Recently the Salem Gazette ran an article on my practice and treating cats with acupuncture. Some important details were left out of the article as well as some discrepancies. I do not use Homeopathy in my practice. Though I have had some training in homeopathic remedies, I do not feel it is safe to practice using it unless one has more than a few semesters of homeopathy or more than 130 hours of training, which seems to be the minimum requirement in the state of MA. To clarify any questions some may have here is an article I wrote for the Four Paws Acupuncture E-letter.

I occasionally get inquiries asking if cats can be treated with acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The answer is yes! Cats can sometimes be a little more difficult to needle than dogs. It depends on the personality of the cat and of course their diagnosis. Some cats will only allow me to use the laser on them.

This is Nubi wan Kenobi, my five year old feisty male cat who has had a relapse of kidney stones and crystals in his urine. During his first acupuncture session he allowed me to needle him with no effort, which was quite shocking as he is a biter. He even fell asleep purring during his session. He also permitted me to give him Chinese Herbs in pill form, which aid in the dissolving the stones. Of course they had to be ground up and hid in his food!

When it comes to an internal problem such as one involving the kidneys and bladder, I feel it is best to also use Western Medicine in conjunction with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Why not use the best from both worlds? So Nubi went to visit his friends at Atlantic Veterinary Hospital in Marblehead, MA.

After a sonogram, it was determined he did have stones and crystals and was not out of the woods yet. He was given fluids, a shot of steroids to allow for easier urination and was put on antibiotics as a precaution. As recommended by his vet we changed his wet food for two weeks to a prescribed food. His dry kibble was was changed from the Solid Gold Katz-n-Flocken to the Wellness Complete Health which has cranberry powder and other natural ingredients to maintain a ph balanced urine in cats. His access to the dry kibble is now limited since he loves to eat his portion as well as my other cat’s filled bowl.

After two weeks of a changed diet and Chinese herbs, Nubi is back to being himself, getting in trouble and complaining about the lack of cat crunchies. Now that Nubi has finished his round of antibiotics he he does not seem to mind the probiotics (I use PB-8) being sprinkled into his food.

If you have any questions about how acupuncture or TCM can help your cat or dog please go to the contact us page on the Four Paws Acupuncture website.

The feast day of St Roch (also known as St Rocco), the patron saint of dogs is August 16. It is celebrated in Europe and South America. To read more about St Roch and his dog visit www.scborromeo.org

This day is also known as the Birthday of all Dogs. One of the traditions in South America is to tie colorful ribbons on your dog for the day. Italians cook a special feast for their dogs. Give your dog a special treat and a kiss today in honor of this birthday feast day!

On November 4, Massachusetts voters will have the unique opportunity to end the cruelty of greyhound racing in Massachusetts.

Question 3, the Greyhound Protection Act will phase out greyhound racing in the Bay State by 2010. This humane ballot question is sponsored by the Committee to Protect Dogs, which is comprised of the Humane Society of the United States, the Massachusetts SPCA and greyhound protection group, GREY2K USA.

As long as dog racing continues, greyhounds will continue to suffer and be hurt. According to state records, over 800 greyhounds have been injured at Wonderland and Raynham Greyhound Parks since 2002. Eighty percent of injuries are broken legs and other reported injuries include head trauma, cardiac arrest, paralysis and seizures.

When not racing, these gentle friends live confined in warehouse style kennels inside small, stacked cages for twenty hours a day. This is no way to treat a dog!

You can help spread the word by getting “Yes on 3″ flyers into the hands of other Massachusetts voters. Handing out information at your local grocery store, dog park, pet supply store, farmers market, train or bus station or anywhere that attracts large groups of people would be a tremendous help in raising awareness about this important issue.

Another great way to spread the word is to contact local veterinarians and pet supply stores to see if they will make them available to customers and clients or even post one on a bulletin board. Email info@ProtectDogs.org with your name, mailing address and phone number or call the Committee to Protect Dogs at 617-666-3526 if you would like to get involved.

To download flyers or for more info visit Committee to Protect Dogs

Thank you for caring about the greyhounds! Working together, we can end the cruelty of dog racing in Massachusetts.

Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

Here is a fun quiz put out by Dogster to find out what breed you would be in the dog world.

Are you a flamboyant Jack Russell type, a happy carefree Golden Retriever or a hard working German Shepherd?

click here to take the quiz!

BY TREVOR HUGHES • TrevorHughes @coloradoan.com • July 26, 2008

A CSU-sponsored seminar next week intended to help pet owners use animals’ body language to zero in in on pet pain is already full, and organizers are scheduling another for this fall.

The inaugural “Is Your Pet in Pain?” seminar set for Tuesday has already drawn more than 70 registrants, said Dr. Narda Robinson, a Colorado State University professor who is also a doctor of both humans and animals.

A dog that doesn’t want to jump in the car anymore might be “saying” one thing, while a cat who refuses to climb stairs or hop into bed may be saying something else, said Robinson, director of CSU’s Center for Comparative and Integra-tive Pain Medicine.

“Once I show people how to read their animal’s posture - there’s so much information there,” Robin-son said.

Robinson is a doctor of osteopathy, which is a medical doctor for humans who focuses on the whole body and uses touch and physical manipulation to help diagnose problems, especially related to posture and pain.

In the seminar, Robinson and fellow veterinarian Dr. Bonnie Wright also will discuss treatment options, from dietary supplements and exercise regimens to drug therapies, acupuncture and other complementary therapies.

Robinson is a doctor of osteopathy, which is a medical doctor for humans who focuses on the whole body and uses touch and physical manipulation to help diagnose problems, especially related to posture and pain.

In the seminar, Robinson and fellow veterinarian Dr. Bonnie Wright also will discuss treatment options, from dietary supplements and exercise regimens to drug therapies, acupuncture and other complementary therapies.

Robinson said it’s important for pet owners to realize that they shouldn’t just blame old age for their pets’ conditions.

“More and more in veterinary medicine, we say that age is not a disease. Old age isn’t a diagnosis,” Robinson said. “Yes, they might be seven or 15 or 20, but that’s not what’s causing the problem. We need to get past disregarding further medical attention simply because of their age. There are so many treatable conditions.”

She added: “The frustrating thing is that there are so many things you can do.”

Canine hip dysplasia, is an abnormal development of the ball-in-socket joint that makes up the hip. In a dysplastic hip, the ball which is the head of the femur, or thighbone, and the socket known as the acetabulum, do not fit together properly. Therefore when the dog bears its weight on the joint, it leads to painful and damaging friction.

Kobe is a feisty 5 year old Collie mix who was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and arthritis in the winter of 2007. He is a very active dog who had been training in agility and free-style dancing. He is also a therapy dog.

Kobe’s owner began to notice that he was limping and seemed to be in pain after his training sessions. Conventional medicine was not easing his symptoms so she turned to Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Kobe began his acupuncture sessions in late winter of 2008. In addition to acupuncture, we changed his diet to a better brand of dog food which did not contain any wheat, corn or soy. These ingredients can exacerbate pain and allergies.

A few supplements such as Halo’s Hip Hip Hooray was added to his regime as well. A Chinese herbal liniment was used in conjunction with Tui Na (a form of Chinese massage). The liniment helped to ease his pain and reduced inflammation which seemed to be worse on cold damp days. Kobe seemed to enjoy his massage after each session.

After his third acupuncture session Kobe chased a rabbit and after his sixth session, Kobe was able to return to his Freestyle dance class. His owner said “He still has a bad day every now and then, but those sad, pain filled eyes are gone and my happy, loving therapy dog Kobe is back!”

To read more about Kobe and other dogs who have been helped with Traditional Chinese Medicine, visit the Happy Dogs page on the Four Paws Acupuncture website.

& Learn to beat Cancer!

I found this wonderful Golden Retriever site this week. Please take a few minutes to visit this site and learn more! landofpuregold.com