Gay Larsen
04-20-2006, 12:43 PM
Dear Members: I apologize for the length of this article, but to "edit" it in any manner would change the meaning or leave out some information. This is one of the BEST articles I've ever read explaining the options that accupuncture can offer in SOME cases:
Acupuncture helps save dachshund
Thursday, April 20, 2006
LaNIA COLEMAN
THE SAGINAW NEWS
It has taken intricate needle work, but Wolf, once paralyzed, is mending
quite nicely.
Tittabawassee Township Police Officer Julie L. Nagel nearly had her
5-year-old dachshund destroyed after a veterinarian told her the dog
needed up to $10,000 worth of surgery and rehabilitation to correct the
paralysis that afflicted him in early February.
"At that point, I was crying," Nagel said. "I was looking at my poor
dog, and I wanted to put him out of his misery."
Acupuncture, however, has changed everything.
"He was minutes away from getting put to sleep, and I was freaking out.
The vet was getting ready (to euthanize Wolf), and my little dog was
just looking at me and I just had a feeling. I didn't want to make a
rash decision. It was not a good time to make a decision."
That night, Nagel slept on the floor with Wolf.
"He's such a lovey little guy," she said. "He curled up next to me. The
next morning, he dragged himself up and put his head on my shoulder and
looked at me, and I knew I had to try everything I could."
Still coping with the loss of her dachshund-mix, Rocky, in April 2005,
Nagel was determined to find an alternative to surgery in order to save
her beloved pet.
"I got on the Internet and explored every avenue," she said. "I found
information on canine chiropractic care, and then I found a Web site
about acupuncture. I went to Woodside Kennels on Hospital Road because I
knew they'd know a lot of dogs and a lot of people. They recommended Dr.
Sue Johnson-Wendt. They said she's really good, so I set up an
appointment."
A delicate balance
The National Geographic Society describes acupuncture as a method of
balancing the flow of the energy ("qi") that travels along 12 primary
pathways (meridians) in the body. Ailments occur when something disrupts
the energy flow.
"Chinese medicine is all about balance," said Johnson-Wendt, who earned
her acupuncture certification in July after studying at the Chi
Institute in Reddick, Fla. "The needles bring about balance."
The body knows many ways of healing itself, she said, and acupuncture
optimizes the body's ability to do that.
"If something needs to be quieted or strengthened, the body knows," said
Johnson-Wendt, a 20-year veteran of veterinary medicine. "The places we
put the needles have muscle and nerves. The needles directly stimulate
the nerves."
Even Western medicine acknowledges that acupuncture increases blood
flow, reduces heart rate, improves immune function and stimulates the
release of some of the body's built-in pain-killers and
anti-inflammatory agents.
Johnson-Wendt uses one to 30 needles per treatment. The needles are so
small they rarely cause pain.
Depending on the animal and the ailment, Johnson-Wendt inserts the
needles into specific combinations of acupuncture points. Dogs and cats
have 300 acupuncture points compared to 365 in humans.
The specific treatment plan determines whether she with twist the
needles or attach electrodes to help stimulate nerve bundles. A little
soothing background music and some treats help calm the animals.
"There is no 'cook book' method," Johnson-Wendt said. "You have to
thoroughly examine the animal to determine what will work. We look at
the whole animal."
"The biggest thing I use acupuncture for is pain," Johnson-Wendt said.
"The second is what I call hospice care for cancer patients receiving
chemotherapy. We're not stopping the use of Western medicine. But
sometimes, the drugs make the dogs sick. We can relieve those symptoms.
"We know we can't cure some of these dogs. The goal is to give them a
better quality of life. The No. 1 goal of acupuncture is to improve
quality of life."
Nagel said Wolf started to get the feeling back in his haunches after
the first appointment. To date, he has received six treatments at a cost
of $20 to $40 each.
"A couple of days after the first visit, I started tickling his toes and
I noticed he was getting the feeling back," said Nagel. "After the
second treatment, he was wagging his tail. I never thought I'd see him
wag his tail again. After four visits, he took his first steps. He gets
better and better after each treatment. He can get around on his own,
but he's still a little sloppy. His rear-end still flops back and forth.
"He may not be able to run, but he can get around and he's happy. He's
not paralyzed forever."
Right to the point
Nagel said she does physical therapy to help Wolf along as he
recuperates. Johnson-Wendt said she expects Wolf to recover completely.
The dog's recovery also inspired three of Nagel's friends and her aunt
to seek acupuncture therapy; the aunt has chronic pain in her back and
neck.
"If my dog had never been crippled, my aunt would have never known how
well acupuncture works," Nagel said. "She's had four treatments and
she's pain-free after being miserable for years. She's jumping up stairs
and she's in a great mood. She says she never felt better."
Johnson-Wendt also knows the human benefits of acupuncture. She receives
acupuncture treatments as does her 13-year-old son, Travis Wendt, who
has asthma.
"Western medicine trains us not to look at any of the other modalities,
but the Chinese have been using these treatments for thousands of
years," she said.
Johnson-Wendt hasn't had an easy row to hoe when it comes to convincing
her colleagues to embrace the Eastern philosophies.
"When they see what it can do, though, they're amazed," she said. "I
predict that there will come a time when veterinary clinics will be
required to have acupuncture for pain and hospice."
Nagel agrees emphatically.
"There's something to this acupuncture stuff," she said. "I never
thought I'd see my dog walk again. He can't run marathons, but he can
get around, tunnel in pillows, play and go to the bathroom on his own.
"This could have been a devastating experience. But now, I still have my
baby, and he's happy. Acupuncture is something people need to know
about. People need to know there are other alternatives to Western
medicine."
Acupuncture helps save dachshund
Thursday, April 20, 2006
LaNIA COLEMAN
THE SAGINAW NEWS
It has taken intricate needle work, but Wolf, once paralyzed, is mending
quite nicely.
Tittabawassee Township Police Officer Julie L. Nagel nearly had her
5-year-old dachshund destroyed after a veterinarian told her the dog
needed up to $10,000 worth of surgery and rehabilitation to correct the
paralysis that afflicted him in early February.
"At that point, I was crying," Nagel said. "I was looking at my poor
dog, and I wanted to put him out of his misery."
Acupuncture, however, has changed everything.
"He was minutes away from getting put to sleep, and I was freaking out.
The vet was getting ready (to euthanize Wolf), and my little dog was
just looking at me and I just had a feeling. I didn't want to make a
rash decision. It was not a good time to make a decision."
That night, Nagel slept on the floor with Wolf.
"He's such a lovey little guy," she said. "He curled up next to me. The
next morning, he dragged himself up and put his head on my shoulder and
looked at me, and I knew I had to try everything I could."
Still coping with the loss of her dachshund-mix, Rocky, in April 2005,
Nagel was determined to find an alternative to surgery in order to save
her beloved pet.
"I got on the Internet and explored every avenue," she said. "I found
information on canine chiropractic care, and then I found a Web site
about acupuncture. I went to Woodside Kennels on Hospital Road because I
knew they'd know a lot of dogs and a lot of people. They recommended Dr.
Sue Johnson-Wendt. They said she's really good, so I set up an
appointment."
A delicate balance
The National Geographic Society describes acupuncture as a method of
balancing the flow of the energy ("qi") that travels along 12 primary
pathways (meridians) in the body. Ailments occur when something disrupts
the energy flow.
"Chinese medicine is all about balance," said Johnson-Wendt, who earned
her acupuncture certification in July after studying at the Chi
Institute in Reddick, Fla. "The needles bring about balance."
The body knows many ways of healing itself, she said, and acupuncture
optimizes the body's ability to do that.
"If something needs to be quieted or strengthened, the body knows," said
Johnson-Wendt, a 20-year veteran of veterinary medicine. "The places we
put the needles have muscle and nerves. The needles directly stimulate
the nerves."
Even Western medicine acknowledges that acupuncture increases blood
flow, reduces heart rate, improves immune function and stimulates the
release of some of the body's built-in pain-killers and
anti-inflammatory agents.
Johnson-Wendt uses one to 30 needles per treatment. The needles are so
small they rarely cause pain.
Depending on the animal and the ailment, Johnson-Wendt inserts the
needles into specific combinations of acupuncture points. Dogs and cats
have 300 acupuncture points compared to 365 in humans.
The specific treatment plan determines whether she with twist the
needles or attach electrodes to help stimulate nerve bundles. A little
soothing background music and some treats help calm the animals.
"There is no 'cook book' method," Johnson-Wendt said. "You have to
thoroughly examine the animal to determine what will work. We look at
the whole animal."
"The biggest thing I use acupuncture for is pain," Johnson-Wendt said.
"The second is what I call hospice care for cancer patients receiving
chemotherapy. We're not stopping the use of Western medicine. But
sometimes, the drugs make the dogs sick. We can relieve those symptoms.
"We know we can't cure some of these dogs. The goal is to give them a
better quality of life. The No. 1 goal of acupuncture is to improve
quality of life."
Nagel said Wolf started to get the feeling back in his haunches after
the first appointment. To date, he has received six treatments at a cost
of $20 to $40 each.
"A couple of days after the first visit, I started tickling his toes and
I noticed he was getting the feeling back," said Nagel. "After the
second treatment, he was wagging his tail. I never thought I'd see him
wag his tail again. After four visits, he took his first steps. He gets
better and better after each treatment. He can get around on his own,
but he's still a little sloppy. His rear-end still flops back and forth.
"He may not be able to run, but he can get around and he's happy. He's
not paralyzed forever."
Right to the point
Nagel said she does physical therapy to help Wolf along as he
recuperates. Johnson-Wendt said she expects Wolf to recover completely.
The dog's recovery also inspired three of Nagel's friends and her aunt
to seek acupuncture therapy; the aunt has chronic pain in her back and
neck.
"If my dog had never been crippled, my aunt would have never known how
well acupuncture works," Nagel said. "She's had four treatments and
she's pain-free after being miserable for years. She's jumping up stairs
and she's in a great mood. She says she never felt better."
Johnson-Wendt also knows the human benefits of acupuncture. She receives
acupuncture treatments as does her 13-year-old son, Travis Wendt, who
has asthma.
"Western medicine trains us not to look at any of the other modalities,
but the Chinese have been using these treatments for thousands of
years," she said.
Johnson-Wendt hasn't had an easy row to hoe when it comes to convincing
her colleagues to embrace the Eastern philosophies.
"When they see what it can do, though, they're amazed," she said. "I
predict that there will come a time when veterinary clinics will be
required to have acupuncture for pain and hospice."
Nagel agrees emphatically.
"There's something to this acupuncture stuff," she said. "I never
thought I'd see my dog walk again. He can't run marathons, but he can
get around, tunnel in pillows, play and go to the bathroom on his own.
"This could have been a devastating experience. But now, I still have my
baby, and he's happy. Acupuncture is something people need to know
about. People need to know there are other alternatives to Western
medicine."