Traditional Chinese Medicine Helps Pets

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Kobi's thick tail wagged, then slowed, as a dozen acupuncture needles were tapped along his spine.The yellow Labrador stood still, with a little encouragement, as Dr. Daniel King knelt beside him with spa-like music playing softly in the background.As a needle was inserted in his hind leg, the dog jumped."That's a good sign," the Tolono veterinarian said. "You know you're in the right place."Kobi was getting his fifth treatment for a painful bone growth at the end of his spine. About 45 minutes later, he was prancing out of the room, tail wagging.A week later, he was still feeling the benefits, said owner Kathy Whorrall, who said the 45-minute treatment relaxed him, relieving his pain and giving him more energy. The monthly treatments cost her about $100.She drove to Chicago for treatment before she found Dr. King, who used to work at Highland Pet Hospital and Wellness Center in Bloomington.He makes monthly visits to see patients at Dogs in Suds, a Bloomington grooming business Whorrall co-owns.Veterinary acupuncture and chiropractic treatment isn't mainstream, but it's not as rare as it used to be.At the annual American Veterinary Medicine Association convention a month ago, sessions on non-traditional medicine that might have been nearly empty a decade ago filled more than a month ahead."Absolutely, there is a lot more interest in it," said Dr. Stuart Price, who teaches anesthesia and pain management at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Champaign. But he adds there need to be more controlled studies to determine what types of pain the therapy can best alleviate."It looks promising, but I don't think we have all the answers yet," he said.Pet owners are the ones driving the non-traditional treatment, he added."People experience it maybe for themselves and have beneficial effects and think about it for their pets as well."About 15 years ago King, who also has an equine practice, started looking at chiropractic care as another way to manage pain and disease.As he studied for his certification by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, he kept hearing about the benefits of acupuncture. That led him to Florida's CHI Institute of Chinese Medicine, which offers veterinarians a master's degree in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine and herbal therapy.King blends it into his practice, using acupuncture and chiropractic treatments to treat diseases, injuries, allergies, even incontinence and storm phobias.What impresses him about Chinese medicine is its 4,000-year medical record."It's a phenomenal amount of medical history and they've been refining their techniques through this whole time. Western medicine is maybe 200 years old and it's not safe. Virtually one-third of all new drugs are off the market in five years because of adverse side effects."It's not that he's against Western medicine."I use it in my practice, where appropriate. I like to use what works and what's best for the patient."Using alternative medicine, he can pick up on a failing organ or a disease earlier."Things will start changing in the body way earlier than blood work will show it," he said.Chinese medicine is based on neurology, how energy flows along "meridians" or energy pathways throughout the body. If the flow is disrupted, it can cause problems."What happens with aging or an injury is the nerve flow drops, causing symptoms," he said. "Acupuncture restores the nerve flow."And he restores it, usually, without tranquilizing the animal. Even cats sit still for it. And horses respond particularly well to chiropractic care because of their sensitivity and phenomenal nervous and musculoskeletal systems, he said, estimating 70 percent of equine veterinary practices use it."Their bodies are prime to respond," he said.Tobey, a 2-year-old Bichon Frise, is one of those animals that needs a short-acting tranquilizer prior to being treated for severe allergies. Owner Mike Miller of Normal took the dog to a local veterinarian, who recommended steroid treatments."We really didn't want to go that route," he said, stroking the dog's neck while he rested next to him on a loveseat in the treatment room.This was Tobey's fourth treatment, designed to strengthen his immune system. The first time, he didn't itch for almost three weeks, but subsequent treatments weren't as long-lasting because of the pollen in the air. With diet therapy and herbal medicine, he's moving in the right direction, Miller said.Acupuncture treatments aren't painful, King said. The sensation feels more like heat, which quickly dissipates. Sometimes electrical stimulation is added; spaghetti-thin wires attached to the disposable needles. Electrical current aids in healing and pain relief.What the veterinarian doesn't use are cold, stainless steel tables. He works on the floor on his knees, with the animal in front of him. That makes them more comfortable, he said, although the work is harder on him."I wear pants out like crazy."