Testimonials
Leto – Hip/Back Pain & Anxiety
“I was recommended to Jacqui Snell for my very anxious, timid 9-year-old Irish Water Spaniel, and I cannot speak highly enough of her. Jacqui combines excellent veterinary knowledge with a truly special holistic approach, considering every aspect of an animal’s wellbeing.
Leto has hip issues and is very sensitive by nature, so I travelled from Christchurch to Nelson to see Jacqui in person. From the first session, Jacqui was thorough, thoughtful, and deeply respectful of Leto’s need to build trust. It did not take long for Leto to relax with her.
I stayed in Nelson for a week, which allowed for extra appointments, and I received a comprehensive report and recommendations for supplements and herbs to support Leto’s healing. Since then, Jacqui has continued to check in regularly on Leto’s progress. If Leto needs a little support – which is not often – we work with Jacqui via Zoom which has been easy and very helpful.
The improvement in Leto has been amazing. She is now a much calmer and happy dog, exactly the outcome I had hoped for. A recent visitor even commented on what a different dog she is — more confident and much easier to be around. I am so grateful I was encouraged to contact Jacqui and would wholeheartedly recommend her as a capable, compassionate, and approachable veterinarian.”
Elizabeth Beattie – March 2026
Franklin – Small Intestinal Disease
“We can’t thank Jacqui enough for the care and expertise she provided in getting our golden boy, Franklin, back to health. Franklin suffers from IBD, and it had become so severe that he lost 5 kg, was in and out of the vet’s office every week, and no one could figure out the best way forward. Thankfully, one of our vets recommended seeking holistic care with Jacqui—and it worked a treat.
Through her guidance, we discovered that Franklin is allergic to certain proteins, but most importantly, the supplements and treatment plan Jacqui prescribed have made a world of difference. Where he used to be sick and unwell almost every week, that now hardly ever happens—and best of all, he no longer needs to be given endless amounts of unnecessary medications. If he does become unwell, we can manage it ourselves with her emergency treatment plan, without rushing to the vet.
We are so grateful for Jacqui’s support and highly recommend her to anyone whose furbabies are struggling. Thanks to her care, Franklin is back to a healthy weight and his old happy self. Not having to constantly worry about him has lifted such a weight off our shoulders. We will always be thankful for Jacqui’s kindness and expertise. Thank you, Jacqui, from the bottom of our hearts!”
Jacqui, Mike & Franklin - August 2025
Finn – Gastrointestinal, Skin Disease & Anxiety
“We first met Jacqui with our Labradoodle, Finn, almost two years ago. At the time, he was struggling with ongoing gut issues (runny, mucus stools) and suspected IBD. We had tried everything—different diets and proteins, multiple kibble changes, transitioning to freeze-dried food and then raw—but nothing worked. Two different vets suggested the “easy fix” - to put him on hydrolysed kibble, which we were strongly against.
At our very first consultation, Jacqui prescribed a range of supplements to boost Finn’s immune system, along with natural remedies she mixes herself to help heal the gut. Together, we agreed on a diet plan: a short course of hydrolysed kibble to reset his system, and then another attempt at raw.
It wasn’t a quick fix—it was a long journey with plenty of trial and error—but Jacqui was committed to finding the right approach for Finn. And she did.
Fast forward six months, Finn’s stools improved dramatically, and he became noticeably more energetic and happy. These days, if he does get diarrhoea, it clears up within a couple of days thanks to Jacqui’s magical Heel drops. Raw food, unfortunately, wasn’t the right fit for his sensitive stomach, but Jacqui connected us with a wonderful veterinary nutritionist who created a home-cooked recipe that works beautifully for him.
We can’t thank Jacqui enough for everything she’s done for our Finny. We trust her completely, and her ongoing support gives us real peace of mind, knowing that if his condition ever worsens, she’ll be there to help us get him back on track.
She’s also helped us with his ear infections and natural flea control, so I honestly cannot recommend her enough. Thank you so, so much Jacqui—we are forever grateful! Xxx”
Simi Merhar – September 2025
Gonzo – Granulomatous Meningoencephalitis (GME)
Just prior to Christmas our tiny Yorkshire Terrier Gonzo was diagnosed with GME (Granulomatous Meningoencephalitis - an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system) by Massey Vets. After a spell in the ICU and course of Chemotherapy we were very grateful to have Gonzo home again. Administering Prednisone daily to keep the horrific GME symptoms at bay, little Gonzo experienced the unpleasant steroidal side-effects; bloating, lethargy, confusion and frequent urination to name a few. In the hope of returning some quality of life to Gonzo, we sought alternative therapies and found Jacqui, who tailored a unique herbal regime for him. After only a few weeks, we noticed an enormous change in his energy levels, he was bouncy, full of life and tearing around the garden! We have been able to reduce the steroids to an extremely low dose and he is in better health than he has ever been.”
Jen James - March 2019
Moddy – Joint Pain, Weight Loss, Chronic Fever
“On the 18th of Dec 2024 my cat Moddy walked into our home limping on his front leg. Three days after that Moddy could barely walk. What ensued after that was never ending visits to my vet, Moddy was put on a huge amount of drugs and had a specialist report to find out what was wrong but nothing was working. I then decided to do some research online regarding natural remedies and that is when I came across Jacqui.
All I am going to say is this, within two days of giving Moddy the natural products Jacqui had recommended I could see a huge improvement in Moddy. From March 2025 Moddy continued to improve and now he is not only pain free but back to his normal self and enjoying life.
Jacqui your knowledge of holistic veterinary care is beyond reproach. There will never be enough thanks I can give you because you absolutely saved my beloved Moddy.”
Amanda White - July 2025
Marco – Gastrointestinal, Urogenital & Cardiac Support
“I met Dr Jacqui fortuitously when I was looking for someone to guide me on using ozone for my senior dogs and someone in New Zealand recommended her. I am based in Melbourne and decided to give it a go even though my preference was for an in-person consultation. At first I just wanted to learn how to use ozone but then the consultation became a comprehensive overview for both my dogs. Whilst I have met excellent vets in Australia, none of them have given me the time and attention that Dr Jacqui has. It exceeded my expectations, improved the quality of life for my dogs and I know that I can turn to her for help even for a phone consultation! I wish she lived in Melbourne.
Dr Jacqui provides integrated holistic advice and I couldn’t think of anyone better to provide guidance on the health and well-being of animals.”
Xing – November 2024
Mayzin – Cancer Support
“I am thrilled to write a testimonial for Jacqui.
My mountain bred mare from Muzzle Station was delivered on a cattle truck as a 2yro following the Kaikoura earthquake. Following multiple moves together, in June 2024 began 6 months of residing on different properties.
Mayzin had a gelding for company but due to poor pasture and reduced attention to daily needs her health deteriorated to the point of a mole-like lump forming on her face. On the 30th December 2024 it broke through the skin and I began a journey of research and seeking advice.
I fed supplemented "hard feed" - meadow chaff, ground linseed, organic cider vinegar, garlic, salt, turmeric and Equilibrium B1 Cool Mix. This improved her dull coat but did little to reduce the growth.
This "lump" was identified as a sarcoma by 2 vets.
Their recommendations were:
Vet 1. Sedation and surgically remove with 45% success.
Vet 2. Sedation and series of Carboplatin injections "depending on how the sarcoid responded.
I knew there had to be alternative treatment through my own experience and positive results.
Then I found Jacqui, from February 18th her much researched herbal remedies and essential oils, had an immediate effect and within 2 months the sarcoma had completely resolved.
Mayzin is now in good health and both of us are very happy and so grateful for Jacqui's expertise and genuine honest caring. I will continue to recommend her to all animal lovers and owners.”
Mary Richardson - April 2025
Mr Glenny – Kidney Disease and Constipation
“When I consulted Jacqui, our beloved cat Glenny aka Mr. G had started aging quite rapidly. He was suffering from painful constipation and the stomach cramps he used to have occasionally had become frequent.Glenny either had to take a laxative or have frequent enemas. The laxative had bad side-effects and the enemas were majorly stressful for him and me.
I was already feeding a high quality raw food diet. Mr. G also began to show signs of kidney disease. And suffered from gingivitis.
Jacqui worked absolute magic. She supported me to adjust the diet for Glenny and supplied us with the right herbal supplements.
All the things, that conventional vets describe as normal signs of aging have improved.
Glenny has no stomach cramps anymore and goes to the toilet pain and medication free.
His kidney disease seems to be reversing and his gums look much better.
He has more energy than he had in a while and bounces around happy and vital.
Jacqui has not only helped Glenny to get better, she has also helped me through the process in being positive, relaxed and empowering.
It makes me feel excited to see holistic vet-care and advice on healthy pet nutrition becoming more common.
So much stress, pain and cost can be saved through often simple solutions.”
Thank you, Jacqui.
Sophia Christine - January 2023
Kyser – Mast Cell Cancer Support
“I meet Jacqui when she worked with Holistic Vets in Tauranga. I have a 9+ year old Rhodesian Ridgeback called Kyser who has had health issues for many years including numerous mast cell tumour removals. His overall wellbeing was not great so Jacqui recommended a Phyto tincture to support his system, which he has now been taking for a couple of years. This improved his overall wellbeing considerably and Kyser became a much stronger dog. Unfortunately the inevitable happened last August when we discovered the cancer has spread internally. This was devastating news but Jacqui worked with me to provide a range of additional supplements to support him and 9 months later he remains strong. I don’t know how long Kyser will be with me, but I believe that without the holistic support, our journey together may already have ended. Jacqui is very passionate about her treatments. Her positivity and honesty makes her great to work with and I would highly recommend her.”
Anne - February 2021
Bruce – Diabetes and Severe Skin Disease
“After the initial shock of learning Bruce had diabetes, 6 years ago, I knew it was my responsibility to give my boy the best life possible not really knowing how much of a commitment it would be.
With the help of my vet in Christchurch and soon realising the costs involved, I took it upon myself to monitor and do all blood testing etc at home then relay the info to the vet.
Being a very fussy and temperamental eater it was hard work as his levels were all over the show and there were some very close calls.
While I always felt like I was managing his diabetes I never felt like it was under control.
Frequent vet visits and long courses of antibiotics seemed liked the norm in the seemingly endless battle to give him the best life possible.
Moving back north seemed to make things worse with the warmer humid temperatures and at one point I thought that the never ending battle with sores on his feet could spell the end of the road for Bruce.
When Jacqui become involved I knew straight away that she was awesome for Bruce. With her genuine caring attitude, holistic approach & thinking outside the box I knew she could help him. After introducing herbal remedies, stem cell treatment and a change in diet, the results were mind blowing!
His feet healed up amazingly and Bruce had a spring in his step I hadn’t seen in a long time and it has stayed this way ever since.
It got to a point where the vet couldn’t prescribe any more insulin as they hadn’t seen Bruce for so long. It was very delightful.
I would recommend the holistic approach to anyone with a pet in need in particular Jacqui and the team at Holistic Vets. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. Such genuine caring animal lovers who aren’t in it to make a profit like a lot of vet clinics I’ve come across over the years.
Thank you so much for helping Bruce have the best life possible. It means the world to me.”
Anthony Fox - 2018
Bunty – Osteoarthritis
“As we adjusted our pace to suit our ageing senior dog, we felt sorry for the constraint on the younger Bunty. On the demise of her elder, we picked up our pace and were alarmed to find Bunty limping first on one rear leg, then the other. X-rays disclosed bilateral hip dysplasia, a worrying diagnosis at only 9 years of age.
We were very fortunate to meet Dr Jacqui Snell with her dogs who were bounding through the bush.
One of these was 13 years old and Jacqui told us she controls his arthritis with a turmeric compound. After a very thorough examination, she prescribed a similar regime for Bunty.
Since starting on this regime, Bunty's limp has disappeared, she is eager for walks and playful with (approved) other dogs. We are sure that the improvement is due to the holistic care given by Dr Snell.”
Valerie & Derek Packham - 2018
Barbara - Pneumonia
“Jacqui’s recommendation was to start conventional and complimentary medications. Within 24 hours there was a significant improvement in Barbara’s breathing, joints and her general well-being. I feel the tincture Jacqui prescribed had a huge impact on Barbara’s recovery and long term health. She was maintained on the tincture for another month after the conventional treatments had finished.
In my opinion I think Jacqui is a fantastic vet and combined with her knowledge of holistic therapies she worked her magic on Barbara for which I am eternally grateful.”
Debbie Morris - 2018
Latte – Chronic Renal Disease
“I had taken our elderly Burmese cat to our local veterinarian for blood tests as I had noticed that she was drinking a lot of water, constantly hungry and her coat quality had deteriorated along with Parkinson’s type neurological spasms. The results came back as typical of old cat diseases such as overactive thyroid, kidneys starting to fail, neurological problems etc.
I myself have been working with a holistic functional medicine GP and wanted to find a veterinarian that offered these types of services, cue Jacqui Snell. As we live approximately 6.5 hours’ drive away from Jacqui; she happily worked with our local vet so that she could obtain blood tests, urine samples etc.
I followed Jacqui’s protocol and advice to change her complete diet to soft dehydrated pellets (Feline Naturals) and raw foods; instead of the dry cardboard like cat biscuits that are usually specified to aid ailments. About 8 months later, Latte got an abscess from a cat bite that required urgent care so I delivered her to our local veterinarians for hospital care. I received a phone call from an incredulous vet - “what have you done with Latte? She’s amazing, an incredible turnaround I can’t believe it!! What’s the secret?”
Latte is not on any conventional medications whatsoever (apart from her monthly arthritis injections) and is looking like she is literally ageing backwards. I credit our cat’s health entirely to Jacqui’s guidance and experience both as a mainstream vet and Holistic vet. This holistic way is a slower more gentle and long term approach and I will continue to use Jacqui’s services for all of my animals and I cannot recommend her highly enough.”
Simone van der Plas - August 2021
Ash – Gastric Ulcers & Anxiety
“Ash has had a complicated health history due to pyloric ulceration of the digestive tract and hind gut damage and gut fermentation imbalances due to stress (he didn’t cope with leaving his one and only home and is naturally a hyper-anxious character). He had previously been under Massey Uni Teaching Vet hospital care for a long time. Theirs was a medical protocol that was essential in helping Ash to initially heal, however, I felt that there must be a better way to manage his lifestyle (reducing stress) and diet in order to prevent recurrence of the Pyloric ulcers (horses become prone to these) and to help my bank account balance! given that the cost of daily doses of omeprazole and sucralfate in horse size doses costs an excruciating amount.
I found a vet in the USA who specialised in ulceration protocols using both medications and diet/lifestyle. As it was more practical to work with a local holistic vet I thought I would work with Jacqui whom had already successfully treated our cat so I combined working with both vets and recommended protocols.
Jacqui’s supportive advice, research, caring and collaborative approach has been integral in turning Ash’s health around and he has turned a corner. I will continue to work with Jacqui in the future and look forwards to seeing her practice grow and develop as word gets out about how fantastic she is.”
Simone van der Plas - August 2021
Issey – Autoimmune Disease - Immune Mediated Haemolytic Anaemia
“In September Ike’s was diagnosed with auto immune anaemia. She went down so fast and we were told that unless she had an immediate blood transfusion she wouldn’t last the day.
She was then put on steroids whilst being really harsh on her, seemed to be doing the trick. Issey began to improve but she had every possible side effect and I was really concerned about the ongoing problems steroids often cause. Her little body had been through the mill!
A friend told me about the work Jacqui was doing so we set up a zoom meeting immediately. We went through the last three months and Jackie really listened to our concerns about how we could best support Issey as she came off all the medication and gave us some great advice. She then got the medical records from our vet and compiled a comprehensive report,(she really did listen), along with her recommendations and advice. I love that she ‘gets it’. Because she is a vet she understands and embraces conventional medicine but supports it with a holistic, natural approach.
It’s been two months since beginning Jacqui’s treatment ang Issey’s improvement is amazing. She now ‘owns’ the dog park again,(three months ago she couldn’t lift her head), her appetite is great, her weight is back to pre-illness, she’s happy, naughty and full of energy, (I am very tempted to try some myself).
We feel so fortunate to have met Jackie and are very thankful for her ongoing care and concern.”
Raewyn Burke and Issey
Clive – Back Pain, Osteoarthritis & Skin Inflammation
“We noticed our 6 year old Labraspoodle, Clive was looking stiff when he went from sitting to standing and was occasionally crying when his upper back was touched. We reached out to Jacqui who could immediately see he had pulled a muscle in his upper back and had pain in his hips.
Jacqui firstly treated the muscle and once this was sorted focused on the hips which were still painful. Jacqui educated us on inflammatory foods to avoid (we were feeding Clive raw meat that contained preservatives and biscuits) and designed a new food regime including herbal medicine.
Two months after adopting this plan Clive has no detectable pain in his hips. He is bouncing around and seems a lot freer in his movement. Jacqui's advice was amazingly detailed and insightful and her remote consultation model exceeded our expectations.”
Claire Stewart, 2018
Floyd – Epilepsy
“In July 2019 Floyd suffered his first violent seizure, and then 10 days later suffered another one, not a very nice thing to watch. After taking Floyd to the vet and being diagnosed with Epilepsy, and told that he would have to take a tablet every day, and it would probably shorten his life and effect his liver, got me wondering if there was a natural form of treatment, and a goggle search came up with Jacqui Snell.
Jacqui has changed not only Floyd’s life but mine too. After 3 months of Floyd being on herbal supplements, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids suggested by Jacqui along with changing his diet to a raw one, Floyd suffered another seizure. This seizure was half the intensity of the first 2, recovery time for Floyd (and me) was instant.
Although you never want to see your pets suffer, it was good to see what we are doing is working.
Jacqui was very thorough with Floyd’s initial consultation, and follow up support has been awesome.”
Deborah Nelson - November 2019
Bruce – Kidney & Pancreatic Disease
“Our elderly cat, Bruce, moved in with us later in life. He often threw up on traditional dry food. We put him onto a grain free, natural ingredient diet and things improved. However, when he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) our usual vets recommended a dry food renal diet. I was sceptical because of the suboptimal ingredients and especially the grain, but they told me it was the only way to manage his condition. Of course he began throwing up again and also began losing weight because of the low protein levels. This didn’t sit right with me as I have a holistic and inquisitive philosophy about my own health… so after much searching for something more holistic for Bruce, I found Jacqui.
Jacqui helped us to properly understand the processes behind CKD and that there were indeed options we could try beyond buying the ‘prescription’ diets, which too often fail our fur babies. It was a huge relief to be given this knowledge. It was so amazing and empowering to have ways of helping him that felt ‘right’. We kept him on a healthy grain free food and added a phosphorus binder, and did other things to support his gut health. No more dry food. He stopped throwing up with no need for medication! His energy came back and he is a completely different cat 😊 His weight has stabilised and his CKD has not progressed too much despite being on a reasonably high protein diet. Thank you SO much Jacqui!”
Charlotte Cudby - May 2021
Louie - Severe Osteoarthritis & Hip Dysplasia
“I am very happy to be able to write a testimonial for Jacqui Snell.
Jacqui has been attending my 2 Labrador dogs since May 2019 when she commenced practising in my area, where she also resides. For me her holistic approach made all the sense in the world, mainly because we had not been able to source this in Rotorua and it is all about common sense and what chemicals and preservatives I perceive to be in many of the dog foods that you buy today. I have taken on board all that Jacqui has told me and indeed prescribed for my 2 dogs and they are in excellent health as a result. My older dog Louie had such bad hip dysplasia that I considered putting him down last Christmas, but due to Jacqui’s dietary changes with unprocessed meat, vegetables and herbal based remedies, phytomedicine tincture, Antinol (Green lipped mussel extract) and most important the anti-inflammatory, Boswellia complex he is enjoying life today.
I didn’t think the dogs would eat the vegetables but I chop up kale, spinach, broccoli, carrots, kumara, pumpkin, silver beet, and boil this up with a little chicken stock added, then part process this, and they can’t get enough of it!
Recently Jacqui also gave the older dog Louie 4 stem cell transfusions and he is really doing well with no apparent pain.
I consider myself and my dogs so fortunate to have Jacqui looking after them and would highly recommend her services to anyone who loves their pets!”
Norman Donald - November 2020
Pewter – Skin/Gastrointestinal Disease, Pancreatitis & Anxiety
“My black mini snulzer, with a hint of poodleis my first dog. She is a cheeky, gentle and fun-loving dog. I am still asked, at aged 8 years “how old is your puppy?” It has been a long journey with intolerance to some foods, pancreatic rumblings/flare ups, dull fur that in one area had turned from glossy black to a light grey, with patches of hard lumps on very dry flaky skin and itchy inflamed feet pads, then I met Jacqui, a few years ago.
Jacqui has demonstrated a genuine on-going enthusiasm, with a curiosity and enquiring mind, constantly growing her knowledge and bringing a genuine holistic approach with much kindness; a genuine approach that fits with my dog’s wellbeing rather than one size fits all.
She is a dog that cannot be made 100%, but is a matter of on-going maintenance. Recently leaky gut has also been added into the mix. Under Jacqui’s guidance, she has returned to being, a black glossy haired dog, the imploding and scabby lumps are no longer present, and the itchy feet have resolved.
It is an on-going process of elimination trying to find things that her sensitive digestive system will tolerate, which is not easy in light of the mix of her symptoms. It is a bunch of conditions that takes patience and careful consideration that Jacqui offers. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than when my dog shows me that she is happy. We want our pets to be healthy and well. An agenda that Jacqui shares.”
Suzanne - December 2019
Coco
“My West Highland Terrier has been treated by Jacqui over the course of this year. My Westie Coco, has had skin and compromised immunity which has been supported with the help of remedies that Jacqui has prescribed and made for her. Jacqui is an excellent vet and holistic practitioner that I am happy to recommend. She is caring and happy to share her knowledge.”
Carleen – 2018
Bella
”Late last year I was temporarily unable to drive and my cat Bella needed a vaccination. I was very grateful Jacqui Snell made a house call to give her the injection. Bella does not like being handled at the best of times due to an injury, Jacqui was gentle and very caring and was able to pick her up and examine her, I have never seen Bella so relaxed.
Not only did Jacqui give her the injection, Bella had a thorough examination, as a result she was given a holistic remedy, which she has been taking since last October. Bella is a different cat altogether, her coat is beautifully shiny; she looks really well and behaves like a young cat again.
I cannot recommend Jacqui more highly – she is a brilliant vet."
Libby – 2020