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Alternative Health Care for Dogs
By Darcy Lockman
Visits to the acupuncturist and the chiropractor aren't just for
humans anymore.

Interest in alternative health options for dogs has grown so much
that the American Veterinary Medical Association now recognizes
alternative medicine as a valid form of treatment, as do the 800-plus
members of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.  
But what exactly are the options -- and when might they be right
for your canine companion?
What's Available

According to, Michael Dym, DVM, a New Jersey-based veterinary homeopathy specialist, when vets talk
about alternative health care, they're typically talking about the following:

Acupuncture involves placing needles into the body's energy channels to relieve pain, increase blood
flow, relieve muscle spasms, stimulate nerves and regulate the immune system. Though the prick of a
needle may cause momentary discomfort, many animals become immediately relaxed, or even fall
asleep, after the needles are in.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that looks at the patient's entire emotional and physical
symptom history -- from the beginning of a dog's life onward -- as one illness. A sequence of herbal
remedies is then prescribed over many months, or even years, to stimulate the body's ability to heal
itself.

Holistic medicine also focuses on stimulating the body's innate healing capabilities, but it does so by
looking at -- and ultimately adjusting -- everything that is going onto or into your pet's body, such as
diet, vaccinations and oral and topical pesticides, like heartworm and flea medications.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners do a physical exam to determine where there is
too much heat or dampness in the body, indicating disease-causing blockages of chi, or energy. Based
on their findings, they prescribe a course of herbs to restore the energy flow.
Veterinary chiropractic is relatively new for dogs that have vertebrae out of alignment or other spinal
problems. Treatment often is by hand or with a hand-held tool. Some dog chiropractors believe spine
misalignment is linked to other problems, including ear infections, organ dysfunction and constipation.

When to Visit the Holistic Practitioner
"From puppyhood on," says Dym. "A holistic veterinarian can help you make the best choices for your
dog from the beginning [of its life]."

The second best option is to visit an alternative practitioner as soon as your dog begins manifesting
symptoms of a chronic illness (skin diseases and allergies being the most common of these for dogs, but
any chronic or infectious symptoms that are not mechanical -- e.g. a malformed hip -- can be addressed
with alternative treatments). What is key is to get an opinion from a holistic veterinarian before
beginning any potentially long-term conventional treatment.

If you or your dog become unable to tolerate a conventional treatment, it is not too late to see an
alternative practitioner, though what they can offer at that point may be limited. "I get a lot of visits
from people at the end of their rope," says Dym. "After years of therapies, I'll tell them that I can
improve their animal through supplements to help with the negative effects of the medications, but in
some cases, by that point, the bodies are too sick to get healthy on their own. In those cases the
patients may still need their medications to allow them to live comfortably."  

What to Expect From Alternative Treatment
While traditional practitioners will give your canine drugs to suppress its symptoms, a practitioner of
alternative medicine will determine root causes, and prescribe dietary and lifestyle changes -- as well as
possibly herbs, acupuncture or chiropractic treatments -- in order to eliminate the problem altogether.
Says Dym, "Clients will spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on drugs to suppress symptoms,
but these drugs are Band-Aids. They don't work at making the immune system stronger."

Once you and your pet have started an alternative treatment, a good deal of patience may be
involved. "Treatment can last months, and improvement might not be immediately evident," explains
Dym. "Before choosing, say, homeopathy and acupuncture, pet owners should become comfortable
with the fact that medicine does not have to be about, for example, killing bacteria, but rather about
helping the body be better able to withstand that bacteria." That understanding will enable a
smoother treatment relationship between doctor and dog owner.

When to be Conventional
Alternative treatments, of course, are not always the best medicine. "You need conventional medicine
when there are mechanical things, like malformed joints -- there are wonderful orthopedic treatments
for dogs. Additionally, if there is too much pathology, or a condition requiring surgery, conventional
medicine is also more viable, though homeopathy can help with the healing process," says Dym. Consult
with your veterinarian, or a specialist, when in doubt as to whether an alternative treatment might be
right for your pet's specific condition.

Darcy Lockman is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to The Dog Daily. Her work has appeared
in The New York Times and Rolling Stone. She lives in Brooklyn with the prettiest pug dog in the five
boroughs.