Alternative Treatments for Dogs
Originally published in Animal Wellness Magazine, June 2011
By Kathleen Prasad
Forty percent of Americans have tried holistic therapies, and 60 percent of U.S. households have at least one pet. It’s no surprise, then, that those same people are increasingly turning to energy healing and other holistic therapies to help their furry friends.
The goal of energy healing is to rebalance the life force or biofield of the individual in need of healing. Energy healing, as a “holistic” modality for canines, sees the dog’s health from the perspective of the “whole being” of the dog—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The following energetic therapies use different methods to help shift the dog’s “whole being” back into a state of energetic balance, which in turn often results in an improvement and/or resolution of symptoms/disease.
Energy Healing JD
Dr. Juday’s dog, JD, was helped with homeopathy © 2011
Homeopathy
According to the National Institutes of Health, “Homeopathy seeks to stimulate the body’s ability to heal itself by giving very small doses of highly diluted substances.” In most cases, these substances are so dilute that only the “energy” of the substance remains, affecting and acting upon the energetic level of healing for the client. Cynthia Juday, DVM, CVA, an integrative veterinarian who uses both conventional and holistic modalities to address health issues in her patients, describes the amazing results homeopathic remedies had in helping her own dog, a Pit-Boxer mix named JD, heal from autoimmune disease.
When JD was 3, he developed an acute high fever. Blood tests confirmed a diagnosis of autoimmune disease, which threatened to cause severe anemia and uncontrolled bleeding. His values were alarmingly low. The PCV (percentage of red cells in serum–optimum 36-60 percent) was 17.8 percent. Platelets were 73,000 (optimum 150-330,000) and later dropped to less than 10,000. He was too lethargic to stand or play. Eating was an effort. A cortisone injection, often used for this condition, caused severe pancreatitis and gastroenteritis.
Homeopathic remedies to reduce inflammation and support the immune system were chosen and injected intravenously in liquid form. Within a few hours, he was asking for a chew toy. The repeat testing three days later revealed a PCV of 34 percent and platelets 174,000, and he was much more active.
Although homeopathy jumpstarted the process, JD’s complete recovery took two years. Dr. Juday says, “A combination of a home-prepared diet, nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies and Chinese herbs” were used to support this longer process of total recovery.
Acupuncture
Laura Adams, DVM, CVA, has been a veterinarian for 16 years. Although her primary focus is acupuncture, she uses both conventional and holistic modalities to support her patients. The American Veterinary Medical Association describes veterinary acupuncture and acutherapy as “examination and stimulation of specific points on the body of nonhuman animals by use of acupuncture needles … and a variety of other techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of numerous conditions in animals.”
Dr. Adams describes the results of acupuncture in her dog patients as “amazing.” One such case was for a 3-year-old beagle named Betty, whose swollen disc resulted in partial paralysis in her hind legs.
When I first saw Betty, she could only take a couple of steps before falling over. I did two treatments, one week apart, and then continued treating once every two weeks due to financial concerns. Within a month and a half, Betty was walking normally. She is still doing well today, and the owner brings her back for support whenever he sees the first signs of back pain.
This article was taken Animal Reiki Source and modified by New york Dog Nanny.
