Animal Chiropractic Success Stories

Story at-a-glance

• Many more pets could be helped by chiropractic adjustments if more dog and cat owners were aware of the benefits of treatment.
• Chiropractic can help animals with a wide range of health problems — from chronic pain to difficulty chewing to bowel and bladder dysfunction.
• Pets that often benefit from chiropractic treatment include those recovering from injury or illness, pets who have just had anesthesia during a surgical procedure, older dogs and cats who show signs of aging or behavior changes … even vigorous animals whose owners are interested in maintaining their pet’s good joint and spine health.
• If you’re seeking chiropractic treatment for your pet, be sure to find a practitioner who is licensed for small animals.

By Dr. Becker

Many pet owners don’t think about animal chiropractic when their beloved dog or cat is injured, in pain, or becomes ill.

And that’s really unfortunate, because often a visit to a small animal chiropractor can put your pet on the road to recovery much more quickly and safely than other alternatives.

Chiropractic adjustments can often take the place of surgery.

They can reduce or eliminate the need for veterinary drugs that carry side effects.

They can also address chronic health problems that don’t get better or keep coming back.

Chiropractic Adjustments for Pets

A chiropractic adjustment or manipulation is a specific impulse directed at a joint to reduce fixation and re-establish normal movement.

Adjustments clear the way for the body to return to a state of balance without the interference of a subluxation, which is a vertebral lesion.

Adjustments are done to the joints of the spine and also the extremities.

Chiropractic can treat animals with back, neck, leg and tail pain; muscle spasms; nerve problems; traumatic injuries; difficulty chewing, TMJ or jaw problems; and stiffness from arthritis.

It can also alleviate some bowel, bladder and other internal medicine conditions.

And for healthy animals, it can maintain the integrity of the joints and spine.

Why You Might Want to Seek Chiropractic Care for Your Pet

There are certain indications for care that can often be best served by seeking chiropractic as a first step rather than a place to turn when all else has failed. These situations include:

• During recovery from an injury or illness
• After any surgery involving anesthesia
• Lameness and/or difficulty standing up or lying down
• If your dog or kitty is getting up in years or if there is a behavior or mood change
• If your pet is seizing or experiencing other neurological problems
• When your pet has a chronic or recurring health problem that won’t resolve

Examples of What Animal Chiropractic Can Do

From Dr. Sandra Priest:

Sam, a 12-year-old miniature Dachshund, was presented for chiropractic treatment after being diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease in the cervical area. Despite several weeks of medication with an anti-inflammatory drug and a muscle relaxer, he was still experiencing severe episodes of muscle spasm and neck pain.

At the time of his first visit, Sam had visible asymmetry in the right and left shoulders and severe rigidity in the muscles in his neck. There were several areas along his spine where normal flexibility was moderately decreased. After a course of adjustments, Sam was no longer painful and had resumed normal activity.

Cynna, a five year old Welsh Springer Spaniel, became lame on the left front leg after several hours of vigorous exercise. The lameness disappeared with rest, only to recur every time she exercised for a prolonged period. Chiropractic examination revealed the radial head malarticulation, which was corrected. Gait analysis after the adjustment was normal and the lameness has never recurred, even during prolonged periods of heavy exercise.

From Dr. Deborah Sell:

"Thanks so much for your help. I’m sorta conventional when it comes to health care, but Sophie was in such bad shape, I thought I’d try. I figured I’d do all the dogs wondering what you would find. Your adjustment to Sophie went as expected and the results over the next few days were good.

But unbelievable to me, is the adjustment you did to my 2 year old Rocky has helped him even more. Rocky has been such a problem with other dogs and I’ve been working on his aggression behaviorally. After your adjustment, I noticed a significant improvement in his behavior when around new dogs. This improvement has continued and I am amazed. He seems to feel like a new dog, much happier and not as moody. Sophie (13 year old) is also doing well and shows energy and enthusiasm even on cold wet mornings." ~ Vici Whisner, Dog Trainer

From Dr. Erin O’Connor:

One of the very first dogs where Dr. O’Connor really saw what animal chiropractic could do, before she even began her practice, was with her own sheltie, Taffy. About the time she was finishing up her AVCA certification, her dog Taffy’s arthritis had been progressively getting worse each day. Soon enough, she wasn’t able to get up and down stairs and needed to be carried. Dr. O’Connor examined Taffy and adjusted her. Immediately after the adjustment, Taffy started running around in circles, her eyes brightened up, and she was acting as if she felt young again! She was also deaf since 8 years old and after her adjustment, her ears started to move again as though she could hear some sound. After that, Taffy was regularly adjusted to help her get some more movement in her back legs and to alleviate any pain. Dr. O’Connor is forever thankful for chiropractic, because of it, Taffy was able to stick around with her for some extra time, and was healthy and happy. Sadly, the day came when Taffy had to leave her in April 2010. You could see it in Taffy’s eyes that she was ready and just getting tired in her old age. Dr. O’Connor knew their journey together was coming to an end and spent the day outside with Taffy in the warm spring sun and she passed away peacefully on her own later that night at 15 1/2 years old.

Finding a Licensed Practitioner

If you seek chiropractic care for your pet, it’s important to find a practitioner who is licensed for small animals.

Human chiropractors can become licensed to treat pets, but only after special training, since people have an entirely different biochemical system than pets. Insure the practitioner you choose to care for your dog or cat, whether it’s a veterinarian or a chiropractor, is certified to perform chiropractic on animals.

You can search for a certified animal chiropractor in your area at the American Veterinary Chiropractor Association and/or the College of Animal Chiropractic.

Source: Mercola.com January 21, 2012

Related Links:

• The "New" Way to Relieve Your Pet’s Pain (Whatever its Cause)
• Pet Acupuncture: An Important Healing Tool
• Four Simple Reasons Your Pet Develops Joint Problems and Arthritis

Holistic veterinarians, pet chiropractors and pet acupuncturists who are animal trained should all be part of your pet’s health team!

Dog Massage? Isn’t Petting Enough?

At My Dog’s Place, a training school in Mystic, Conn., Linda Caplan gives her Weimaraner, Karma, a treatment  –  By JENNIFER BLEYER  -  Originally Published: April 20, 2011

RENEE LANE’S living room had been transformed into a spa. Candles twinkled on the coffee table; lavender oil scented the air; lilting guitar music played softly on the stereo. Grace, Ms. Lane’s 2-year-old caramel-colored toy poodle, leaped onto the sofa and, in response to Ms. Lane’s cooing invitation (“Want to lay down for Mama?”), got into position for her evening massage.

Ms. Lane took a deep breath and began making long stroking motions down the length of Grace’s back with her palms. With her thumbs, she kneaded the tissue around the dog’s delicate shoulders, and then began working her way toward the muscles in the dog’s legs. By the time the 20-minute massage session was done, Grace had entered a state of canine bliss, eyelids drooping, tongue lolling.

“Grace absolutely loves it — she just turns into a puddle,” said Ms. Lane, 43, a public relations and business development consultant in Edgewater, N.J. “I want to keep her around as long as I can, and I think it’s going to keep her healthy. She helps reduce my stress, so why shouldn’t I reciprocate?”

That is a question that a number of dog owners — and even some cat owners — have been asking themselves, buoyed by a belief that pet massage confers the same benefits as human massage: increased circulation, improved digestion, strengthened immunity, stress relief, comfort at the end of life and muscle relaxation after a hard day (even if it was spent at the dog park).

Some pet owners scoff at this idea. What’s wrong with regular old petting? they ask. And many veterinarians say that evidence of its benefits is flimsy. Nonetheless, pet massage workshops have flourished in recent years at pet stores, dog day-care centers, veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, massage schools and holistic institutes like the New York Open Center in Manhattan, where Ms. Lane and more than 75 other dog owners took a one-day class last summer.

“People realize more and more that what’s good for me, including massage, is probably good for my animal,” said Jean-Pierre Hourdebaigt, an animal massage therapist and teacher in Wellington, Fla., whose book “Canine Massage: A Complete Reference Manual” is considered the standard text.

“Today, you also have the baby boomers whose kids are gone,” Mr. Hourdebaigt said. They “have more time and money, and it’s easy for them to spend a couple hundred bucks on a massage seminar for their dog. The animal benefits, the benevolent action makes them feel good. Everybody’s happy.”

By most estimates, only a few of the nation’s pet dogs and cats — which the American Pet Products Association estimates at 78.2 million and 86.4 million, respectively — are fortunate enough to receive massages. But the numbers may be growing. The International Association of Animal Massage and Bodywork, a professional group in Toledo, Ohio, now has more than 500 members, up from just 200 in 2007. And a survey of more than 1,200 pet owners across the United States and Canada by the American Animal Hospital Association in Lakewood, Colo., found that the number who were pursuing alternative therapies for their animals — including acupuncture, massage, chiropractic and herbal medicine — rose to 21 percent from 6 percent between 1996 and 2003. (It may still be rising; the survey was discontinued after 2004.)

Many pet owners interested in massage hire professionals to perform the treatment. But the D.I.Y. approach — in which pet owners like Ms. Lane learn the techniques themselves — also seems to be gaining in popularity, as Mr. Hourdebaigt maintains. At the Northwest School of Animal Massage in Fall City, Wash., 170 people took the basic amateur workshop last year; eight years ago, only 24 people enrolled. At the Boulder College of Massage Therapy in Colorado, enrollment in a similar class has jumped 30 percent in the last two years.

Becky Brandenburg, an animal-massage practitioner and teacher in Martins Ferry, Ohio, said she started offering occasional workshops for pet owners last year, but now plans to offer them monthly. “Every time I announce a class, it’s filled within a day or two,” Ms. Brandenburg said. “It’s really taken off.”

HE origins of pet massage can be traced to equine massage, a treatment popularized in the 1970s and ’80s by Jack Meagher, a massage therapist who worked with the United States equestrian team. By the early 1990s, a handful of people experienced in human or equine massage, or both, had begun adapting Mr. Meagher’s technique for use on dogs and cats.

Sometimes, it is veterinarians who suggest the practice to pet owners. Nanci Sloan Cummings, a mortgage loan officer in Lake Oswego, Ore., said she was urged by her veterinarian to try massage for her 12-year-old arthritic collie, Baxter. Although in his sprightlier days the dog could trek several miles, by last year he was able to walk only a couple of blocks. To see if she could help him become more limber, Ms. Cummings took a three-hour massage workshop at a dog day-care center in January.

Nearly every evening since then, she has put down a cushioned mat near the ficus tree and potted fern in the living room of her three-bedroom house, and performed the routine she learned: kneading, squeezing, stroking and tapping Baxter.

“At night, when I watch ‘American Idol,’ I’ll sit on the floor and massage him to the music,” Ms. Cummings said. “It’s very distressing to see your aging animal suffer, and very rewarding to think that maybe you can help him feel better. I think just the attention and affection, if nothing else, is helpful.”

But there are plenty of veterinarians who believe that massage offers little beyond the attention and affection. They note that few clinical studies of pet massage have been conducted, and that claims of its benefits are usually extrapolated from research on humans. At best, they say, pet massage fortifies the bond between human and animal in the same way that a good belly scratch does, and at worst, it may aggravate a serious medical condition or prevent owners from seeking veterinary help.

“I have two dogs, and I pet them all the time,” said David W. Ramey, a veterinarian in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles, and a co-author of “Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine Considered,” a book that looks at the science behind various alternative therapies for pets. “I think everybody should pet their dogs. But I don’t refer to that as ‘massage,’ and I certainly wouldn’t send anyone to a glorified school of dog petting.”

Narda Robinson, a veterinarian at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, has a more benign view. Dr. Robinson, who established a canine medical massage course at the university in 2008, believes that massage, properly administered, can help dogs recover from illness, injuries and stress. And while massage classes for dog owners are largely unregulated and of varying quality, she said, they can be helpful as long as they are “based on actual science, rather than lost in mysterious energies.”

FOR many pet owners, though, the goal is not therapeutic — it’s just to make their dogs feel good.

One recent Sunday afternoon, several people showed up for an advanced canine massage class at My Dog’s Place, a training school in Mystic, Conn., along with their charges: a miniature dachshund, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, a cocker spaniel and a few others. The dogs sniffed their hellos, then settled on blankets on the floor, and Suzin Webb, who teaches about 15 such courses a year, began her instruction.

For two hours, the students worked the muscles along their dogs’ spines, stretched their limbs, rolled the dogs’ skin between their fingers and gently tugged their tails. By the end of the class, none of the dogs seemed particularly eager to move.

The miniature dachshund, 13-year-old Wylie Angelo, lay on his back, tongue out, limbs splayed. His owner, Cricket Murphy, a 67-year-old aesthetician, had taken Ms. Webb’s beginners’ class three years earlier to help Wylie Angelo heal from disk surgery. Since then, she has been massaging him every morning.

Their ritual takes place in the bedroom of her house overlooking Long Island Sound in Niantic, Conn. Ms. Murphy fetches a dish of water and a homemade cranberry biscuit for the dog, and then the two sit on Ms. Murphy’s king-size bed, she with her back against the headboard and Wylie Angelo in front of her on a down pillow. She begins the massage by rubbing his belly with rose ointment.

Ms. Murphy said she believes that this daily routine has improved Wylie Angelo’s mobility and bolstered his circulation. But she is more certain about other benefits.

“He goes straight to la-la land,” Ms. Murphy said. “It’s a very quieting time for us. We’re in bed together, he’s propped up on a pillow, and pretty soon, he’s just in the zone.”

Source:  NY Times

Dog Chiropractor Helps Dogs Retain Mobility

COOS BAY, Ore. —  Rox Ann Kight can barely mask the pain in her voice when she talks about her Labrador-golden retriever mix Odie.

Original Article Posted on Fox News on September 17, 2007 – Updated December 13, 2009

About three years ago, Odie developed trouble walking and the vet said the only choices were surgery at $750 or euthanasia.

“They thought something was wrong with his leg,” Kight said.

She wasn’t convinced. As the director of the Bandon-based Assistance Dog Network, she has trained hundreds of dogs as service dogs for the disabled and currently cares for 15 dogs.

On the advice of another dog owner, she took Odie to Dr. Edward Lanway in downtown Coos Bay.

“(Odie) hobbled in here on three legs,” Knight said. “Within two sessions with the doctor” Odie could walk and run, she added.

Lanway is not a veterinarian. He’s a chiropractor.

Today, Odie serves as a currency-sniffing dog for the Department of Homeland Security at the Miami airport.

“People usually come to me because the veterinarians have given up on them,” Lanway said.

Lanway has treated thousands of human patients. Twelve years ago, he began working on dogs and has 15 to 20 regular canine customers.

Often, dog owners end up seeing Lanway themselves.

“I put down the dog’s name as the referral on our form,” Lanway said.

Assistance Dog Network Trainer Krista Llewellyn brings her dog, Prescott, to see Lanway about every six weeks. Two years ago, Prescott, a golden retriever, could barely walk. In addition to hip dysplasia, he had what vets called “growing pains” the result of rapid early growth, she said.

“He would cry out in the night from the pain,” Llewellyn added.

Prescott washed out of the service dog training program at eight months. Vets suggested euthanasia.

After an eight-week program with Lanway Prescott could run and play with other dogs. He now serves as a reading therapy dog at the Bandon Public Library.

“There is such a dramatic change in the dogs both mentally and physically,” Kight said.

Lanway works on dogs in the presence of their owners in an examination room in the back of his office. During the exam, he peppers an owner with questions about the dog’s habits and lifestyle to get a better sense of a plan of treatment.

Lanway uses the same techniques on dogs that he uses on his human patients, feeling for and treating tension points along a dog’s hindquarters, back and spine.

Laws governing chiropractors’ work on animals vary by state. Oregon’s only stipulation is that chiropractors treating animals must have a prescription from a veterinarian.

Lanway would like to see more regulation. Even thought it is not required by Oregon law, he took additional courses to work on dogs, he explained.

Lanway said some dogs are too old or too far along to respond to treatment.

“No treatment is 100 percent,” he added.

But Kight says the $30 charge per visit is worthwhile.

“It’s the best preventative medicine,” Kight said. “(Lanway) has saved a lot of dogs.”

Since this article pet/animal chiropractic care is becoming more and more available and is extending both the length and quality of pets’ lives.  Consider a chiropractor or acupuncturist for your pet before major surgery and definitely before euthanasia.

Posted:  Just One More Pet

Pfizer’s New Cancer Drug for Dogs Is Mixed News for Rover

Pfizer will launch a new cancer treatment for dogs. The oral drug, Palladia, will help fight mast cell tumors, often seen as skin lumps. This is a good news/bad news situation for dogs.

First, older dogs often get fat lumps on their skin that are harmless. With Pfizer’s publicity for Palladia, many owners will drag their dog to the vet to see if those lumps are cancer or not. Dogs are just going to love that.

Second, Palladia does not cure dog cancer. It merely treats it. Pfizer says:

… 60% of dogs had their tumors disappear, shrink or stop growing…

Meaning Palladia can shrink tumors, but only until they start growing again. In fact, dogs with systemic tumors were excluded from the study. Read the details in the PI. This may extend your dog’s life, but check out the side effects seen in dogs on Palladia:

• Diarrhea 46.0%
• Anorexia 39.1%
• Lethargy 35.6%
• Vomiting 32.2%
• Lameness 17.2%
• Weight loss 14.9%

All these effects were higher than in dogs on placebo (except for vomiting) — so they’re not a result of the cancer.

It raises a question that Americans frequently get wrong when it comes to their pets: When my dog gets sick, what is the best thing to do? Most people answer

a) “Everything humanly possible.” But the correct answer should frequently be

b) “Everything you can, but only until the dog becomes so unhappy that putting him to sleep is better.”

So this drug could, potentially, put a lot of dogs through some unnecessary pain.

I would advise trying some natural alternatives as well…

Posted:  Just One More Pet

Related Resources:

• Big Red Juice
• Goji Health Stories for Pets
• Goji Health Stories for Cancer

Natural Pet Remedies For Everyday Problems

Think natural health is for the dogs? You’re right! But it’s for cats, too, and just about any furry friend. Keep Fido and Fluffy healthy with these natural pet tips. Plus, are you spoiling your animal? Find out with our quiz…

For many people, pets are family. So it’s no surprise that owners want the best for their four-legged companions, and that may mean sharing their natural lifestyle.

“Millions of pet owners are realizing that a more proactive approach to pet health has a lot to offer,” including preventing disease and optimizing health and wellness, says veterinarian Carol Osborne, founder of the American Pet Institute in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and author of Dr. Carol’s Naturally Healthy Dogs  (Marshall Editions) and Dr. Carol’s Naturally Healthy Cats (Marshall Editions).

Many everyday pet problems – such as skin infections and arthritis – can be eased naturally. LifeScript asked animal experts for some common holistic health solutions:

1. Herbs
Herbal remedies can heal many pet irritations and illnesses.

They help the body to eliminate and detoxify, veterinarian Richard H. Pitcairn, Ph.D., says in his book Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats  (Rodale Books).

Used properly, herbs can help get rid of fleas, relieve itching and more.

• Fill pet beds with cedar chips – fleas don’t like the smell.Repel fleas from the surroundings by sprinkling chrysanthemum flowers, lemon grass, mint, sage, lavender and basil. 

• Vacuum floors and wash pet beds frequently.

Itching: Is your dog or cat scratching more than a kid with chicken pox?  Try Osborne’s holistic anti-itching remedy: Mix together five drops of licorice, five drops of dandelion root (a natural diuretic) and five drops of cat’s claw (a natural form of the anti-inflammatory aspirin). Give your pet five drops of the solution by mouth once a day for 14 consecutive days. 

“You give it as needed when it’s flea season or when your pet is itching because of allergies,” Osborne says.

Licorice, a form of cortisone, also reduces the urge to itch, Osborne says. “But because cortisone is a steroid, talk to your vet” before using it.

If your pet doesn’t gobble it up, try disguising the licorice with tastier flavors such as clam juice, baby food or chicken.

Car Sickness: Love to take your dog on car rides, but hate cleaning up vomit on the backseat? Good news for dogs, cats and their owners. Liquid ginger root – a natural motion sickness remedy – works like a charm, Osborne says.

 Don’t happen to have any on hand? No problem. Give Fido a ginger snap cookie to relieve nausea.

 Indigestion: An upset stomach can be uncomfortable for your pet and turn you into a 24-hour cleaning crew.

Osborne suggests holding food and water for eight hours, instead giving your four-legged friend cool or lukewarm peppermint tea to settle its stomach.

 A word of caution: Before using herbal treatments, talk to your vet. “Some herbs and supplements can be toxic if given in large quantities or to a species that cannot tolerate it,” says veterinarian Deirdre Chiaramonte of Animal Medical Center in New York.

For example, some herbs prescribed for arthritis can cause bleeding, which could be disastrous during routine surgery or dental procedure.

“You need to find a veterinarian who is familiar with natural therapies in pets so the outcome will be successful, safe and effective,” Osborne says.

2. Nosodes

Routine vaccinations can save your pet’s life, but some experts believe they also can contribute to cancers, autoimmune illnesses and allergies.

The alternative? Nosodes – or homeopathy oral vaccines – may offer protection against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus. (A nosode doesn’t exist for rabies.)

Like traditional vaccines, “they stimulate the immune system to protect the body from infection,” Osborne says.

They’re made from a dilution (one part to 90 parts alcohol) of the virus causing the illness. “Nosodes are safe, but their efficacy varies,” she says.

Even if you stick with conventional shots, your furry friend may not need them every year. An antibody titer blood test can determine if your dog’s or cat’s vaccines are still effective.

3. Nutritional Therapy

Foods can cure or prevent illnesses in animals, too. “Feeding your pet a healthy diet from the beginning will prevent many serious health issues down the road,” says Jean Hofve, a retired veterinarian in Denver, Colo.

So what should your pet be eating?

A homemade diet of organic raw meat and whole foods is ideal, Hofve says. She suggests a commercial raw diet (look for pre-made frozen or freeze-dried varieties) or canned food with a little fresh meat added a couple times a week.

Brands such as Instinctive Choice, Newman’s Own (organic), Merrick, Nature’s Variety Prairie, BG (Before Grain), Wellness, Innova, Evo, Blue Buffalo, Wellness and Avoderm are good, Hofve says.

They can be found in specialty stores, some feed stores, pet superstores, many grocery stores and online (www.onlynaturalpet.com).

If your budget doesn’t allow anything more than kibble, add fresh meat (and steamed or puréed vegetables for dogs) to give dry food a nutritional boost, she says.

 Besides a diet that’s “as close to nature as possible,” Hofve recommends four nutritional supplements for all pets:

• Omega-3 fatty acids for healthy function of the nervous system, immune system, skin and coat

•  Digestive enzymes to help pets digest food fully and get the most nutrients possible from food
•  Probiotics (“friendly bacteria”) to keep the gut balanced and deter disease-causing organisms
•  Antioxidants for a healthy immune system, normal cellular maintenance and anti-inflammatory benefits  

Skin Allergies, Ear Infections and Hot Spots: These skin-related irritations can be combated with omega-3 fatty acids in dogs.

 Healthy skin needs these anti-inflammatory oils, but nearly all dogs and most cats are fed food that’s full of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid instead, Hofve says. 

“Omega-3s soothe inflammation, benefit the nervous system and provide the building blocks the skin needs to heal.”

 She recommends Nordic Naturals pet products for omega-3 fatty acids. Other rich sources are sardines, anchovies, herring and menhaden.

Gastritis and Vomiting: Dry food eaters are more prone to stomach issues because of additives and preservatives, Hofve says. A raw or homemade whole-food diet of cooked white rice and lightly browned ground lamb or turkey will eliminate the problem.

 Digestive enzymes and probiotics will also help support and balance the gut, she says. And blue-green algae, spirulina and chlorella contain antioxidants, trace elements and enzymes for healing.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD): “This is almost purely a dry food problem,” Hofve says. “Diet is the primary treatment.”

 She recommends switching to a diet high in protein, high in moisture and low in carbohydrates. Canned, homemade and raw foods fill the bill.

Nutritional therapy aims to reduce inflammation and rebuild the bladder’s natural defenses, Hofve says. 

Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants provide anti-inflammatory action, while glucosamine sulfate gives the cells in the bladder lining the building blocks to maintain the protective mucus coat.

4. Acupuncture

Can’t imagine your dog or cat sitting still long enough for acupuncture?

“Most animals are much better than you would think,” says certified veterinary acupuncturist Nicole Schiff, who practices at Western Veterinary Group in Lomita, Calif., and City of Angeles Veterinary Specialty Center in Culver City, Calif.

Just like in people, acupuncture involves putting needles into specific points on your pet’s body to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue to promote healing and ease pain.

“It changes pain pathways that travel through the body and helps release endorphins, which help to block pain as well,” Schiff says.

The practice – which Schiff says should complement, not replace, Western medicine – can help reduce arthritis pain, lessen inflammation and intestinal problems, ease skin and ear infections, promote healing of wounds and aid post-stroke treatment.

 An average acupuncture session lasts 15 minutes and can cost $75 to $200 for the first visit and $50 to $150 for ongoing treatme

For the safest, best results, says Schiff, visit a veterinarian trained in acupuncture. Your regular vet may refer a certified veterinary acupuncturist or check the International Association Veterinary Acupuncture Association Web site at www.ivas.org

Adverse side effects are rare. The most common problem is that an animal simply doesn’t respond to treatment. Also, it’s not uncommon for a pet to feel tired for a day or two after treatment.

Want to know more? Get your own copies of Dr. Carol’s Naturally Healthy Dogs, Dr. Carol’s Naturally Healthy Cats and Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. 

By Shanna Thompson, Special to LifeScript – Published May 08, 2009

Visit the following Web sites for more about natural pet care:

Complementary, Alternative & Holistic Veterinary Medicine
www.altvetmed.org

 Academy for Veterinary Homeopathy

www.theavh.org

 American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association

www.ahvma.org  

Posted:  Just One More Pet – May 08, 2009 3:45AM

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