There is a lot that can be said
regarding the integration of holistic Eastern medicine and Western veterinary
practice. As a pet owner, you’d like to pursue every course available to make
the furry member of your family as comfortable as possible, but the question
remains; is it worth it? Does it work? How does it work?
How does it work?
Traditional acupuncture works
the same way in your dog as it does for human patients. The needles used in
acupuncture help to stimulate the body’s natural pain relievers and to relax
the muscles at the site of pain. By relaxing the muscles, acupuncture
encourages the blood flow to these sites as well as the release of pain
relieving hormones. Do not let the philosophical phrasings and beliefs deter
you from pursuing acupuncture as an additive treatment for pain relief in your dog; the practice has rocketed towards the mainstream in the past few years,
with proven benefit time and time again, according to some holistic
veterinarians.
When pursuing veterinary
acupuncture, keep in mind that treatments are specialized. Your veterinarian
may ask you questions such as how your dog chooses to lie down, where they do
so, and for how long. This is only to make sure that the treatment is as
optimal as possible. Do not expect to see immediate results with acupuncture
treatments as well; it can take four to eight sessions to observe the efficacy
and fine tune the treatment for your dog in particular.
While there are plenty of word
of mouth cases swearing by acupuncture, it is important to keep in mind that
acupuncture results have yet to be replicated in a lab on a repeated basis.
That being said, the anecdotal evidence for veterinary acupuncture is
overwhelming, and it should be noted that acupuncture seems to be a legitimate
route to take as an additive to western painkillers and anti-inflammatory
medications regarding your dog’s overall health, especially for dogs with
arthritis. There have never been any reported cases of the small needles used
in veterinary acupuncture injuring the dog under treatment or worsening of the
condition, and animals have not been found to be able to experience the placebo
effect as of yet.
Even given the naysayers of
veterinary acupuncture, the stories of success are overwhelming, and the list
of conditions that acupuncture could be used as treatment for is growing faster
than ever.
References and
resources:
·
“Acupuncture for
Pets” http://www.petmd.com/dog/wellness/evr_multi_veterinary-acupuncture-for-dogs-cats#.UaEzC0DvuSo
·
“Acupuncture for
Dogs? Holistic Vets Swear by It” http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2009/02/12/acupuncture-for-dogs-holistic-vets-swear-by-it
·
“Old Dog, New
Trick: Acupuncture” http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/fashion/13Cyber.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
