Chris Bessent, DVM, MSOM, Dipl. OM, L.Ac. has more than 30 years of experience as a holistic veterinarian. At the start of her career, she practiced traditional veterinary medicine, but seeing patient after patient who needed something other than what traditional care could offer, she ventured into chiropractic, and from there, acupuncture and Chinese herbology.

With certificates in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic and veterinary Chinese herbology, what she came to find in her own practice was that the more proactive she was with patients, supporting their health and wellness, the less reactive she had to be.

After more than a decade of using Chinese herbal combinations in her practice, Dr. Bessent founded Herbsmith Inc. An herbal supplement company, Herbsmith utilizes both proven scientific research and years of veterinary experience to provide innovative, natural solutions for the health and wellness of animals so that they live their best lives, longer.

Dr. Bessent then received her master’s, diplomate status and bachelor’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Nutrition, respectively. Understanding that food is the foundation of health, she combined the teachings of Eastern philosophy with her veterinary experience and founded The Simple Food Project. Based on food energetics, she formulated limited-ingredient, freeze-dried pet food recipes using nothing but whole foods.

Currently, she divides her time between the Simple Food Project, Herbsmith and Wisconsin Freeze Dried in southeastern Wisconsin.