Resources: Acupuncture for Dogs in Portland

While browsing through the millions of pages on Facebook, I discovered a wonderful veterinary acupuncture site that many of my peers already knew about- Four Paws Acupuncture in Massachusetts. Jeanie Mossa Kraft, the owner of the site, has fantastic posts on the blog- I love the latest one about stray dogs riding the subway in Russia! She also has a recipe for healthy doggie meatballs, as well as a protective winter wax for dog paws (in case we actually see snow here in Portland again!). Her site is also full of information for feeding dogs appropriate foods (no onions!), acupuncture and other alternative care ideas.

Frontier Veterinary Hospital in Hillsboro offers acupuncture to the patients, and the Veterinary Acupuncturist is Dr. Lisa Yung. Read this great post on the My Life With Dogs Blog - it's a story about a dog named Bruiser who received acupuncture when it was discovered there was a problem with the a disc in his spinal cord. Be sure to read the story, and check out the  list of resources listed:

Becca Seitz, LAc treats pets at her clinic, Thrive Acupuncture, in Northeast Portland

Dr. Brenda Brown at Cedar Hills Vet Clinic now offers acupuncture as well

Dr. Prouty practices in Clackamas, Oregon at NW Vet Specialist

Massage/Integrated Touch:

Animal massage: Heal NW with Ruby Sullivan (I attended one of her seminars at Rose City Veterinary Hospital last year- she was amazing!)

Lauren McCall, The Integrated Animal- Uses TTouch technique to promote healing- read more about it on their informative site.

Other resources:

Dove Lewis – Portland's main emergency veterinary hospital

Animal chiropractors – Dr. Chattigre’ at Cascade Summit Veterinary Hospital in West Linn, Oregon

Portland Veterinary Medical Association: A great resource for pets of all sizes

Pet ramps – include some Web sites: Orvis.com or KVVet.com

If you are interested in learning more about veterinarians in the US and Canada, check out the site for the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture.

What Can TCM Treat? Post-surgical Acupuncture and Herbs

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6tIbpJE7CY&feature=related[/youtube] Healing after a surgery is usually not the most pleasant time for anyone. Most people expereince some amoutn of pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lack of lucidity, and other various side effects from the pain medications. While it is necessary to manage the pain in an efficient and quick manner, it is possible in a lot of cases to do it without the use of drugs. Pain drugs, such as morphine, have to be metabolized while your body is trying to put all of it's energy into healing.

Acupuncture helps to release endorphins, or the natural "pain killing" mechanism the body already has. It's very safe, and contributes to the healing of the wound created by the surgery, and body acu-points that aren't near the surgical site can be used to stop the pain. Electroacupuncture machines may also be used, as it's easier to turn the current up or down according to the patients comfort level. The use of acupuncture and even massage can speed up the process much faster than without it.

There are a lot of great Chinese herbal medicine remedies for post-surgical trauma as well. The burn salve Ching Wan Hung, which also has skin-regenerating properties.  For wounds that continue to bleed or have a lot of bruising, Yunnan Bai Yao can be used to help stop the internal bruising and external bleeding. This "secret" formula comes in many different and easy to use forms, such as plasters, powder, capsules and sprays. It is inexpensive, and can be found in most Chinese Medicine grocery stores and Asian grocery stores

It's important to remember that movement can be key with healing (depending on the surgery, of course). Getting up and walking helps move the blood around, instead of letting it stagnate which can lead to pain. While cool foods might seem like a good idea, it's also important to eat warm and nourishing foods to help you heal, such as soups, herbal teas, and meat broths to help build up strength.

For more information, here is another site that gives information on why acupuncture should be used after cosmetic surgical procedures, and Medscape had more on postoperative pain management.

Keep in mind that all of these tips can also be applied to animals undergoing surgery- their response to Chinese Herbal Medinice and acupuncture can be very similar to humans!

Veterinarian acupuncture article

Check out the link below to read an amazing story about veterinarian acupuncture and a healing process that changed many lives. I went to school with Kelly for a year- she is truly an amazing healer. Click HERE to read.