Yes! Studies have demonstrated that dogs with herniated discs recover more quickly from the event when acupuncture is added to their treatment plan, versus only Western treatment/surgery (1; 2). In fact, in one of these studies, dogs who received acupuncture were able to walk sooner than those who did not!
Can canine acupuncture help a herniated disc?
Canine acupuncture is valuable for a number of ailments. When used together with conventional medicine, acupuncture has been shown to increase a dog’s chances for a full recovery from a herniated disc. Tolei never gave up on learning to walk again, and Madison and her husband never gave up on him.
Can dogs have acupuncture treatments?
Some pet owners have had their dogs fall asleep while receiving their acupuncture treatment. One of the great benefits of acupuncture treatment is that the tools used (the needles) are easy to transport, allowing acupuncturists to do home visits.
What is cold laser acupuncture for dogs?
In laser veterinary acupuncture, cold lasers are used to target acupuncture points. It is non-invasive and doesn’t break the skin, minimizing the chance for infection. Studies on humans have shown that low-level lasers can help regenerate cells, improve circulation, decrease pain, reduce inflammation, and more.
What is a herniated disc in dogs?
A herniated disc, or “slipped disc” is a spinal condition that is caused when one of the fluid-filled discs in the spine swells or ruptures and presses on the spinal cord. A compressed spinal cord can cause the animal to lose sensation and mobility in some or all parts of the body. What causes a herniated disc?
Is laser therapy good for dogs with IVDD?
The use of lasers in veterinary medicine is not new, but University of Florida veterinarians are now using the procedure postoperatively with great success in dogs with paralysis caused by intervertebral disc disease.
Can a dog recover from a herniated disc without surgery?
Although surgical treatment is often preferred, 4 out of 5 dogs that are weak or paralysed in their back legs will make a good recovery without surgery provided that they have good sensation in the affected limbs. However, these dogs may take a long time to recover – from 6 to 12 weeks before they can walk.
Is acupuncture effective for dogs?
Acupuncture is often used to treat dogs with arthritis and joint inflammation. For example, dogs with hip dysplasia or degenerative joint disease are good candidates for acupuncture, which may alleviate pain and improve joint range of motion.
Can acupuncture make my dog worse?
After a session, some dogs might be tired or seem worse for a day or two, but this is rare. There are no real contraindications to acupuncture. However, dogs who have heart disease, are pregnant, have a seizure disorder or certain types of cancer shouldn't receive electroacupuncture.
Does acupuncture help dogs with IVDD?
For dogs with IVDD, acupuncture needles help to reduce swelling and spinal pain. As a result, this therapy helps decrease spinal cord compression and helps to restore nerves.
Do herniated discs heal in dogs?
Recovery from a slipped disc can take several weeks to months, but with the right treatment, most dogs with mild symptoms have a good outlook and after recovery, lead a relatively normal life.
How long does it take for acupuncture to work on dogs?
three to four sessionsWhile your pet could get an infection at a needle site, "it's very, very rare to see a reaction to acupuncture," she says. How long will it take to get results? The number of sessions your pet may need to find relief depends on the diagnosis. In general, improvements come after three to four sessions.
How often should a dog get acupuncture?
For the best results, your dog should receive an acupuncture treatment at least once a week for four to five weeks. During this initial period of treatment, you and your dog's acupuncturist will discuss how your dog is responding to the acupuncture treatments and will evaluate the frequency of future visits.
What does laser therapy do for dogs?
Laser therapy can treat acute and chronic injuries, sprains and strains, arthritis, swelling due to back disc problems, and muscular-skeletal abnormalities. It also helps to regenerate nerve tissue after surgery.
Should you euthanize a dog with IVDD?
If your dog is badly affected by IVDD, and if there is no appropriate, realistic or effective treatment available, then you may unfortunately have to consider the last resort option of euthanasia. It can be a blessing to have the option of euthanasia available when needed.
Are dogs sedated for acupuncture?
Would my pet need to be sedated for this treatment? It is uncommon for animals to need to be sedated. This would only usually happen if they were so painful that any touch or stimulus causes them to be painful. Perhaps surprisingly, cats and rabbits often accept acupuncture treatment very well.
How effective is gabapentin for dogs?
There are conflicting clinical reports about its efficacy when used for this purpose, although some studies report improvement in as many as 50% of dogs studied. In dogs, oral Gabapentin is well absorbed in the duodenum, with peak levels occurring approximately one to two hours after administration.
What to do after a dog has surgery?
During this time, your vet may recommend a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP) or animal physiotherapist. He or she can provide a structured rehabilitation program tailored to your dog’s injury and needs.
How long should a dog be in a crate after spinal surgery?
During this time, the dog should be confined to a crate except to go to the bathroom and for physical therapy. Tolei standing 1 week post-surgery.
What is a herniated disc?
A herniated disc, or “slipped disc” is a spinal condition that is caused when one of the fluid-filled discs in the spine swells or ruptures and presses on the spinal cord. A compressed spinal cord can cause the animal to lose sensation and mobility in some or all parts of the body.
What is the procedure to relieve pressure on the spinal cord?
The purpose of the surgery is to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord. The most common way of doing this is through a procedure called a hemilaminectomy.
How to keep a dog from being paralyzed?
Keep the crate in view of the family to keep your dog’s spirits up. As long as it doesn’t excite your dog too much, visit often. Sit with your dog and talk about anything and everything. Just the sound of your voice will help. If your dog is paralyzed, it is possible he or she will be incontinent during this period.
How to keep a dog safe in a plastic crate?
Unless your dog feels safer in a plastic crate, find a wire crate with see-through sides to minimize the feeling of being closed-in. You can buy a cover for the wire crate to use at night, or simply drape a blanket over it. Keep the crate in view of the family to keep your dog’s spirits up.
How to help a dog urinate?
You may need to help him/her to urinate by expressing the bladder, which your vet should demonstrate for you. Gentle massage can help your dog’s spinal cord “reconnect” with its nerves. with neurological recovery. For example, you can gently massage the dog’s foot pads if the back legs are paralyzed.
What is the number for intervertebral disc disease in dogs?
Anyone seeking information about treatment of intervertebral disc disease in dogs may contact UF’s Small Animal Hospital at 352-392-2235.
Who came up with the idea of studying the effectiveness of lasers on patients with this disease?
The idea of studying the laser’s effectiveness on patients with this disease came to Schubert after he heard a former colleague give a presentation on the effectiveness of laser treatment on animals receiving physical therapy for various conditions.
How many dogs were in the study?
Thirty-four dogs were included in the study, with 17 in the treatment group and 17 in the control group. The overwhelming majority of the dogs — 75 percent — were dachshunds, a breed genetically prone to intervertebral disc disease.
Does laser therapy help?
Now we can see that indeed, the laser therapy does help our patients.”. The laser used in the study was a Class 3b, of the near infrared range. “In humans, this wavelength has been shown to speed healing of conditions such as muscle pain and superficial wounds,” Shubert said.
Can dogs have laser surgery?
By Sarah Carey. The use of lasers in veterinary medicine is not new, but University of Florida veterinarians are now using the procedure postoperatively with great success in dogs with paralysis caused by intervertebral disc disease. “Dogs that receive low-level laser treatment after initial surgery are walking a full week earlier ...
What is the purpose of acupuncture needle?
That is, a skillful practitioner inserting an acupuncture needle gauges the amount of resistance the needle encounters as it penetrates one or more layers of muscle. This mechanical information conducted through the needle informs the acupuncturist about the state of tone, tension and tenderness in a muscle.
Is electroacupuncture a neuroanatomical therapy?
Electroacupuncture studies have identified optimal lengths of treatment and frequency settings, and specifying a precise neuroanatomic target for comparative acupuncture research is possible with acupuncture. For laser and massage, the stimulus diffuses into and influences more of the surrounding tissue region.
Is laser therapy evidence based?
Now that evidence-based education is becoming available for laser therapy 1 , facts can begin to replace the hearsay and hype ...
Medically reviewed by
Animal acupuncture can seem foreign, but in this article, we get to the point of this Chinese medicine method so that pet parents can easily decide whether or not it will be the right fit for their pup’s care plan.
What is Acupuncture for Dogs?
Acupuncture is a complementary and holistic treatment method of Chinese medicine in which thin, sterile needles are inserted into key points on the body to stimulate tissues, vessels, and nerves without the release of blood.
What Can Acupuncture Help With?
Acupuncture is helpful for many problems. It is often used to bring relief to certain areas and stimulate an appropriate response in the body by sending neurological signals to the brain.
The Benefits of Acupuncture
Despite the use of needles, acupuncture is a non-invasive treatment. Dogs who receive acupuncture are usually calmed by the procedure. Some pet owners have had their dogs fall asleep while receiving their acupuncture treatment.
Dog Acupuncture vs. CBD for Dogs
If you’re looking for a holistic option to help your dog with discomfort or stress, you may want to consider CBD as well.
Different Types of Veterinary Acupuncture
If you’re ready to explore the world of acupuncture for dogs, here are some helpful things to know.
Are There Side Effects to Canine Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a favorable form of treatment because it lacks potential side effects, unlike prescription and over the counter medicines. Acupuncture will not interfere with supplements or other medication that is prescribed by your vet and dogs can continue on any western treatment plans without concern.
What is the cause of a dog's back pain?
Thoracolumbar disc disease affects the dog's thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine. When the dog's back in involved, dogs have trouble walking and some dogs may even go on to develop loss of pain sensation and neurological deficits that impair their ability to urinate/defecate.
Why is acupuncture important?
The reason why this is so important is the fact that acupuncture has the potential to mask or alter symptoms which can make a later diagnosis much more difficult , explains veterinarian Dr. Sheldon Altman in the Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
What are the benefits of laser therapy for dogs?
Dr. Downing says that laser therapy for dogs can also help with: 1 Surgical wound healing 2 Traumatic wound healing 3 Increasing the metabolism of specific tissues 4 Reducing the formation of scar tissue 5 Immunoregulation 6 Improving nerve function and nerve regeneration 7 Releasing of painful trigger points 8 Speeding the healing of infections
Why do dogs need laser therapy?
Because laser therapy increases the comfort and mobility of the pet with relatively few side effects, it can help when a patient that’s in pain also has heart, kidney or liver disease that prohibits the dog from using traditional therapies like prescription pet medications, Dr. Troy adds.
What is therapeutic laser therapy?
Therapeutic laser therapy uses light energy, which is cold or low-level, to work its “magic.”. Light used at specific frequencies causes a physiological change at the cellular level, explains Dr. Troy, an integrative veterinary practitioner.
What class of laser is used in veterinary medicine?
According to Dr. Downing, the most commonly used therapeutic lasers in veterinary medicine are Class 3 and Class 4. The higher the power of the laser, the shorter the time that is needed to deliver a particular dose of energy into the animal’s tissues.
How long has laser therapy been around?
Although laser therapy has been available for 40 years, evidence to support its use for alleviating pain and accelerating healing has only recently emerged, says Dr. Downing.
How much does a single procedure cost?
The costs of the procedure can also fluctuate. “Single treatments typically cost anywhere from $40 to $100 each,” says Dr. Downing. “Most practitioners bundle treatments and provide a discount to make the treatments more affordable. Then the treatments can be used at whatever pace seems optimal for the patient.”.
How long does a dog need to be treated for anal gland rupture?
For very acute, painful conditions like a ruptured anal gland, she treats the dog daily for three to five days, then several times the next week, and then increases the time between treatments until she’s attained her set goal. The first treatment for surgical wounds is done before the animal even wakes up.
Can dogs tolerate medication?
For instance, some dogs may respond well to a certain medication or treatment. While another may not. Or a dog may have terrible side effects causing them not to be able to tolerate a specific medication or treatment. As a result, there are many factors to consider when choosing what treatments will be best for our dogs.
Can dogs feel pain?
Your dog has superficial to deep pain sensation. Ideally, your dog should be able to feel pain. The deeper the pain sensation the more they should respond to laser therapy and other conservative treatments. All cases are unique.
Is laser therapy good for dogs?
Laser Therapy is Effective for IVDD Dogs. Dogs are individuals. Clearly, this is one thing we have in common with our canine companions. We know there are lots more! But let’s stick with this for now. For instance, some dogs may respond well to a certain medication or treatment. While another may not.
Can dogs with cervical IVDD be treated conservatively?
Conservative treatment includes laser therapy. In our case, we know this to be true as this has been our exact experience. However, it’s not to say that dogs with cervical IVDD do not or can not benefit from conservative treatment. Dr.
How much does laser therapy save?
Laser therapy has an average savings of over $20,000 over surgery and $7500 over standard conservative therapy. Further, follow-up studies of those treated with laser therapy indicates that patients remained symptom free and imaging showed no more herniation.
Can laser therapy help herniated discs?
Laser Therapy for Herniated Disc? Can It Help Me? Laser therapy offers a less invasive treatment for low back pain. Also, studies have shown that the drugs used to treat disc herniation were linked to a heightened risk of cardiovascular side effects. There is also a risk of addiction to pain medication.
Is laser therapy safe for pain?
Research has shown that a very specific frequency of light is used in Low Intensity Laser Therapy, energizes the cells for healing. Laser therapy has been effective where other conservative techniques provided no pain relief.