www.Acupuncture4Animals.com
Four Paws, Five Treasures LLC
Linda Vognar, DVM, CVA

Integrative Veterinary Medicine
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine

HOLISTIC VETERINARY CARE
ANIMAL STORIES

ARTHRITIS AND ALLERGIES
Chip, a 13 year old male Golden Retriever, was recovering from surgery for cancer. Over the years he had developed joint problems that prevented him from jumping and he frequently had hock swelling and lameness. His surgery had left him with little energy, and his chronic skin allergies were also coming into play as spring moved into summer. Chip's owners presented him for acupuncture and a diagnosis of Kidney Yang deficiency with External Wind was made by tongue and pulse diagnosis. His joint pain, allergies, and low energy were treated over a three month period to correct his deficiency and balance energy flow. After three sessions he began to lope and run again, something he had not done in years, and his itching diminished markedly. His owner began giving him an herbal, External Wind, twice daily in his food and for the first time Chip was able to go through the summer and fall without the use of steroids . He is presently also taking an herbal for his joints and receiving an acupuncture session every 6 to 8 weeks, which has allowed his owner to cut his western joint prescription dosage in half.

SEIZURE
Jose is a 9 year old male Chihuahua with a history of seizures which were well controlled by the Western drug Potassium Bromide. However when a routine blood test revealed extremely elevated liver enzymes his veterinarian took him off the Potassium Bromide and his seizures began again. At this point his owner decided to try acupuncture and herbals to control the seizures. Jose's Chinese diagnosis was Liver Qi Stagnation with Internal Wind. He was given three acupuncture sessions two weeks apart and began eating two Chinese herbal powders which were sprinkled on his food twice a day. With the exception of one seizure about two weeks after starting the herbs, he has remained seizure free . Five months after starting the herbals Jose's blood tests were normal. He comes in every 4 months for his acupuncture and takes herbs twice a day.

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
Jessibell was rescued by a good samaritan. She was an elderly cat with congenitally small eyes which continually discharged a thick yellow fluid, but her major problem was her feet. The pads of all four feet were swollen, tender, cracked and dry and she had great difficulty walking due to pain. Her regular veterinarian had biopsied the pads three months before and diagnosed an autoimmune disease which did not respond to treatment with traditional western drugs. At this point her owner decided to try acupuncture, and a diagnosis of Liver Yin and Jing deficiency with Blood Heat was made based on her history as well as tongue and pulse diagnosis. Jezabelle had 4 acupuncture treatments two weeks apart, and after the first treatment the swelling diminished slightly. By the second treatment she allowed people to touch her feet and pads, and was walking better. At this point she began to take a Chinese herbal called Blood Heat to increase the benefit of the acupuncture sessions. After two months we began to treat monthly. A few months later her feet were normal and pain free, and her eyes, though small, no longer discharged. She remained on Blood Heat for three months and at this point no longer needs an herbal or acupuncture. She remains a happy, healthy cat.

LIVER DISEASE

Bailey is a middle aged cat who had lead a healthy and happy life until midsummer when her owner noted a decrease in appetite and energy level which progressed into the fall. Bailey's regular veterinarian made a diagnosis of liver and gall bladder disease based on lab work and ultra sound. She was placed on western drugs to reduce the liver inflammation and control infection, as well as several "liver boosting" supplements, but her liver enzymes continued to rise and her appetite and activity level to fall. Her veterinarian referred her for acupuncture.

Based on her tongue and pulse diagnosis of Spleen Qi Deficiency with Liver Heat, Bailey was treated with dry needle acupuncture and herbs to resolve the liver heat and restore her qi. Her appetite and activity level were normal the day after the first session, but then she stopped eating all together, although she was playing and active for the first time in months. The herbal supplement was stopped, a second acupuncture was done a week later for her liver heat, anorexia and intermittent vomiting. Bailey then returned the next day to her regular vet for western treatment for vomiting as well as a repeat of her lab tests. By that time she was eating small amounts again and to our delight her lab values were on the way down, very close to normal. Herbal medicine was resumed after a few days to accelerate the healing and her appetite gradually returned to normal.

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