Get Quotes Contact Us Sign In
Website
Call
Holistic Veterinary Health - Marc Bittan I am Dr. Marc Bittan DVM., a veterinarian specializing in holistic healthcare for your pet dogs and cats. My office is located in Malibu, California, but, wherever you are in the world, through this website you will find details of the services I offer, as well as the holistic remedies and treatments I recommend for your pet.
Reviews (26)
Write a Review
Nat S.
Jun 06, 2022
Dr. H literally saved my cats life and in the process myself. The stress I was under going to a regular vet and feeling like I was never heard was killing me. When I found Dr. H it was like no other vet visit I had ever been to. He takes the time to listen, and really hears what I was telling him about my animal I know and truly love with all my heart.

Himself and his staff are so kind! I am just so grateful for all of them. I drive 45 mins to see him with absolute pleasure. Thank you Dr. H and team for all the good you are doing!
G. S.
May 05, 2022
Best vet I've ever been to hands down. Everyone who works at this clinic genuinely cares about your pets well being. Highly recommend.
Alina Oziewicz
Apr 23, 2022
Very informative article about over vaccinating our pets. The only two pets that I could afford to vaccinate yearly died before turning 10 from immune disease. All my others lived well into their teen years.
Ana Olteanu
Mar 12, 2022
We only recently started seeing Dr. H and I cannot say enough good things. It's been a year that we have been trying to figure out the GI issues that our dog Koda has, and although we just started seeing him, I already know we are finally on route to figure out what's going on. After a brief history and initial exam Dr. H knew right away that Koda's cortisol levels were low.

No doctor has suggested this before (we've seen 7), and sure enough bloodwork showed the same. Although he's still having episodes, we finally feel like we will get to the bottom of it. I've really appreciated the time of Bernadette, Julia, and Dr H so far, both on the phone and over email. It's hard not to feel helpless after a year of this, and they truly show just how much they care about our four-legged family members.
Alison Smith
Mar 11, 2022
There are not enough positive words for me to describe what an incredibly gifted and intuitive veterinarian, Dr Sasan Haghighat is, not to mention what a kind and caring man he is. My dogs, Molly and Cliff, were patients of Dr. Haghighat's from the age of 10 until they passed at 16 and 16.5 years of age. Their health was radically improved over the years with Dr. H's treatments and recommendations on diet change and other important and supportive lifestyle changes. I, originally, took my dog Molly when she had an elevated ALP liver level.

At the time, my regular conventional vet was telling me she possibly had Cushing's disease and wanted to put her on the somewhat harsh drug to treat it. However, Molly didn't have any of the other symptoms of that disease so I wasn't convinced. That's when I decided to search for a holistic veterinarian for a second opinion and, luckily, found Dr. Haghighat.

Through his treatments and various herbal and natural supplements, Molly's ALP liver level came down by 3/4 (retested through blood work panel) without a single pharmaceutical drug. I was amazed and, at that point, I was sold on holistic and integrative veterinary medicine. That is just one example of the many conditions Dr H. helped Molly and Cliff with over the years.

I have, also, never felt pushed to do anything or guilted into doing anything regarding my dogs health.just gentle and helpful suggestions without any judgement for what I decide. However, I trust Dr Haghighat so completely that I always took his advice regarding treatments. The proof was in my dogs health and at age 16 my dogs were more vital than they were at age 10.

I am eternally grateful for finding Dr Haghighat and could not recommend him and his practice highly enough. Consider yourself lucky if you get a chance to be a client of his practice. Thank-you is just not enough to say to Dr Haghighat because he gave my dogs and I the one thing we all want with them and that is.more time. Bless you, Dr Haghighat.you are truly one in a million in the veterinary world.
Susanne Douglas
Feb 19, 2022
Our shepherd was diagnosed with kidney disease at 3 years old and given 3 year life expectancy. We started taking her to the Holistic Vet 5 years ago. She is now 8.5 yrs old going strong and living her best life because of the Holistic Vet, holistic treatment and nutrition! Forever Grateful
Maida Metastasio
Sep 05, 2021
Hi I brought my dog Toby in to see Dr. H eighteen months ago for the first time to treat his seizures. Toby had been suffering from seizures for years and they had gotten progressively worse. I was told by my vet that I needed to put him on medication for the rest of his life or else his life would be cut short. This was hard to hear but we needed these seizures to stop they were so horrible to watch and I can't imagine what Toby was going through.

I was referred to Dr. H by a friend at about the same time. I called and put myself on a waiting list to see him. This was the best thing I could have done. Our first visit he explained so many things I was not aware of. Gave me remedies and things I needed to do for Toby that were quite simple to follow. I followed up with him with a few more visits.

My dog has been seizure free for 16 months. He is playful, healthy and is not on any medication. Dr. H has given my family the best gift. A healthy dog that will be part of our lives for many years. I am so grateful to Dr. H and his team. Thank you so much
Laura D.
May 03, 2021
Well, great big bummer. Dr. Bittan has closed his office, another tragedy of the covid shutdown. He was the only vet Joey would tolerate, and the only one who could give him acupuncture. Sigh.
D. Cheung
Jan 02, 2021
My initial review of Dr. Haghighat and his staff was posted around December 2019. It was 2 months after l first brought my then 5 year old sweet Boston Terrier, suffering from a horrible itchy skin condition and hair loss. Her conventional vet recommended a drug called Apoquel which contributed to some dogs developing cancerous tumors after use, so l turned that treatment and clinic down and came up to Newmarket to see Dr. Haghighat.

My dog had allergies, immune disorders and vaccine related problems. Within 2 months with holistic treatment, she improved quite a lot! That is when l gave a google review of 5 stars to the Newmarket Holistic Vet clinic because things were going very well. Today, a year and a bit later. I am updating my review. If l could give 10 plus stars out of 5.

I certainly would! Incredible difference!. (See photos below!) The Holistic treatment given to my dog saved her life! She has gained weight, energy, skin improvement, is playful again and her hair has grown back. Below are the pictures.hair loss Pic (Oct. 16, 2019).Most recent with hair growth 2 pics (February 11, 2021) Thank you to "dog lifesaver" Dr. Haghighat and his wonderful caring staff. Bernadette, Sidonie, Sydney and Reka!
Crystal M.
Nov 07, 2020
I have been going here for years with two different dogs. I can't express how much Dr. Sassan means to us. He's helped our dogs so much. We moved away and still come back for help. His knowledge and care are exceptional.
Dale Lutes
Oct 22, 2020
Natural treatments including spinal massage for Bacchi, liver and adrenal homeopathic injection for Gabriel, mineral supplement for Bella. Nutrition recommendations. Want healthy happy dogs. A step in the right direction.
Cher R.
Aug 19, 2020
Dr Bittan is amazing! The best vet in the biz. Super knowledgeable and is very present during the visit. We have been going to him for years. He and his staff are calm and easy to talk to. Nothing is ever an issue and I always feel I understand the protocol of the herbs/supplements of whatever we are doing. Have been to other holistic places and they are not relaxing or organized. Marc is truly the best. I hope he stays in business forever!
Jeremy H.
Nov 01, 2019
Words can't express how grateful we are to have found Dr. Bittan and his unbelievably dedicated, over the top caring, incredible (every other positive adjective) office manager Max. We had just started chemotherapy with our 8 yr old Weimaraner for very aggressive hemangiosarcoma. He had a VERY GRIM outlook and without their care, he wouldn't have made it as long as he did.

Every time there was an issue or complication, there was never a doubt that there was something to try. Dr Bittan never runs from reality and faces things head on while unfortunately some of the bigger places only have a couple options as far as treatment plans. We currently have our other dog under his care as well for maintenance and general well being and will always take our dogs here.

He is far more knowledgeable than one would imagine and he understands western medicine while treating in an eastern format. I simply cannot possibly recommend a place more highly! Please don't miss out.
Jaden L.
Jul 05, 2019
I've finally have found the right vet. Dr. Bittan is truly amazing. Thorough consultation, extremely knowledgeable, caring and accretive. My French bulldog was in and out of ER for a dire gastrointestinal condition. I've spent thousands of dollars, and the traditional vets still could not figure out what was wrong and only prescribed expensive drugs and shots that only addressed symptoms. Dr. Bittan was able to diagnose the acute pancreatitis and prescribed a few inexpensive herbs and remedies that healed my dog in 4 days. Max the office manager is so informative, nice and professional. Made my experience with my dog there a very relaxing one. Their office has a very peaceful and healing energy, a pleasant contrast to the usual fear based vet office. I absolutely recommend Dr. Bittan and The Holistic Vet
Kat T.
Jun 12, 2019
My first review of Dr. Bittan was back in 2015. I am updating as now my babies time has come to an end, but I feel it is my duty to report on the absolutely wonderful acts Dr. Bittan has done to help my little Annabelle through her life. When all other vets gave up on Annabelle, Dr. Bittan kept her going. She was diagnosed back in 2015 with luxating patella on both back legs, and while all other vets told me that she needed surgery, he helped me find alternative methods to help her and it WORKED!

For the remainder of her life she was limp-free from the holistic meds and laser therapy he performed on her. I would also pop her knee back into place myself from time to time when it got really bad. She also suffered from bad skin which Dr. Bittan had her on a great medicated shampoo that helped a lot. And in the end, when she was diagnosed with lung cancer, collapsing trachea, and heart disease, Dr. Bittan got her on vitamins and herbs that helped elevate some of her pain.

In the very last days, he believed in her and fought to keep her alive, even while other vets were telling me to euthanize. What Dr. Bittan has done for our family is priceless. If you are a dog owner, you need to have Dr. Bittan as one of your vets as well. You won't regret it.
Dawn T.
Feb 16, 2019
Dr Bittan is Amazing. He was a regular Vet and became a holistic Vet after many years. He tells you the inside secrets of what would happen to your pet if they went to a regular Bet and then suggests healthy, holistic alternatives. He is not over priced and won't charge you or sell you anything you or your pet doesn't need as a lot of vets would. Highly recommend him!
Nicole E.
Aug 31, 2017
I have a very active 9year old dog that does tv production work, agility, scent work, and leads an active lifestyle hiking and playing daily. She has 10+ hr days on set. Thank god for Marc! He does such an amazing job on adjusting her so she's performing and feeling her best. We are so grateful!
Tamara M.
Apr 19, 2016
This is truly just feedback.theres no emotion behind this review, I preface that because I'm sure some reviews are inflated in a good or bad way based on how the reviewer's pet is doing. I visited the vet in mid December shortly after my dog was diagnosed with cancer and here's my experience. I also stopped by the office in February to pick up refills.

The good: - The Dr. seems to know his stuff about holistic car and I appreciate he respects both Western and Eastern medicine and recommends both The bad: - During our appointment, he didn't interact with my dog at all, didn't feel the bump on her face, didn't look in her mouth - he didn't even greet her or pet her - He gave me several drops and herbs to give her - which I have done religiously 3x a day as he instructed - but as she was almost out of her drops I called to get them refilled - it took him 5 business days to do so and by then she was completely out. Really?

If these drops were so beneficial wouldn't continuity matter? Also I requested a refill of the drops AND the herbs. When I went in to pick up the medicine, they only had the drops ready for me and no herbs. At that point I just said FORGET IT in my head, knowing I'd seek out another holistic vet after this experience. - The front desk is dismissive, abrupt and not helpful at all - I think she forgot that they work as a service to the public. - I was curious as to the ingredients in the drops he gave my dog - I asked the front desk if I could email the Dr (he was busy with a patient when I was there) and she said.and I quote. "my computer is not set up for email." ummmmmm. again just shook my head. Needless to say, we found another vet.
Chef B.
Jan 30, 2016
Called to make an appointment and the lady answering the phone was exceptionally rude. If the staff is rude at this early in the stage then probably best to avoid this establishment.
E. H.
Jan 04, 2016
I took my dog for a consultation because of allergies. He was given the different pills and the vet said he could not guarantee those pills will help my dog but we could try them. After paying for the expensive vet visit and pills, my dog did not benefit at all. Just save your money and try a different vet.
Ulibka L.
Dec 09, 2014
If I could give this incredible angel of a Doctor ten stars I would! I have a 14 year old Shih Tzu, Eka. Over the past 3 months I noticed a few things going wrong at the same time, her left eye was getting more and more foggy, this led to loss of confidence in moving around and stumbling into walls etc. She started pacing back and forth constantly and then suddenly stoping, like she had forgotten what she was doing.

She also seemed to have trouble gripping the floor and when eating her back paws would slide far apart, looked like she was doing the splits. I upped her supplements and monitored her, these all seemed like natural signs of aging and I was trying to come to terms with all this, however about a week 1/2 ago however, I noticed a growth on the inside of her leg, right above her paw pad.

She is about 13 pounds and this growth was about half the size of a golf ball. What alarmed me was how quickly it came on. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my local vet to get her checked out. I was told it could very well be cancer and to be sure that the bump should be cut off, but to do so my baby would need to be put under. Something in my gut told me I wanted another opinion. Eka is 14 years old and putting her under would be a big strain on her body.

I didn't want to jump the gun and make that decision. I researched holistic vets in Los Angeles and decided to go see Dr. Bittan. This man is a real angel, from the second he started examining Eka, I could see how big his heart is and that he truly cares for the animals he is treating. He had a look at the bump and said its definitely not cancer, and that it is a fatty deposit.

I was so relieved! He said to leave it be and that it will go away on its own. He spent a full hour with Eka doing further checks. Dr. Bittan sent me home with 2 herbs for her immune system and brain function as well as elk horn extract (all three of these things are human grade supplements) I gave Eka her supplements everyday and in a weeks time the bump shrunk half in size, she stopped sliding on the floor, back straightened out.

She got her curiosity/spunky energy back and over all seems as thought the clock has turned back 5 years! I cant say thank Dr. Bittan enough! WOW! I highly recommend paying a visit! I will never go see another vet again!
Carina C.
Dec 02, 2014
BEWARE! I booked an appointment for my dog who had leg fracture but based on advice from another vet, found that I would not require The Holistic Vet's services. I called to cancel the appt and left a voicemail outside of business hours (giving more than 24 hours notice) and later discovered that they charged my credit card a $150 cancelled appointment fee anyway.

I called the office and spoke with the secretary -- an absolute nightmare of a woman -- and was forced to open a dispute with MasterCard. Despite them not articulating OR publishing a cancellation policy on their website AND being given 24 hours notice of a cancellation, they would not reverse the charge. $150 -- for what? These people are thieves and liars. I can't speak to how they are as veterinarians but how they behave as human beings is enough to avoid them in every respect.
Suzanne K.
Jul 30, 2014
My dog had cancer at age 13 and in addition to traditional treatment, I sought Dr. Bittan's advice for a complete medical approach which included holistic medicine. The veterinarian who diagnosed my dog basically told me to let the cancer run its course but I was unwilling to do this without seeking other options, thus my appointment with Dr. Bittan. Dr. Bittan suggested three holistic drops since my dog had melanoma and other skin issues. Interestingly, all her skin bumps (not cancerous) disappeared and her skin improved.

After I moved to Northern California I had another issue and I was able to schedule a phone appointment. My dog had Cushings and he suggested a medication called Trilostane which Vets were not using in this area. I consulted with a local vet who worked with me on administering this med. Dr. Bittan is knowledgeable with Holistic and Western medicine. My dog has since passed but she lived until she was 17 and I credit Dr. Bittan for giving me the necessary info to make sound decisions about her health.
Casey C.
Sep 29, 2013
Dr. Bittan is wonderful. Our boxer was diagnosed with a very aggressive and terminal cancer in May 2013. He had surgery to remove his spleen and the surgeon immediately wanted to start him on an intense chemo and radiation regimen. I did some research and found that for this particular type of cancer, chemo is not effective. Our dog was miserable so we decided to approach his treatment holistically. I'm so thankful we did. Dr. Bittan was honest with us and gave us realistic expectations.

We knew he couldnt cure this cancer and that he realistically would not live more than a few months; but, we could expect our dog to be robust and "healthy" for that time. He spent an hour with us, explaining everything. That is unheard of! The vets that did his surgery spent, like 3 minutes telling me about his diagnosis. We were very grateful for his time and patience during this traumatic time.

The Chinese herbs that he gave us changed our dogs life! People would visit and ubiquitously agree that our dog didn't even seem sick. He had so much energy and was so playful until the very end. I would take him for walks and he was so much stronger than he had been in years. Even though our pup is no longer with us, I'm so happy we decided to forego chemo.

The last few months with our dog were some of the best and I wouldn't trade any of that for the world. As a side note, Dr. Bittan treats my moms golden retriever for epilepsy (for the past 10 years); he was off phenobarbital within a few days and is on Chinese herbs only- no seizures. He is the best.
Chris K.
Oct 14, 2012
The Holistic Vet aka Dr. Bittan, is as good as it gets. Our dog was a rescue, and she had one health problem after another since day one. We had gone through almost a dozen vets. And worse is that every traditional vet said more pills and more steroids. But still after years more new issues would arise. Well, luckily we eventually found this vet. What lead us to Dr. Bittan, was our poor little pooch had sores on the inside of her paws. 3 vets said we must soap and wash her paws every time she takes a walk for the rest of her life? Dr. Bittan had us remove a sore and created a solution that cured her in days. While, I can say that when the front office is busy, they can be short with you.

I found that was rare. Growing up and living in Los Angeles for over 40 years, I can say it is incredibly difficult to find someone who can embrace both hard science and new alternative medicine without straying too far from the center of grounded reason. When our dog got a cancer tumor removed, the surgeon vet said she had maybe a few months at best.

After years of steroids as recommended by the vets who first treated our dog, we felt heart broken. Dr Bittan's health care regimen has kept our dog alive over a year later, chasing squirrels, and enjoying a quality of life that most doctors had written off. Many "New Age" or "Alternative" practitioners leave the hard science behind, in search of new and more profitable treatments.

But Dr. Bittan always balanced standard blood tests and diagnostic tests and if necessary surgery with any noninvasive organic alternative remedies. In fact, for every appointment, he would always consider and suggest less treatment if the signs of good health or response to treatment was positive. How many alternative doctors suggest you need less care if healthy than more? My only regret is that we didn't see this doctor earlier.
Mom of the Menagerie
Nov 02, 2010
I love Dr. Bittan. He is an amazing, compassionate, honest, "highly" intelligent -well rounded veteranarian with a "gentle" bedside manner. He is very direct and to the point. He always has a treatment plan for your pet's condition and each plan is "individualized" based on diagnostic lab results, symptoms, and his expertise.

If plan A does not work he has a plan B, C etc. If he believes he needs to think about a treatment plan he will.... but 99.9% of the time, he has the immediate anwer. He focuses on both preventative and pro-active medicine for your pet's health. He uses various protocols such as herbal and homeopathic remedies, nutritional supplements, chiropractic and accupunture.

He treated my lhasapoo dog for allergies, immune system disorder, and a spinal stroke. I literally would drive 61/2 hours one way for a 45 minute accupunture appointments for his spinal stroke. My dog's condition was so severe that Dr. Bittan actually did not think my dog would walk again. From his accupunture treatments and remedies my dog did walk and lived another 6 months.

I had a kid goat that had a injured leg and could not stand on it. I again drove 6 1/2 hours one way to see Dr. Bittan with my goat. Dr. Bittan was so cute and gracious. He told me he had not treated a goat since med school (1987-20+years later). Well, he did accupuncture on that kid goat and he has full use of his leg. Dr. Bittan is not egotistical.

He chimed in when I had an urgent situation my with other dog who was 16 hours away fromDr. Bittan's office and on IV's for 25% renal failure. Dr. Bittan provided the remedy recommendations necessary. She did live with the best care and prayers... Gratefully, my animals have been healthy. I always recommend Dr. Bittan to anyone regardless of their geographical location because I know he does his phone consultations.

He is so great I wish he could be my personal doctor because the remedies he uses are human friendly. I have only positive words to say about this fine man. Also, his office assistant is very gracious, compassionate and kind too.