Robert Schaeffer, DVM; St. Louis Hills Veterinary Clinic
and President and COO, Greater St. Louis Veterinary Emergency Group
Alternative and complementary modalities include
Acupuncture, Chiropractics, Herbology, and Nutrition. Other therapies not as
common are Aromatherapy, Homeopathy, Vibrational, Sound, and Music therapy. Robert
Schaeffer, DVM stated that he usually receives animals for alternative treatments as their last resort for help. It is unfortunate that so many pet owners will choose this path only after traditional treatments have
failed.
Acupuncture has been noted to be the most effective long-term
treatment. It became popular in the U.S. in the 1970’s and is the only modality validated by AVMA. It originated with the Chinese and addresses 5 points considered as wind, fire, metal, wood, and
water. Placing fine needles at these points along the meridian, or energy path,
help different areas of the body by restoring the energy stream (known as Qi or Chi) that flows from the body organs.
Spinal manipulative therapy consists of chiropractics
and osteopathy. Chiropractors use a short lever technique and focuses directly
on the area of the problem. Osteopathy utilizes long lever techniques, affecting
the spine through rotation at the shoulders and hips, with some short lever techniques.
This is not AVMA approved.
Herbal therapy is used in Chinese and Western medicines,
as well as other cultures.
TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine, differs from CTM, Chinese
Traditional Medicine. TCM is a complete system of healing that developed in China about 3,000 years ago and has changed very
little over the centuries. CTM combines TCM and Western Medicine to complement
each other.
There are two methods applied to Homeopathy: 1) The shotgun approach which attempts to treat several symptoms at once, and 2) The
individual determination of a problem and treating it accordingly.
Nutritional therapy includes orthomolecular treatment. An important thing to remember is that if you are feeding a natural diet, be sure
to include a wide variety of foods. There are a variety of supplements that support
or treat health conditions. These need to be balanced with each other as well
as suited to the individual. All dogs should be supplemented with Glucosomine
and Chondroitin. Do not use high levels of Vitamin C in young dogs since this
has been known to cause increased problems in the joints.
In homeopathy, there is a special kind of remedy
called a nosode. A nosode (from nosos, the Greek word meaning disease) is a homeopathic
preparation made from a sick animal or person. There is no good research to support
the effectiveness of nosodes. It is supported by various holistic veterinarians
and authors. Titers need to be run on patients since not all vaccines are the
same, and an owner would want to assure protection.
No one thing is capable of increasing immune system
overall, but often involves a combination of therapies.
AWS Partners’
recommended resources:
AVMA Guidelines for Alternative and Complementary
Veterinary Medicine
http://www.vet-task-force.com/Guidelines.htm
Complementary Therapy for Dogs
http://healing.about.com/library/uc_dogtherapy_0102.htm
http://www.ofspirit.com/sevikay1.htm
The American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture
http://www.aava.org/
Canine Acupuncture:
Dogs can get needled back to good health
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/accupunc.html
Animal Chiropractics
http://www.animalchiropractic.com/
Routine Chiropractic Care Can Benefit Your Animals
http://www.avcadoctors.com/
A Chinese Medicine Overview
http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/chinemedicine.html
Orthomolecular Treatment and Research Institutes
http://www.orthomed.org/links/centres.htm
Nosodes
http://www.cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/health/nosodes.htm
Nosodes in Homeopathy
http://www.simillimum.com/Thelittlelibrary/Casemanage/9nosodes.html
