Mar
09
2010
If you or your dog suffers from arthritis, auto-immune disorders or allergies you may want to put that slice of pizza down and read on!
Research has shown that wheat and gluten aggravates the symptoms of auto-immune diseases, arthritis and most pain. It also is the cause of allergies and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in many dogs and humans. Unfortunately wheat gluten is used in several name brand pet foods. Read the labels carefully before buying a brand who has the best commercials on TV!
Wheat also is a major factor in weight. Once you eliminate the wheat in a dog’s diet you may notice that he is in less pain, may lose weight and if he has allergies they may be eliminated. This fact also applies to people!
Foods that contain wheat:
Bread
Pretzels
Pizza Crust
Bread crumbs
Milkbones
Pancakes & Waffles
Cake & Pastries
Cookies
Some Cereals
Flour
Jun
15
2009
Meet one of my dearest patients, Belle, a 12 year old German Shepherd diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy (DM)and arthritis.
This sweet dog is a pleasure to be around. She is intelligent, gentle and responds very well to her acupuncture sessions. After each session I do a form of Chinese massage called Tui Na with an herbal Chinese liniment on her back, hips, knees and elbows. Most dogs like the massage with the herbs, but some hate the smell! Belle is very tolerant and knows it makes her feel good.
Belle is fortunate to have such a loving owner who feeds her cooked chicken or lamb along with a high quality organic dog food, which is free of wheat, corn, soy and fillers. Wheat is known to exacerbate arthritis and auto-immune disorders.
Belle will begin aqua-therapy this week in hopes that it will help her get some exercise and build muscle mass.
We will keep you posted on Belle’s progress. Please keep her in your good thoughts.
To learn more about DM please visit the Four Paws Acupuncture lens www.squidoo.com/canine-DM-acupuncture
Feb
27
2009
We let our dancing foo dogs out to play!
In order to provide more information and classes about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for dogs, The Foo Dog TCM Learning Centre has been created. Very soon we will be offering CEU classes with various topics on veterinary acupuncture and TCM for licensed acupuncturists and acupuncture students.
There are also classes for the public on canine acupressure, nutrition and other dog health related subjects. If you are interested in attending or having a class in your area, please contact us via email.
As part of this educational out-reach we have created Squidoo lenses, which are informative
mini-websites about specific canine diseases and injuries. The goal is to provide as much
information as possible to those with dogs suffering from these ailments.
Here are a few of our lenses:
Treating Canine Stress Naturally
dogs & stress
Treating Canine Torn Cruciate Ligament with TCM
treating canine cruciate ligament
Treating Canine Degenerative Myelopathy with TCM
treating dogs with DM
For more information on upcoming classes please visit the Four Paws Acupuncture website.
Feb
06
2009
Just recently two of my patients have been diagnosed with canine DM. In order to provide more information on how alternative medicine, herbs and supplements can help I have created a Squidoo lens http://www.squidoo.com/canine-DM-acupuncture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A dog with degenerative myelopathy often stands with its legs close together and may not correct an unusual foot position due to a lack of conscious proprioception
Canine degenerative myelopathy (also known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy)
Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs. The disease has an insidious onset typically between 7 and 14 years of age. It begins with a loss of coordination (ataxia) in the hind limbs.
As of July 15, 2008 the mutated gene responsible for DM has been found present in 43 breeds including German Shepherds and both breeds of Welsh Corgis.[1] The disease is chronic and progressive, and can result in the animals inability to recognize its extremities, thereby rendering it paralyzed.
The myelin is an insulating sheath around neurons in the spinal cord. One proposed cause of degenerative myelopathy is that the immune system attacks this sheath, breaking it down. This results in a loss of communication between nerves in lower body of the animal and the brain. The disease usually manifests between the ages of seven and fourteen.”
Feb
04
2009
In order to provide more information on specific canine diseases and ailments I have created Squidoo lenses with tips on nutrition, herbal supplements, books, acupuncture and other holistic remedies. These are all works in progress and i will be adding more to each lens. More lenses are in progress.
Treating Canine Torn Cruciate Ligament with Acupuncture
www.squidoo.com/canine-cruciate-ligament
Natural Solutions for Dog Stress
www.squidoo.com/dogs-and-stress
Acupuncture for Dogs
acupuncture and dogs
Canine Degenerative Myelopathy and Acupuncture
www.squidoo.com/canine-DM-acupuncture
