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Our story is a great one

Whole Pet Mountain Island was founded in 2021 to provide integrative and advanced, holistic medicine to Whole Pet clients and patients traveling from Charlotte, South Charlotte, Belmont, Gastonia, and Denver areas.  Three outstanding veterinarians from our Davidson location lead the Mountain Island location offering the same quality and compassionate veterinary services our Whole Pet clients count on. At Whole Pet Mountain Island, we offer wellness exams and careful vaccinations and preventative care, advanced medicine and surgery, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation, as well as medicine and surgery for exotic pets.

VETERINARIANS

Dr. Khare
Fear Free Professional

DR. RAY KHARE, DVM, CVA, CVFT, CVMMP, CAMP

Veterinarian

laura
Fear Free Professional

Dr. Laura Lathan, DVM

Veterinarian
Fear Free Certified: Cats, Dogs and Birds

Dr. Ritzman

Dr. Tracey Ritzman, DVM, Dipl. ABVP -Avian & Exotic Companion Mammals

Veterinarian
Board Certified Specialist in Avian & Exotic Mammal Practice

Dr. Irvin

Dr. Melissa Irvin, DVM, cVMA, CRPM

Veterinarian

Dr. Hall 1

Dr. Meghan Hall, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Benitez

Dr. Marian Benitez, DVM, MS Diplomate, ACVS-SA

Veterinarian

MANAGERS

Dr. Sheehan

Dr. Nicole Sheehan

Owner

Dr. Sheehan's Bio

 Certified Veterinary Acupuncture, Certified Veterinary Food Therapy, Certified Veterinary Chinese Herbs, Certified Meridian Autonomic Testing, Fear Free Certified

Special Interests: General medicine and surgery, acupuncture, herbal and alternative medicine, orthopedics, cardiology

Education: The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Hometown: Strongsville, Ohio

Pets: Cooper and Skippy (dogs), Kaya and Simon (cats)

Dr. Nicole Sheehan has always had a love for and ability to communicate with animals since she was a young girl. After graduating from veterinary school and moving from Ohio to North Carolina, she felt at home in the area but not in her profession. She was blessed with mentors as a new graduate who pushed her to practice detailed and advanced medicine, but she wasn’t happy with her quality of life. As she started a family and alternative treatments such as acupuncture, she sought different opportunities to improve her medicine and life. She found herself frustrated by inefficient systems and poor work cultures. Although her son was only one year old and she was pregnant with her daughter, she decided she had to do it differently. So she set up Whole Pet Veterinary Hospital in 2013 to create a place where she could pay her bills and still love going to work. Little did she know this would create so much more!

What resulted was a place where EVERYONE liked coming to work—where people are free to develop their skills and talents in an encouraging and supportive environment. Being free to learn and try new treatments, her clients pushed her harder and harder to move beyond standard treatments that weren’t working to discover new medications that actually reversed the disease. As animals were healing permanently from chronic diseases, she joked that she was “the worse business owner in the world” because her patients were getting better and only needed to come back for yearly check-ups. She was wrong—her results brought her new clients from all over the state and, eventually, phone consults all over the United States, as well as Europe, Australia, and Asia.

In seeing mostly second opinions (or what we lovingly call “sixth opinions”), with a careful history, thorough physical exam, and subtle changes in lab work, she has identified a handful of triggers for animals’ common diseases. Her practice’s mainstay is “Food First,” where high-level nutrition is used first to improve the health and balance of the body. Any signs of toxins or disease triggers are treated with herbal or pharmaceutical medication. While she identifies herself as a holistic Veterinarian, she is willing to use whatever treatments give the best results, and so she still does surgery and chemotherapy when necessary. In the hospital, she will often use laser, ozone, PRP, and acupuncture to improve mobility and treatment outcomes.

After years of reversing chronic diseases that typically are considered irreversible, such as skin allergies, autoimmune disease, kidney failure, and paralysis, she has become convinced all diseases are treatable, including cancer. For example, she has successfully and fully treated her own dog’s heartworm disease with homeopathy, her cat’s kidney failure and hepatitis with herbal medicine, and her own autoimmune disease with herbs and meditation. This outlook on healing has greatly impacted the outlook of her clients and coworkers on their own health and the health of their animals. A common saying you will hear around here is, “Once you see it, you can never unsee it.”

Advanced Courses and Certifications:

  • Veterinary acupuncture
  • Chinese food therapy
  • Veterinary Chinese herbal medicine
  • Meridian autonomic testing (muscle testing)
  • Detoxification medicine
  • Tick- and vector-borne diseases
  • Abdominal and cardiac ultrasonography

Publications and Appearances:

  • Glycoflex National Commercial
  • VetriScience National Advisory Board
  • Veterinary Practice News
  • VetFolio Podcast
  • Fox News Rising
  • Charlotte Today

She recently has developed a way of sharing her treatment strategies outside of Whole Pet Veterinary Hospital through Nicole the Vet, where she highlights cases, offers classes to vet professionals, and speaks out about problems within the industry. Visit her on Facebook and Instagram at @nicolethevet and see videos on pet care and nutrition on YouTube at @nicolethevet. Be on the lookout in 2020 for her book on healing animals naturally, and new holistic veterinary hospitals in the area to serve more animals and people!

Jenna Glover
Fear Free Professional

Jenna Glover

Manager

Jenna's Bio

Pets: Nancy (dog) and Crew (crested gecko).

Jenna is born and raised in Charlotte, NC, and moved to South Carolina with her husband a few years ago. She has been in the veterinary field since 2007 but has had a love for animals since she was young. Jenna has a passion for wildlife and loves to work with exotic pets, and this has driven her to pursue a degree in environmental science so she can help preserve natural land for these native creatures.

Jenna is very excited to join the Whole Pet family to further her career in integrative veterinary medicine. She is also Fear Free Certified.

In her free time, she is usually cuddled up with her dogs or out exploring the city with her husband.

Contact: Email jenna@wholepetvets.com

Patient Care Team

Tiffany 2
Fear Free Professional

Tiffany Doceti

Lead Veterinary Assistant

Tiffany's Bio

Tiffany has always had a love for animals since she was little. She knew even back then that her future would revolve around them. While she is a serious cat lover, she also has a love for many other creatures. Tiffany has several of her own fur (and scale) babies at home including 1 dog, 1 rabbit, 2 cats, and a bearded dragon. She loves to ride horses in her free time and hopes to own some of her own in the future. One of her many special talents is working with nervous animals and showing her patients love and support. Tiffany loves being a part of the Mountain Island team and is always eager to learn and expand her skillset.

Meagan

Meagan Park

Lead Veterinary Assistant

Meagan's Bio
Meagan is a North Carolina native who started her veterinary journey in 2008. She loves everything about her career and has a special love of dentistry and surgery, but what she loves the most is being a mom. Meagan has an 8-year-old sassy, intelligent, and funny daughter who aspires to be a marine biologist or vet- so it runs in the family! On her time off Meagan enjoys cooking, gardening and spending time outdoors with her husband and daughter. Summer is her season for life! In addition to being an amazing mom to her daughter, she is also mom to 4 cats (Kiwi, Luna, Red Man, and Flynn) and 1 senior Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Cooper). Meagan is really excited to be a part of the Whole Pet team and learn more about our holistic approach.
Evelin

Evelin Honcharova

Veterinary Assistant

Evelin's Bio
Evelin grew up in Indian Trail, North Carolina. She has always had a drive to help. Being drawn to the outdoors, she would always find interest in all the creatures she could find. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her family and discovering new hobbies for herself. She enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors. Evelin is always trying to learn and expand her knowledge base. Evelin is excited to be a part of our team and learn more about our holistic approach to provide the best care for your pet!
Nikki P

Nikki Philipp

Veterinary Assistant

NIKKI's Bio

Originally from South Carolina, Nikki relocated to Charlotte, NC, with her husband a few years ago, bringing along their two cherished rescue dogs, Amber and Jack. Her “fur children” are central to her life, complete with their own room and a new collar and bow each month. Nikki’s passion for veterinary medicine began early in life, now more than 14 years ago, especially in anesthesia. She has woven her passion into her work in both the veterinary and photography worlds. She is the proud owner and sole photographer of a business she operates with dedication here in Charlotte. When she’s not photographing pets or working with animals, Nikki enjoys traveling with her husband, gardening, and caring for her extensive collection of houseplants.

Nicki

Nicki Rumble

Veterinary Assistant

Nicki's Bio
Nicki was born and raised in the Charlotte/Concord area. She received her degree in Interior Design and Home Staging, but with the challenges of COVID-19, Nicki entered the veterinary field instead! She has been a lover of animals her whole life and has always loved helping out at the Concord Humane Society. Nicki started as a receptionist in the field and evolved into a veterinary assistant; her favorite animals to work with are cats and small mammals. She has a white and black domestic shorthair cat named Bessie Coleman. Bessie was named after the first African American woman and the first Native American to hold a pilot license! Nicki kept Bessie’s name when she adopted her and lovingly refers to her as her moo-kitty around the house. When Nicki is not at work, she loves taking moo-kitty on walks on her leash, going to concerts, and visiting her family in Wilmington. We are so glad Nicki found her way to us!

Client Care Team

Sarah A

Sarah Amedio

Client Care Rep

SARAH's Bio
Sarah is from a small town in the Appalachian mountains of NC, but has now found her home in Kings Mountain, NC. Her heart and home are filled to the brim with the love she has for her husband, three children, and 4 pets. She spends her “free” time hopping from sporting events and parent teacher conferences, to teaching preschool, and then to caring for her many plants. Sarah has been working in veterinary care since 2023 and in customer assisting roles since 2008. Her calling in life is to nurture and cherish, making her position as a client service representative at Whole Pet a dream come true! She approaches every day with a, “Good morning,” and every patient with a smile. She feels blessed to have a job that allows her to help pet owners and, sometimes, cuddle their pets. Sarah excited to see what is in store on her journey with Whole Pet!