Canine Acupuncture (Acupuncture for Pets)

Member Name: hazydaze123

Product:	Acupuncture for Pets
Date:	20/02/09 (158 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relaxing therapy which eases pain at the same time

Disadvantages: None that I am aware of

I was first introduced to the idea of veterinary acupuncture approximately three years ago when my 8 year old Labrador Retriever starting suffering quite badly with arthritis in his front elbow joint.

>>>Ben's Story<<<

Ben had the disadvantage of being born with joint problems, which included dysplasia of the hind legs and slight misalignment of the radius and ulna in one of his front legs where one of the bones was growing slightly longer than the other. At just eighteen months, he had an operation which, in effect, broke the ulna to enable it to fit more comfortably against the radius. The operation was very successful, but over the years, due to the bones not fitting together naturally, arthritis set in. As can be seen from one of my earlier reviews, we began taking Ben to canine hydrotherapy which, as with human hydrotherapy, exercises the joints with zero impact, keeping them supple and more or less free of pain. Every now and then, Ben would have a bit of a bad time with the arthritis, especially in the cold damp weather, and I would regularly take him to the vet to obtain painkillers and anti-inflammatories. It was on one of these visits that my vet suggested acupuncture. My response: Acupuncture? For a dog? Am I hearing you correctly? Well yes, I was indeed hearing him correctly, and he recommended that I contact a local acupuncturist so that Ben could get that little extra bit of help.

I should mention that there is a little more work involved than simply checking out your Yellow Pages and looking under 'alternative medicines' for an acupuncturist. Any acupuncturist who provides treatment for dogs MUST be a qualified vet.
I began my search for a local vet who specialised in acupuncture and discovered 'ABVA' This is the official website for the Association of British Veterinary Acupuncturists. This is an excellent site which gives lots of useful information on the conditions that are treatable with acupuncture, together with a detailed description of what acupuncture treatment involves and how it works. If you are thinking of taking your dog for acupuncture, I would recommend having a look at this site first.

>>>So, How Does Acupuncture Work?<<<

As most people are probably aware, acupuncture involves placing small, fine sterilised needles in various places over the body. This alternative treatment was first used over 5000 years ago in Asia but has become much more accessible and widely used in the western world since the mid 1970's. The body, both human and animal, contains its own painkillers known as endorphins and serotonins and, when these small needles are gently inserted into specific places on the body, the endorphins and serotonins are released.

Acupuncture is not only used for joint pain, but is also successful in aiding the recovery of intestinal, reproductive, urinary and circulatory problems.
In many cases, acupuncture alone will not cure a problem, but is often used in conjunction with prescribed medication. However, some dogs respond to the acupuncture without the need for this and I think it is a case of determining which mix of treatment is suitable for each individual patient.

>>>...continuing with Ben's Story<<<

Three years ago, when I first sought out acupuncture treatment for Ben, the nearest vet who specialised in it was based thirty miles away, but this was a dog that I had loved and cared for since he was twelve weeks old, and I wasn't going to let a 40 minute car journey deter me from getting him the additional treatment that he so obviously needed. These days, however, acupuncture in animals has become so popular and widely sought after that many more veterinary practices have taken on trained vets, so the treatment is much more easily accessible than it used to be.

At our first consultation, we were introduced to a very nice lady vet who would be carrying out Ben's acupuncture sessions. She advised us that initially, Ben should have a 20 minute session once a week for a couple of weeks, and depending on how well he responded to the treatment, we could then reduce this to once a month.

I was a little concerned prior to Ben having the needles inserted as to how he would respond. He is usually an extremely calm, gentle dog who lets nothing worry him, but it's always concerning when something is going to happen to your dog for the first time. At the beginning of the session, the vet gave Ben a thorough check, all along his spinal region, down the front legs and around the hip area. I discovered that, if a dog has a problem with the leg joints, as in Ben's case, this can cause problems along the back due to the spine taking on uneven weight, which is the weight that the painful leg joint would normally carry. Once she had decided the most appropriate positions to place the needles, she removed about twelve very small, fine needles from individual wrappers. They were gently inserted into Ben's skin, covering areas such as his spine, his leg, and around his elbow which was the main problem area. I need not have worried - after looking a little concerned, he just rolled over and fell asleep! Acupuncture is supposed to be a very relaxing procedure so I suppose Ben's tiredness was proof in itself.

After twenty minutes had elapsed, the needles were gently removed and I must admit that Ben didn't look any different. He was still very relaxed, but if I was looking for an instant miracle cure for his arthritis, I realised I had a little longer to wait.

The following week, Ben went back for his second session. The same procedure happened as the week before. After Ben had received about four sessions of acupuncture, I must admit that I did start to notice an improvement in his walking. He was not hobbling around quite so much, but had a much steadier gait.

Ben has now been receiving monthly acupuncture sessions for the last three years and I honestly think that it has improved his quality of life as far as his arthritis is concerned. He is still having hydrotherapy swims in addition to the acupuncture, so I cannot say whether acupuncture alone would help maintain his joints, but certainly in Ben's case, the combination of these two forms of treatment is certainly successful for us.

>>>Price<<<

Prices for acupuncture sessions will vary from vet to vet, but I pay £23.00 per session which, once a month, I think is fairly reasonable. I would add though that most insurance companies will cover veterinary acupuncture and I know for a fact that Petplan do.

>>>It's Not Only For Dogs<<<

Veterinary Acupuncture is not only available for dogs, but can also treat cats, horses, birds and farm animals, though I would hate to imagine how difficult it would be to carry out on a bird.

>>>So, Would I Recommend<<<

Absolutely! Obviously, I cannot say whether the treatment would be successful in all dogs, but from personal experience, I am certain that I made the right choice in taking my dog for acupuncture. If I am being honest, it has not cured the arthritis, which as I am sure many of you are aware, arthritis is an incurable disease, but having combined these sessions with fortnightly hydrotherapy swims, I do feel that this has prevented Ben's arthritis from deteriorating and it seems to have kept him on an even keel. We no longer have the extra visits to the vet for painkillers, and I must say that he does seem to get enthusiastic when he sees those needles....until he falls asleep!!

Website Address: http://www.abva.co.uk/index.asp

Thanks for reading.

(Also on Ciao : matthewsmum)

Summary: A good, stress-free way to improve your doggies health