# acupuncture for nervous dogs?



## k9ma (Nov 15, 2002)

Simon, my 10 year old GSD, had x-rays on Tuesday and was diagnosed with spondylosis. The proper position for pelvic rads was out of his comfort range, so we weren't able to evaluate his hips. I made an appointment for Friday with a holistic vet that does acupuncture and chiropractic manipulations. We'll be doing acupuncture for sure on this visit, but we'll see if Simon's a candidate for the chiro. He's coming to work with me tomorrow and if he's up to it, we'll try for those pelvic x-rays again.

Simon will stay in pretty much any position I ask him to, so I'm not worried about him not cooperating during the acupuncture. But he does get antsy when he's being coddled and I know he'll be anxious and whiney. How do dogs normally respond during the session? How do they get the dogs to relax? I really don't want this to be something stressful for him, especially if it's going to become routine. I would love it if he were to be one of those dogs that fall asleep during the procedure.

This will be my first visit ever with a homeopath and I'm so looking forward to actually being able to talk diet with my vet!


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## AnnaRiley (Feb 14, 2008)

I did acupuncture on my gsdx. He was very whiney on the first visit. The needles are left in for a period of time. He settled down some. He was much more relaxed during the following treatments and would doze off some. 

Hope things go well for you.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I've had several dogs go thru acupuncture, Ringer was the latest. His vet tried the electrical stimulation variety, and it helped him BUT he misbehaved so much at his second appointment, we had to go back to using the Bowen Massage Therapy exclusively (which also works great and he loves it).
GOOD LUCK!!!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

My dogs have always settled down once the needles are in.


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## k9ma (Nov 15, 2002)

Thanks everyone. I will try to emit calming vibes and maybe I'll take him for a good long walk beforehand.


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## k9ma (Nov 15, 2002)

Well, we saw this vet yesterday and I just loved him. He answered all of my questions, sounded very knowledgeable, and loved that I feed raw. We did the acupuncture, which lasted all of 10 min, and Simon handled it just fine. Didn't even whine. And he was very relaxed with this doctor. (He gives his current vet/my boss the evil eye on every visit.)

The vet thinks the spondylosis may or may not be causing Simon's symptoms. (Weakness in the rear, occasional weird gait, lack of coordination...) I started Chondroprotec injections (supposed to be the same as adequin, though there seem to be varying opinions on that) with my regular vet. The new doctor wants me to try the DGP I had just purchased, then move to a NSAID if I see no improvement. If the NSAIDs don't work, then it is very likely DM. Trying not to think about that one too much.









For those of you that have used Adequin injections or acupuncture, how long was it before you saw improvement? What kind of improvement did you see? I think Simon's symptoms are not as obvious as limping, so I'm not even sure what to be looking for. I do see some stiffness when he gets up, and he's very slow to sit down (one symptom I forgot to jot in my notes to cover







) so I guess I should be looking for improvement in these areas?


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

With acupuncture, I saw immediate improvement. But for serious spinal issues, my dog needed a chiropractor.


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## k9ma (Nov 15, 2002)

This vet does chiropractic manipulations also, and said that it could do more harm than good at this point.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Every case is different. It's good that you have someone that knows a variety of things to determine which one is best for your situation.

Just curious, is your vet certified in acupuncture and chiro?


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## k9ma (Nov 15, 2002)

> Originally Posted By: LisaTJust curious, is your vet certified in acupuncture and chiro?


Just did a search on the aava.org website and did not find him. Don't know if there is anywhere else to look, but I'm guessing he's not certified in acu/chiro.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

There are several ways to be certified in acupuncture -- I can't remember them all. The main place for the chiro is at the link at the bottom of the page here:

http://www.avcadoctors.com/

The only reason I asked is because of what you said your vet said about chiropractic maybe hurting more than helping at this point. While in some cases that very well may be true, something just seems funny. And it may be that your vet does VOM or not much chiropractic. If that's the case, then certainly stick with the acupuncture, particularly if you are seeing results. 

I've been to three different vets that did acupunture. The first one was a hack, but I didn't know any better. But my dog didn't respond well. The next two were good, and certified by different places.

Did you see any improvement?


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## k9ma (Nov 15, 2002)

Not on that list either.

Simon's less stiff when he gets up and is not sitting as slowly as he had been. He can also sit up longer. (We were in the park today and instead of lying down almost right away when I stopped at a bench, he sat up for the duration. ) I swear he's not faltering as much in the rear. We started the injections, DGP, and first round of acupuncture all within 1 day of eachother so I'm not sure what's working. Just happy something is! 

Thanks for taking the time to respond, Lisa.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

I hope you keep seeing improvement -- it's nice when you find something that works.

I was talking to my dog's chiro on Tuesday about your vet and what he said about the adjustment. She commented on how some vets, even if they've gone through the training, still refer dogs to her instead, because they don't have enough practice at adjusting, or prefer to specialize in other areas. Just thought it was a bit interesting. 

I know our boy responds very well to acpuncture -- glad yours is responding too


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