failure. Previous treatment with prednisone had severely stressed his liver. He had been under care of several vets, but was going downhill rapidly. There had to be a better, more humane way to treat my dog in his old age. Following a recommendation from a friend, I scheduled a consultation with Dr. Madeline Yamate at the Center for Integrative Animal Medicine. Prior to his first consultation, Dr. Yamate took time to completely review his entire medical history (which consisted of about 2 inches of laboratory test results and veterinary reports). At this first consultation she spent two hours, completely checking out his condition, his vitals, and responses to stimuli. She then treated Presso to an hour of acupuncture (with electrical stimulation), followed by Low Level Laser Therapy. To further assess his current condition, she took blood and urine for analysis. Based on her observations of Presso, as well as his medical history, she prescribed several herbal supplements for his pain, and support of his liver, kidneys, and hind end. This first consultation lasted 4 hours. Within 2 days of his first treatment by Dr. Yamate, he could get up and walk by himself. He moved more easily, with less pain. He was more alert, with more wags to his tail. Upon Dr. Yamate’s recommendation, I started him on a prepared dog food made specifically for canine kidney support. His kidney condition improved, and his coat had a beautiful shine. In the following months, he continued to respond favorably to the herbal supplements. Based on lab results, we could see that his urinary and blood chemistries had come back to normal. So, I continued to bring Presso to the Center for treatment. His herbal supplements were renewed or changed depending on his condition. Approximately once a month, I took him in for acupuncture treatment by Dr. Yamate, and occasionally for chiropractic adjustment by Dr. Troy. Here’s the thing….every time Presso got to Dr. Yamate’s office, he happily ran up the ramp to the office door. He couldn’t wait to get in and be with the vet and her loving staff. This was a very happy place for him - he was treated with love, and care to the very end of his days. So…On February 5, 2019, I took Presso to Dr. Yamate’s office for his last visit. Surrounded by his friends and his vet family, in the quiet calm of his treatment room, Dr. Yamate helped him pass. He was 3 months shy of 16 years old when he died. Tail still wagging. He was a very happy dog. Dr. Yamate and her staff gave me almost 2 more good years with my big boy, Presso. I am grateful. This Testimonial is given by Maria W. Tikkanen on March 13, 2019.
"Bumper" and Karey Z., M.D.
NEWSFLASH – DAVIS DOG AGES IN REVERSE!!! . . . THANKS TO CIAM I first met Dr. Madeline Yamate at a presentation to volunteers for a national assistance dog organization. Dr. Yamate was very impressive, and the material was informative and interesting. As I listened, I thought of our 10-year-old lab, Bumper, and how he might benefit from complementary medicine. I am a Western-trained physician, so admittedly, I was not entirely familiar with integrative medicine. . . okay, I was skeptical! However, I wanted to find a way to extend Bumper’s longevity, and most importantly, his quality of life. Bumper is a duck dog - he was born to hunt, and we wanted him to be able to do something he LOVES for as long as possible. This meant keeping his joints healthy, his energy level high, his nutritional status optimal, and his enjoyment of life preserved. I brought Bumper for an initial consultation, which was an incredible learning experience. It was clear that Dr. Yamate had taken the time to review every single page of Bumper’s medical records from his Western vet. She knew all the details of his past health history, including his lab results. Dr. Yamate spent two-to-three hours examining Bumper, explaining her findings, and making extensive recommendations. To say she was thorough is an understatement! Over the past two years, Bumper has completely transformed. He has not aged 14 “dog years” by any stretch of the imagination. His energy level has increased, his coat color has deepened, and his diet has improved dramatically. He used to be anxious and reticent to visit the vet, and now he trots up the ramp and wags his tail when he greets the CIAM staff. We have an assistance-dog-in-training, and he not only welcomes play with our puppy, he initiates it, playing just as hard as the pup! Finally, Bumper – at 12 years old – had a fantastic full season of retrieving ducks, and he was able to enjoy what he loves for yet another year. He hunted better in the last two years than when we was 10! This is what quality of life is all about. We are very grateful to CIAM. I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Yamate to anyone seeking to add quality years to their dogs’ lives. She and her staff provide compassionate, conscientious care, and CIAM is certainly a positive addition to pet care in the Davis community.
"Tuli" and Melody & Steve K.
Madeline Yamate at The Center for Integrative Animal Medicine (CIAM)! We cannot recommend her highly enough!! We brought our 12 y/o, 80 lb Chocolate Lab, Tuli, to her when we moved to Woodland 4 years ago. We hoped there might be something she could do to help ease Tuli's pain from arthritis. After a change in diet and switching some of her medication to Chinese herbs, Tuli's coat became silky and shiny again; her pain diminished; her energy increased and she started acting more like a younger version of herself. As time went on and the arthritis progressed, we took advantage of the acupuncture and laser treatments that CIAM offers for pain management. ( they also offer massage and chiropractic, neither of which we used.) As a result, our sweet girl had 4 more quality years of life! She died just 2.5 weeks ago at the age of 16! Whenever we would take her to CIAM, she would get excited and couldn't wait to go in... what animal does that at a Vet's office? Consequently, when she became very ill and infirm in her last week and we had to take her in for her last visit, she was happy to be there and knew she was loved and cared for. There were no signs of fear or stress in her because CIAM felt like a 2nd home to her. We are heartbroken that she is gone but, we are grateful beyond measure for the quality and quantity of life we had with her, thanks to Dr Yamate and her team. We only wish we had known about Dr Yamate when we first got Tuli. Feel free to let them know that you were referred by Melody and Steve Klein. (Posted on Nextdoor, 2017)
"Yuba" and Linda C.
I highly recommend CIAM. We lost our dog to cancer last year and didn't find out about CIAM until her last month of life. It made such a difference for her. Wish we discovered Dr.Yamate and her clinic long ago. (posted on DavisWiki, 12/2013)
Samantha W.
AMAZING! I had such a wonderful experience today! The staff is so welcoming and polite! Dr. Madeline Yamate was so personable and such a pleasure to work with! My dog isn't the most cooperative and she did so well with keeping her calm and making the entire visit pleasurable for my dog and I. Before I came in she knew all about my dogs past history , it was very nice to have someone who really cared and was super prepared for our visit. I know I will be coming here for years to come! I can't stress enough how knowledgeable the staff and Doctor were. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an alternative to western medicine. I also love how they were not pushy or judgmental (which some vets can be). Thank you so much to the staff and Dr. Yamate for getting my puppy on the right track to a long and healthy life! (5 star review posted on Yelp 9/2016)