Ask the Expert
Veterinary Acupuncture (a primer)
Dr. Andrew Dainsberg, DVM
4000 years of success is not a fad! Veterinary acupuncture sometimes gets the “new age” label but in reality it has had an extremely lengthy clinical trial. In 1100 BC, full time veterinarians in the Orient treated war horses and other animals with acupuncture. It wasn’t until recently, however, that acupuncture began to be accepted here in the US. Now, vets (yours truly) can become certified veterinary acupuncturists and tap into the healing power of this wonderful medicine to help their patients.
Observation over centuries revealed that stimulation of specific areas on a body’s surface could relieve pain and assist in healing. These "acu-points" were organized into channels. Placement of acupuncture needles into acu-points along these channels encourages the body to balance and overcome pain.
Veterinary acupuncture can effectively treat arthritis, neck, back & joint pain, intervertebral disc disease, neurological, skin & gastrointestinal problems, immune system imbalances, some cases of organ failure & cancer and can also help in recovery after surgery or injury. I am the first to say that acupuncture cannot cure everything or everyone. But it really can work and the downside to trying it doesn’t seem to exist.
Acupuncture is accepted very well by the vast majority of my patients. Dogs and cats usually relax and may even get sleepy during treatments. Even nervous pets will often do surprisingly well, with a little patience (and a pocketful of cookies!). Acupuncture is a gentle medicine and I practice it that way... The needles stay in for about 15 minutes. I usually see new patients once or twice a week to start and look for improvements within 3-6 acupuncture treatments.
The non-invasive healing nature of this medicine can be truly astounding. With all the internet miracle cures out there it is of great comfort to me that acupuncture has stood the test of time. A very long test of time…
For more information, questions or comments visit my website www.vetacu.com. |
It’s finally here! The 14th annual Big Dog Parade is June 7th and so many of my furry pals and their owners have signed up to walk the parade with the Dioji Group. If you haven’t signed up yet for this amazing once a year canine event don’t worry – you can still 
Kirby Wendel
Abby started attending Dioji in late March. At that time she acted as if she were afraid of her own shadow. Or as Susan put it, like Chicken Little, fearing that “the sky is falling”. Her customary walking posture was GI Joe style hugging the ground and darting to the nearest shelter. Although she had progressed significantly from when she was first adopted it wasn’t until she started at Dioji that she discovered the joy of being a dog! Now she is more confident in all her daily activities, she’s relaxed when she walks (except from the car to Dioji... she is so eager to join her friends), she’s learned to swim and is better socialized with both humans and dogs. The staff at Dioji accepted her quirkiness yet coached and nurtured her to be the dog she really wanted to be. I still get goose bumps when I see her so happy and content, and proud of her accomplishments. Dioji has great staff, provides great care, and is extraordinary for the dog that needs a little (or a lot) of extra TLC... and when I pick up Abby from Dioji she’s exhausted and content from having so much FUN.
Each month we would like to introduce one of our valuable team members to you so you can get to know the Dioji staff even better. 