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Helping Pets Heal With Integrative Therapies
At TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Paw Creek, we believe in structuring our treatment plan to the needs of each individual pet. To do this, we use a variety of alternative therapies, including: laser therapy, acupuncture, traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, herbal medicine, pain management techniques and more. If you are interested in learning more about any of these services, please give our hospital a call.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is a completely non-invasive specialty treatment which requires no incisions and can reduce pain, enhance mobility, and catalyzing the healing process. Laser therapy regenerates cells to enhance blood circulation while locally releasing endorphins to relieve pain.
In addition to physical healing, laser therapy has amazing relaxing effects on the pet. The patient may experience a calming warm sensation (cats even purr during their treatment). A beam of light concentrated on a specific area on a patient for several minutes at a time, which makes our patients feel so at ease. The most typical patients of laser therapy include older cats and dogs who suffer from conditions including inflammation, ACL tears, post-surgical pain, wounds, tooth aches, and degenerative disc disease.
Laser therapy alleviates most sources of pain since it utilizes the body’s own natural healing methods. After only one session, owners often see a vast improvement in their pet’s behavior.
If you think your pet is experiencing pain and would benefit from laser therapy, please reach out to our team at TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Paw Creek today to schedule an exam. Our staff will be happy to help find a pain management solution for your pet.
Acupuncture
Veterinary acupuncture is a timeless practice that effectively treats a variety of ailments in dogs and cats. Here at TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Paw Creek, we combine veterinary acupuncture with modern veterinary medicine to optimize your pet’s health and well-being.
If you think your pet may benefit from veterinary acupuncture, please schedule a visit with us. We can give your pet relief.
How Does it Work?
Veterinary acupuncture is very similar to that used in human medicine. By gently and carefully inserting tiny needles into specific pressure points throughout your pet’s body, natural pain-reducing hormones are released. This allows for an anti-inflammatory response that catalyzes healing.
Although needles are often a source of anxiety for our patients and their owners, our veterinarians are highly skilled and place needles gently and attentively to treat acute and chronic ailments.
Small animals will not experience any pain while receiving an acupuncture treatment; some even become so relaxed that they fall asleep during a session! Since the needles take longer to break the surface of the skin in larger animals, they may feel some low levels of discomfort. Once the needles are fully inserted into the pressure points, however, the pet will not experience any pain.
Is it Safe?
Acupuncture is one of the safest and most reliable forms of veterinary medicine. Acupuncture can only produce positive effects both mentally and physically, and will avoid unfavorable reactions from medications and surgeries.
The specific benefits of acupuncture are lengthy and include effects such as decreased pain, increased healing rates, decreased muscle spasms, stimulated nerves, increased blood circulation, and a release of various natural chemicals like hormones, steroids, and endorphins.
What Conditions Can it Help Treat?
Veterinary acupuncture is widely applicable, especially when paired diligently with techniques of modern medicine.
Acupuncture can help pets with any of the following conditions:
- Dermatological* (e.g. dermatitis)
- Respiratory (e.g. feline asthma)
- Select reproductive issues
- Musculoskeletal (e.g. arthritis, hip dysplasia, degenerative joint disease)
- Gastrointestinal (e.g. diarrhea)
*For dermatological ailments, acupuncture can help relieve the stress and discomfort from repetitive itching and scratching without the use of medication.
Herbal Medicine
The veterinarians of TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Paw Creek have extensive training and experience in herbal medicine and prescriptions, and are happy to help you determine the ideal herbal combination for your pet.
Chinese herbal medicine involves the use of herbs or a combination of herbs to help minimize disease in the body. Chinese herbal medicine is an effective treatment model for a wide variety of ailments, from dermatitis to cancer. Herbal medicine proves to yield the best outcomes when paired with modern veterinary techniques or other alternative methods such as acupuncture.
Since the ingredients of herbal medicine are entirely natural, there are extremely few negative side effects, if any, that can occur. For small pets, herbal medicine often takes form in a pill or capsule that the pet digests.
Our veterinary team believes that optimal results come from a combination of both Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and modern Western medicine. Western medicine is normally best for acute traditions, while Chinese herbal medicine is best for treating the entire body holistically. Both sects of medicine are complementary to each other and widely beneficial.
Chinese herbal medicine can treat a wide array of ailments that Western medicine may not be able to do so as effectively. For conditions that require immediate surgery, Chinese herbal medicine is not applicable.
The most typical ailments that we treat using Chinese herbal medicine include:
- Behavioral Disorders
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Liver Failure
- Allergic Skin Disease
- Epilepsy
- Hormonal Disorders
- Chronic Lameness
- Chronic Kidney Failure
In some of the cases listed above, herbs are not used to treat a condition. Rather, they may be used as a tonic to help overall healthy organ function.
Pain Management
Unfortunately, pain may affect your pet’s quality of life. Managing pain, therefore, is essential for your pet’s physical health and happiness. Since your pet obviously cannot tell you when they are experiencing pain, please be aware of some indicators that your pet may be in pain, including:
- Hiding
- Seeking more attention than usual
- Unusual aggression
- Crying or whining
- Restlessness or tiredness
- Rapid changes in behavior
- Changes in eating and/or sleeping habits
- Licking or chewing on a part of their body
If your pet is feeling the effects of chronic pain, which is pain that is linked to arthritis or cancer, long-term care is required in order to reduce your pet’s discomfort. This long-term care can involve:
- Medication may be advised for severe or chronic pain since it is the easiest option.
- Laser Therapy is a completely non-invasive therapy that increases the healing process. Your veterinarian may advise you to have your pet undergo multiple laser therapy sessions depending on the type and severity of pain.
- Supplements are a holistic and natural pain-reducing option. Feel free to ask us if supplements are the right option for your pet.
