In a world where traditional veterinary care is often limited to medications and surgeries, Dr. Meghan Barrett is redefining the standard of animal care with her holistic approach. As the founder of Muse Holistic Veterinary Care in Honolulu, Hawaii, Dr. Barrett is bringing innovation, compassion, and healing to the forefront of veterinary practice, offering an alternative model that blends modern rehabilitation, holistic treatments, and sound therapy for animals.

Dr. Barrett believes that animals should be treated as cherished family members, not just pets. Her core mission is to provide higher-quality care that goes beyond conventional veterinary practices, focusing on preventive wellness, rehabilitation, and overall well-being. Her clinic, Muse Holistic Veterinary Care, stands as one of the only holistic practices in Hawaii, offering pet owners a sanctuary for their furry friends to heal in a calm, stress-free environment—far from the hustle and bustle of traditional vet clinics.

A Healing Sanctuary: Muse Holistic Veterinary Care

Unlike typical veterinary clinics, Muse Holistic Veterinary Care offers a serene, quiet space where animals can relax and receive healing treatments without the anxiety of a clinical setting. The clinic is designed to be a peaceful retreat, allowing animals to heal in a stress-free environment. Here, Dr. Barrett combines a variety of alternative therapies to address each pet’s unique needs, offering a more personalized approach to veterinary care.

One of Dr. Barrett’s signature treatments is her Bodywork Therapy, a highly specialized therapy session that incorporates a blend of techniques aimed at improving mobility, alleviating pain, and supporting the pet's overall health. The session may include:

Acupuncture to stimulate healing and pain relief
Tellington TTouch techniques for relaxation and stress reduction
Laser therapy for pain relief and faster recovery
Massage and manual therapy to promote circulation and flexibility
Rehabilitation and therapeutic exercises to improve strength and recovery

In addition to these hands-on therapies, Dr. Barrett integrates sound therapy into every session. Drawing from her background in music and sound healing, she plays original music compositions, recorded specifically for animals, to enhance the therapeutic process. The calming, intentional soundscapes are designed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, encouraging deep relaxation and healing. Dr. Barrett also uses sound bowls, tuning forks, and vibrational therapy for certain patients to support their emotional and physical well-being.

The Power of Sound: Music Healing for Animals

Dr. Barrett’s musical background has played a central role in shaping her approach to veterinary care. Growing up in an ancestral lineage of professional musicians—her parents spent over 40 years in the Hawaii Symphony—Dr. Barrett was exposed to the healing power of sound from an early age. She started playing violin at the age of 3, later learned flute, and became an award-winning jazz bass player in high school and college. Her love for music led her to become a professional DJ and music producer, and today, she is an active member of local Irish music circles, playing flute and harp.

Throughout her career, Dr. Barrett has been deeply sensitive to noise pollution, both for animals and humans. She noticed how animals, like humans, often react negatively to loud noises, especially in clinical settings. After witnessing the stress and trauma that noise caused to animals in veterinary hospitals, Dr. Barrett shifted to house calls and ultimately founded Muse Holistic Veterinary Care, where animals could heal in a peaceful environment. Her work with sound therapy emerged from this personal connection to noise and its detrimental effects.

To support her patients’ healing, Dr. Barrett creates original sound therapy music, including harp and flute soundscapes, specifically designed to address issues like anxiety, stress, and noise sensitivity in animals. These compositions are scientifically optimized to align with animals' unique nervous systems and provide a calming atmosphere. Available on platforms like YouTube, her music is accessible to pet owners worldwide, giving them a tool to help their pets relax at home, in shelters, or even in other clinical settings.

Expanding Holistic Care Beyond Companion Animals

While Dr. Barrett is known for her work with cats and dogs, her expertise extends far beyond companion animals. She offers holistic care to horses and livestock on farms and ranches throughout Hawaii, providing multimodal pain management using laser therapy, acupuncture, and massage to improve mobility and quality of life.

Dr. Barrett’s approach also reaches the wildlife community, as she provides care to animals at the Honolulu Zoo and works under permit with NOAA Fisheries to rehabilitate Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, and dolphins. Her innovative use of laser therapy for marine animals—such as treating wounds on dolphins, arthritis in sea lions, and reducing limb edema in sea turtles—has shown the broad applicability of holistic modalities in veterinary medicine.

Her passion for marine animal rehabilitation was influenced by her godmother, a marine animal veterinarian who also embraced a holistic approach to care. This familial influence continues to drive Dr. Barrett’s mission to expand the possibilities of veterinary medicine across species.

A Life of Movement and Healing

Beyond her veterinary work, Dr. Barrett is also deeply involved in flow arts and dance. As a fire dancer and aerial artist, she has performed on stages worldwide, using her body to express art and healing. She has taught aerial dance fitness to adults, focusing on movement-based healing. Her understanding of body mechanics and movement plays a significant role in how she approaches injury rehabilitation and recovery for her animal patients. Her personal experience with pain and recovery from past injuries has fostered a deep empathy for animals suffering from physical limitations.

Educator, Author, and Advocate for Holistic Pet Care

Dr. Barrett is committed to sharing her knowledge and expanding awareness about holistic veterinary care. As the author of From Basic to Bougie: A Blueprint to Upgrade Your Pet's Diet Safely and Simply, she offers practical advice on improving pets' health through better nutrition. She also hosts the PetSummits podcast The Pet Care Report, which covers topics related to holistic cat health.

In addition to her podcast, Dr. Barrett is an active speaker at online events and will soon launch her signature online course focused on holistic pet care, helping pet owners provide their animals with a healthier, more holistic lifestyle.

A New Standard of Care

Dr. Barrett is truly an innovator in the world of holistic veterinary care. By blending science, rehabilitation, and sound therapy, she has created a practice that is as much about emotional well-being as it is about physical health. Her work with a wide range of animals—from pets to zoo animals and marine life—gives her a unique perspective on pain management and recovery.

Her mission is clear: to elevate the standards of veterinary care and to provide pet owners with the option to treat their animals with the highest level of compassion and respect. Through education, sound healing, and a deep commitment to holistic practices, Dr. Barrett is changing the way we think about and provide care for the animals we love.

Her message is simple yet powerful: Animals are divine beings, deserving of a higher standard of care, and we, as their caregivers, have the privilege and responsibility to nurture and support them in ways that promote their true well-being.

Dr. Meghan Barrett’s Holistic Approach to Animal Care Is Changing Lives—Here’s How!