These days, most people consider their dog a full-fledged member of the family. If you’re among them, you probably want to do whatever you can to boost your beloved dog’s health before illness sets in, just as you would for yourself, your children, and your parents. And who could blame you? Dogs bring so much unbridled comfort and joy that it seems only fair to be just as giving to them.
As a veterinarian, I’ve always had a strong belief in striving to give pets total wellness As it happens, one of the most effective ways to enhance your pet’s well-bring is with a blend of Western medicine and time-honored Eastern healing techniques.
In the Western side of medicine, dogs and cats are treated for a particular health ailment, or glitches in a particular organ system are addressed, without necessarily helping to support the other parts of the body that may be involved. More often than not, I wasn’t treating a pet as a complex creature with a variety of intricately connected body systems that function as synergistic parts of a whole being. The perspective was more symptom-specific; the treatment was aimed at addressing one troublesome area of the body.
When the problem is simple, the Western approach often is sufficient. After all, it is very good at diagnosing specific problems in a particular organ, such as the liver or the kidneys, and treating that area. But it doesn’t consider how draining a particular disease – such as liver or kidney disease – can be on other organs or systems in the body. Kidney disease, for instance, impacts the liver, heart, blood vessels, and blood pressure, and changes the body’s hemodynamics, or flow of blood throughout the liver.
And the Western approach, as I soon discovered in my veterinary practice, is not always effective at treating chronic arthritis, autoimmune problems, organ failure, or other ongoing conditions. While I was able to treat the majority of the animals I saw quite successfully, making a substantial difference in their welfare and quality of life, there were a few cases involving chronic diseases or injuries that were difficult to treat.
While I was working at a Western-oriented veterinary practice, a 7-year-old dog that had been hit by a car came in for surgery to repair her fractured pelvis. We performed the surgery and prescribed pain medicine and physical therapy, but after several weeks the poor pooch still wasn’t walking because she had suffered nerve damage. All of my instincts told me this dog would strongly benefit from acupuncture, but the vet in charge wasn’t willing to go this route – he actually recommended the dog be put to sleep – and my hands were tied. I quietly suggested to the owners that they consult an acupuncture specialist.
They took my advice, and after just three acupuncture treatments, the dog was back on her feet. I knew then it was time to start my own veterinary practice that would treat animals in more ways than one. Ever since, I’ve combined Eastern and Western healing techniques when treating my animal patients.
With Eastern medicine and alternative modalities, I found that these disciplines promote health and well-being by viewing pets as more than just physical bodies. With time-honored healing techniques, the underlying philosophy is to treat the animal as a whole – rather than as a sum of various organ systems – because all the systems of the body really do work together. One of the true benefits of using Eastern medicine techniques, such as acupuncture or herbal remedies, is they often are less invasive and have minimal, if any, side effects, compared to drugs or surgery. This East-West approach brings harmony to the way I practice because it allows me to help a pet achieve optimal wellness in body and mind, whether we’re dealing with a life-threatening health problem or trying to head off the onset of potential illness.
Several years ago, I treated a 3-year-old dog that had stopped eating and drinking and had to be hospitalized and hydrated intravenously. The results of her blood tests were normal but the dog was totally lethargic and was acting strange and disoriented at home. My hunch was the nearly emaciated dog, a "fire" creature, was reacting badly to a recent move to a new home and to new food. After the owners took my advice and tried an herbal treatment and added "wood" features to their home, based on the principles of feng shui, the results were staggering: just as fire consumes wood, the dog began to eat and drink normally and regained most of her weight within a few weeks.
Because I can’t personally treat all the dogs and other beloved pets across the country, I want to expand beyond my practice and offer pet-lovers a way to use a mix of Western and Eastern disciplines to care for their pets at home.
Blending the best of both worlds of healing can help you develop a health plan that will enhance the well-being of your pets and adopt a preventive, take-charge approach to keeping them healthy. Whether it’s a matter of harnessing the healing properties of food, eliminating bad elements from a pet’s environment, restoring an animal’s flow of chi, or treating bothersome symptoms, this revolutionary, East-Meets-West approach to the optimal care and feeding of pets can bring a dog’s internal equilibrium and external environment into perfect harmony.
Sometimes you have to leave the mainstream to get the results you want – and veterinary medicine is no exception. If your dog’s pain and suffering aren’t responding to the usual approaches – drugs, injections, surgery, and the like – it’s time to think about alternatives from both sides of the globe. That often means moving beyond the prescription pad or hospital setting and into the realm of complementary ways of healing. From the West, chiropractic adjustment – which helps relieve muscle strain, puts the spine in its proper alignment, and eases inflammation – can be good for musculoskeletal problems. As spa-loving people know, massage promote relaxation, which can enhance energy flow in the body, and improves circulation – all benefits that are especially vital for animals suffering from muscle soreness after exercise, or aging creatures (a.k.a. the geriatric pet set). Homeopathy can improve the overall health of an animal by using different tinctures to help promote the affected areas’ well-being. And there are many Western herbs which may be beneficial in promoting good health.
From the East, acupuncture and acupressure open up the energy pathways in an animal’s body, which can relieve areas of stagnation and promote healing. These ancient techniques are especially useful for musculoskeletal disorders (such as arthritis), internal diseases (such as kidney disease), post-surgery recovery (after hip or joint surgery), and overall body wellness. What’s more, you, the pet owners, can use a variety of Eastern techniques to improve your own chi.
The human benefits of acupuncture and acupressure are well-known, but that’s just the tip of the healing force. The ancient Chinese healing techniques qi (chi) gong and Tai Chi enhance the flow of chi from the inside out, with rhythmic breathing exercises and slow, fluid movements, almost like meditation in motion. Feng shui, meanwhile, enhances the flow of chi from the outside in. Each of these healing arts can make you feel more balanced, centered, and calm, which will have a positive impact on the way you treat and interact with your pet. In addition, there’s a less tangible benefit: the improved flow of chi through your body, mind, and living space can promote positive energy flow through your dog, simply because you are a crucial part of your pet’s environment.
