Thursday, April 27, 2017

Canine Acupuncture

Angel is 9 years old now.  But in basically good health.  She has the potential to live a few more years.  And plenty of love and wags to share.

But her arthritis has been getting worse.

She had knee repair surgeries on both knees.  The left in May 2011, the right in May 2013.  The shriek she let out when each of her knees went out still haunts my nightmares.

In any case, knees repaired, but arthritis has ensued.  My vet clinic recently hired a pain specialist and Dr. Patt, supportive of alternative treatments, suggested I give acupuncture a try.

Holy cow!  Angel has had 6 sessions now with Dr. Paster, and she is much more active and energetic.  She still has trouble rising from the floor and that may never go away.  But she is doing so much better.

And what's not to like.  We sit in an exam room.  They talk sweetly to her and insert the needles, which she doesn't seem to feel, and feed her treats the whole time.  Bogie lays next to her to keep her company and he gets treats as well.
With lots of little blue-tipped needles stuck into her trigger points.
Bogie keeps her company
 Acupuncture isn't cheap, mostly because it takes multiple visits.  But if you have a dog that is suffering, and you have the disposable income, it's a treatment to consider.

This is only useful to readers in Arizona, but the clinic my dogs love to visit, and where we get the acupuncture, is Little Critters Vet.