Meet Dr. Nichollette Rider, DVM | Integrative Veterinary Care

Compassionate, individualized veterinary care for the whole pet

Dr. Nichollette Rider DVM, MS CVTCVMP

Your pet is more than a diagnosis.

They are a companion, a family member, and an individual with their own personality, history, needs, and quality-of-life goals.

At Hello Harmony Vet, I believe veterinary medicine works best when we look at the whole picture. That may include conventional veterinary medicine, appropriate diagnostics and medications, as well as integrative therapies such as acupuncture, manual therapies, nutrition, herbal medicine, and other supportive treatments.

The goal isn’t to choose between conventional and holistic medicine.

The goal is to find the right combination of care for your individual pet.

I’m Dr. Nichollette Rider, and I provide integrative and holistic veterinary care for dogs and cats throughout the Quad Cities and surrounding communities of eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

Meet Dr. Nichollette Rider

A veterinarian who believes there is more than one way to help a pet feel better

I graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011.

Early in my veterinary career, I became increasingly interested in patients whose problems didn’t always have a simple answer. Chronic pain, arthritis, gastrointestinal disease, mobility problems, anxiety, aging, and complicated medical conditions sometimes didn’t respond to conventional treatments. I knew there had to be a better way.

That curiosity led me to pursue advanced training in acupuncture. I saw amazing result sin my patients! I then learned spinal manipulation, nutrition, herbal medicine, therapeutic bodywork, and hospice and end-of-life care.

I still value conventional veterinary medicine and use appropriate diagnostics, medications, laboratory testing, imaging, and other medical tools when they are in my patient’s best interest.

I don’t believe pets should have to choose between conventional and holistic care.

Instead, the best approach is to use the knowledge, tools, and therapies that make sense for the individual patient.

Sometimes that means medication. Sometimes it means acupuncture. Sometimes it means nutrition, herbal support, or manual therapy.

Often, it means a combination.

And sometimes the most important thing we can do is help a family understand what their pet is experiencing and determine what will provide the best possible quality of life.

Advanced Training & Specialized Education

A depth of veterinary training that goes beyond the typical practice

One of the things that makes Hello Harmony Vet different is the depth and breadth of Dr. Rider’s continuing education and expertise.

Rather than focusing on a single modality, she has pursued advanced training across several areas of veterinary medicine, including acupuncture, pain and mobility, nutrition, herbal medicine, therapeutic bodywork, and hospice and end-of-life care.

She is one of the few veterinarians in the U.S.A. to be certified in all branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, spinal manipulation, hospice and palliative care and an advanced Master’s Degree in TCVM. This gives her a broader set of tools to consider when caring for pets with chronic, complex, painful, aging, or life-limiting conditions.

🎓 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine — 2011

🐾 Advanced Veterinary Acupuncture

Chi University

Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA) — 2021
149 hours of advanced acupuncture education

Dr. Rider has been practicing veterinary acupuncture since 2017 and continued advanced acupuncture education beyond initial certification.

🦴 Veterinary Spinal & Manual Therapy

Certified Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapist (CVSMT) — 2022
226 hours of advanced education in veterinary spinal manipulation

Fellow, College of Animal Chiropractors (CoAC) — 2022

🌿 Nutrition, Herbal Medicine & Therapeutic Bodywork

Through advanced education with Chi University, she completed training leading to certification in:

Certified Veterinary Food Therapist (CVFT)
Certified Veterinary Herbal Practitioner (CVHP)
Certified Veterinary Tui-na Practitioner (CVTP)
Certified Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medical Practitioner (CVTCVMP)

❤️ Hospice & End-of-Life Care

Certified TCVM Palliative and End-of-Life Practitioner (CTPEP)

Training in hospice and palliative care complements her work with senior pets, chronic illness, quality-of-life concerns, and in-home euthanasia.

Graduate Education

She is currently completing the Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (MS-TCVM) program at Chi University.

Completed advanced graduate coursework in areas include herbal medicine, food therapy, Tui-na, and palliative and end-of-life care. Dr. Rider is currently completing the research phase of the program.

What Does All This Training Mean for Your Pet?

More knowledge. More perspective. More options.

Letters after a veterinarian’s name don’t mean much if they don’t translate into better care.

This extensive education means having more tools available when your pet needs them.

A dog with arthritis may benefit from a combination of pain medication, acupuncture, mobility work, nutritional support, and recommendations for care at home.

A cat with chronic gastrointestinal problems may need conventional diagnostics and medication while also benefiting from nutritional changes, acupuncture, or herbal support.

A senior pet with several medical conditions may need a plan that considers pain, mobility, appetite, digestion, medications, family goals, and quality of life together rather than treating each problem in isolation.

And a pet approaching the end of life may need an entirely different kind of medicine—one focused less on curing disease and more on comfort, dignity, and making the time remaining as good as possible.

That is what integrative veterinary medicine means at Hello Harmony Vet.

It means bringing different areas of veterinary knowledge together to create a plan tailored to the individual patient.

Why I Practice Integrative Veterinary Medicine

Sometimes looking beyond a single diagnosis changes everything.

Like many veterinarians, I became a veterinarian because I wanted to help animals.

Over time, however, I became increasingly passionate about the patients who didn’t fit neatly into a single diagnosis or treatment plan.

I found that there was often more we could do for a pet when we looked beyond one disease or one body system and considered the whole animal—their pain, mobility, appetite, digestion, behavior, environment, medications, family, and quality of life.

I became especially passionate about integrative medicine after seeing how much more we could do for patients when we looked beyond a single diagnosis.

That realization changed the way I practice.

Rather than asking, “What treatment do we use for this disease?”, I often find myself asking:

“What does this particular pet need?”

That question guides everything I do.

My Personal Connection to Hospice & Quality-of-Life Care

Sometimes our job is not to cure. It is to care.

Like every veterinarian, I have a passion for making animals well again. But sometimes our animal family members can’t be made better. I have found that delivering terminal news to pet owners that their best friend has cancer, arthritis, kidney failure or cognitive disorder (aka Alzheimers) is heart breaking.

However, I want pet care-givers to know that your furry friends and family members don’t have to suffer. Pet hospice is palliative care that can help alleviate pain, anxiety and make your pet comfortable and happy. One thing I like people to remember is that sometimes our friends have a great attitude, eat well, etc, even though they have a terminal illness. You don’t have to let go the second you get bad news. I believe in hospice care with the goal of relieving pain & anxiety and increasing quality of life. Therefore, my goal is to work closely with you to give your pet the best quality of life while s/he remains with you.

When you feel it is time to say goodbye, you can give the last gift of love by humanely and peacefully transitioning your friend through euthanasia. I will assist your friend in crossing over the Rainbow Bridge with compassion and care. Many people believe their pets would be most happy and comfortable to share their last moments at home. Which is why I come to you!

Who Is a Good Fit for Hello Harmony Vet?

Hello Harmony Vet may be a good fit if your pet:

Has a chronic or complicated condition and you are looking for additional treatment options
Has ongoing pain, arthritis, or mobility problems
May benefit from veterinary acupuncture
Has chronic gastrointestinal, urinary, respiratory, neurologic, or other health concerns
Is aging and you want to be proactive about comfort and quality of life
Has not responded as well as hoped to conventional treatment alone
May benefit from nutritional or herbal support
Would benefit from a more individualized, whole-patient approach
Has been diagnosed with a terminal or life-limiting condition
Needs hospice or quality-of-life support
Is approaching the end of life and you want compassionate in-home euthanasia

We also work with your primary or referring veterinarian when appropriate.

It can mean adding another layer of knowledge and support to your pet’s overall care team.

Hello Harmony Vet

Individualized medicine. Compassionate care. More options for the pets we love.

Our passion is to help all pets live their best life through holistic care. We believe happy pets make happy people. We strive to alleviate pet caregiver fears surrounding pet aging and death. In essence, we want to empower people to give a peaceful and gentle goodbye to their beloved friend.

See Integrative Care in Action

Every pet is different. Read about some of the dogs and cats we’ve helped with chronic disease, pain, mobility problems, gastrointestinal issues, aging, and hospice care.

Geriatric medicine

Geriatric medicine provides unique challenges to the practitioner. We need to balance the the wishes of our clients (you) and the needs of our patients. To do this successfully, communication is key.

One challenge is the struggle pet care givers go through. For example, sometimes owners don’t know their pets are in pain or don’t feel well and we need to educate owners what discomfort looks like. Pets are really good at hiding their discomfort. Many owners recognize early and advanced signs of pain and desperately want to do something for them, but don’t know where to turn. They can even feel like other family members and friends don’t understand their stress, anxiety and heartache they are feeling.

When is it time?

Most people have a very difficult time knowing when it is time to say good-bye to their furry friend. We support people by providing acupuncture, massage, cold laser therapy and pain medications to make them comfortable through this end-life stage. We address your personal fears and goals regarding your pet and help you transition to the peaceful goodbye you both deserve.

That is why Dr. Rider is committed to assisting owners and pets during the last trek of their incredible journey together. And she is convinced that visiting you and your pet in your home is the best way to serve you both!