ACUPUNCTURE FOR YOUR PET
Are you considering acupuncture for your pet? I can tell you from personal experience that it can work wonders. Maya, my now 15 year old dog, benefited tremendously from it. Maya had issues with her spine and at 4 years old, conventional veterinary medicine could only offer her a lifetime of Rimadyl, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) prescribed to relieve arthritis, joint and post-operative pain. For me, that was never an option due to the severe side effects of Rimadyl, such as gastrointestinal bleeding. I decided to try acupuncture and never regretted it. It only took a couple months of treatments for Maya to be like new again. You’d never know she had any issues and has been leading a happy, extremely active Rimadyl-free life.
FIRST APPOINTMENT
At our first appointment, the veterinarian told me acupuncture doesn’t work for every animal but you typically know if there will be any benefit within 4 – 6 weeks. The nice thing about acupuncture with your pets is it’s completely objective. It will either work or it won’t.
TREATMENT REGIMEN
I can’t recall the exact treatment regimen when we first started but initial acupuncture treatments were approximately 3 times per week for the first 2 or 3 weeks, then 1 – 2 times per week until we reached 6 weeks. At that point, we would know if there was any benefit and would make a decision whether to proceed with or cease treatments. Luckily, Maya dramatically improved so treatments continued. We gradually reduced the frequency until Maya was only going in for her treatment approximately once every 2 – 3 months.
What amazed me is how calm Maya was when she received her treatment. You’d think putting needles all over a dog, or any pet, and then leaving the needles in for a period of time would be an exercise in futility. The secret is the first needle. It’s a “calming needle” and is inserted at the top of the head. Our vet officially pronounced Maya to be a “pinhead.” The remaining needles are inserted and in Maya’s case, left to “cook” for 15 minutes. She was so relaxed. She chilled out, didn’t try to get off the exam table, didn’t try to get to the door and scratch on it to remind me how to get out of there. Just chilled.
LOCATING A CERTIFIED VETERINARY ACUPUNCTURIST IN THE U.S.
If you’re interested in trying acupuncture for your pet, you need to locate a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA). CVAs are veterinarians that have undergone special training in acupuncture in pets. One way to do that is to go to the website for the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association at www.ahvma.org and click on “Find a Vet.” Select “acupuncture” under “Modalities” and then select your state or a nearby state and a list of CVAs will appear below. You may need to scroll down to see the list.
I hope you consider acupuncture for your precious pet and see the same results as I did with Maya. Maya has led a much healthier and happier life because of it. And isn’t a happy, healthy pet what all of us pet parents want for our babies?
Have you tried acupuncture with your pet? Please leave a comment and share your experience.
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