Q: My 12-year-old husky is beginning to show his age. He has arthritis and is having a hard time getting up and down the steps. While he still wants to run outside and play, I know his joints hurt when we let him run.
Is there anything we can do to help him enjoy his remaining years with us?
— K.S., Akron
A: While there’s no cure for old age, there are things we can do to help our aging pets live a more comfortable life.
Geriatric dogs and cats can pose a unique challenge when it comes to care. Some have organ dysfunction that might preclude them from using pain medication. Others simply don’t respond to the drugs as well as we’d like. In these cases, it can be frustrating as a pet owner because you may feel you don’t have any options. At times like these, acupuncture can be a literal life-saver.
Acupuncture is one part of a 3,000-plus-year-old system of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It works to restore the flow and balance of energy within the body, and so can do everything from fight inflammation, improve mobility and restore neurological function. If evaluated from our more familiar Western medicine perspective, we can explain some of acupuncture’s benefits by the needles effect on our body’s hormones and nerves.
The best part about acupuncture is that it’s incredibly safe. Nearly every pet is a candidate for this treatment. It’s noninvasive and gentle, and there are rarely side effects associated with the therapy. Just as with any medical condition, the more advanced a disease has been present, the longer it can take to achieve maximum benefit — but in many cases, improvement can be noted after one or two sessions.
What can we treat with acupuncture? The list is long and varied, but most often we see pets for age-related musculoskeletal disease. Arthritis, chronic joint pain, muscle atrophy and weakness can all be treated with this natural therapy. On its own or in conjunction with traditional medications and treatments, your pet can benefit tremendously and enjoy a better quality of life with acupuncture.
— Stephanie Sivula
Dancing Paws
Wellness Center
Richfield