subject: Alternative Therapies For Dogs [print this page] Alternative Therapies For Dogs Alternative Therapies For Dogs
You're no doubt familiar with traditional Western ways of treating your dog's ailments. Most of us take our dog straight to the vet when there's a problem. This works for a lot of problems. The vet looks at your dog, performs some tests and prescribes a medication to counter what's happening. Many times your dog gets better.
However, there are other treatment methods that think outside the box, at least by Western standards. Many of these alternative therapies are based on Eastern philosophy or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This approach to medicine is much older than science-based Western medicine and it also works, at least according to the millions of people who use it.
Acupuncture has been used for more than two thousand years. It's the practice of inserting and manipulating small-gauge needles into various places in the body to treat various diseases and conditions. It's often used to treat pain. Acupuncture is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat whole-body conditions and help with someone's overall health.
Acupuncture is used in veterinary medicine today by many mainstream veterinarians. Worldwide, it's estimated that some 150,000 vets are trained in acupuncture. If your dog is experiencing pain, especially related to his mobility, then it's possible your vet could recommend treatment with acupuncture.
Aromatherapy is also used to treat dogs. It depends on the sense of smell and touch and uses essential oils. These oils have been reduced from the "essence" of the original plant or flower and captured for therapeutic use.
Essential oils serve many purposes. They can be antiseptic in some cases. They may be detoxifying or revitalizing or have other claims. Depending on the essential oil you use, you can help your dog with skin problems, calm your dog, help him to sleep, boost his energy, and so on. Aromatherapy is often used to calm dogs during thunderstorms or to help dogs that are upset during other traumatic events.
Another alternative therapy is homeopathy. Homeopathy is quite different from typical Western medicine. Instead of trying to counteract an illness, homeopathy relies on the approach that "like cures like." You "go with the flow," so to speak. If your dog has diarrhea, for example, you would treat him by giving him something, in small amounts, that causes diarrhea.
With homeopathy the practitioner is trying to encourage the body to heal itself by provoking a response. Homeopathy tries to stimulate the body to make a healing response to an ailment. The initial response to homeopathy may be to cause symptoms that are similar to what the body is already showing. Then the body will "kick in" and heal itself.
Homeopathy may sound a little suspicious but the things used to cause a homeopathic response are usually highly diluted. These remedies have usually lost any toxicity, though they are able to provoke a response from the body. However, homeopathy is often discussed because many homeopaths oppose vaccinations. Some veterinarians today are trained in both Western and homeopathic medicine. There are said to be over 2000 different homeopathic remedies.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses a combination of herbs, acupuncture and massage. TCM can be particularly helpful for senior dogs, especially if Western drugs would have serious side effects.
TCM can be used to treat dogs who have arthritis and mobility problems. The combination of acupuncture and massage, especially, has been found to be very beneficial for many elderly dogs. A practitioner of TCM will probably also want to talk to you about making changes to your dog's diet. Some supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin, work well with TCM. However, a practitioner of TCM will probably discourage the use of Western pain medication such as Rimadyl and Deramaxx. He or she may, instead, recommend the use of Chinese herbs for your dog's pain.
TCM has also been shown to help dogs with allergies and even dogs with cancer.
Massage therapy is another popular alternative therapy for dogs today. There are several forms of massage therapy ranging from the light massage you can give your dog at home to deep tissue massage that should only be given to a dog by someone trained. Deep tissue massage can cause damage if it is applied incorrectly. Massage therapy is particularly helpful to dogs who are experiencing pain, stress and fatigue. However, massage therapy has also been used to reduce blood pressure, reduce the formation of scar tissue, help dogs with arthritis, stimulate liver and kidney functions, improve blood circulation, and improve skin and coat. Plus, massage typically reduces a dog's anxiety.
It's worth learning how to lightly massage your dog yourself. If you would like to find someone to massage your dog professionally it's a good idea to look for someone who is certified in dog or animal massage so your dog won't be accidentally injured.
There are many other forms of alternative therapies that are used to treat dogs these days. If you hear about something and it sounds interesting or if you think your dog might benefit from it, do some research and see if it might help. Western medicine does help most dogs but there is no reason why elements of other therapies can't be incorporated into your dog's treatment if they might help.
