Today Pat’s
“therapy vet” came out to evaluate him and give him a chiropractic treatment
followed by an acupuncture session as part of his ongoing treatment plan for
DSLD. We do these every 8-10 weeks to help his body stay aligned, and to re
balance and strengthen his life energy, or Qi, so that his body can continue to
fight any advance of DSLD. The other parts of his treatment plan include diet and
nutrition, natural food supplements, regular feet trimming, western treatments
for his Cushings Disease, and plenty of love and attention (spoiling).
We have been
doing chiropractic sessions for four years now, and early in 2019 we added
acupuncture. The therapy vet has used different methods of acupuncture on Pat which
has included dry needling, B-12 injections, and laser. She decides which method
she wants to use based on her evaluation, experience, and Pat’s physical and
mental presentation.
Today our
therapy vet used dry needles on the acupoints. Pat doesn’t mind the needles –
he stands still as each acupoint is accessed. He does get a bit bored standing
in place for the twenty minutes or so that is commonly suggested for the
needles to best stimulate his Qi. Pat would rather be out nipping at Zippy, or
better yet, grazing peacefully in the pasture. Nonetheless, he is a good sport
and endures the needle time without too much fuss. I know he understands we are helping him, and does his best.
I will admit
that while I do see a difference in Pat after a chiropractic session – he
moves more freely – I am not yet sure if I see added energy after an
acupuncture treatment. Sometimes it seems to be giving him a boost, but like
any type of complimentary treatment, it’s not always glaringly evident.
Because
there is no “western” cure for DSLD, we have followed a mostly holistic path, with
the hope to keep him as comfortable as possible, and that these treatments might help to fend off a rapid advance of the disease. Pat was diagnosed with
DSLD in early January 2015, and five years later, balancing good periods with
the bad, he seems to be doing ok.
Unfortunately, with DSLD, one can never know or predict when the time
will come – we can only hope it’s not soon.
Note- "Therapy Vet" is my term for a veterinarian who specializes in holistic, non pharmaceutical, practices, but is not against western medicine altogether. Pat is seen by this veterinarian and another veterinarian who practices the more traditional "western" methods. Although one would think that holistic and western practices are at complete odds with each other, both our veterinarians work closely together and complement each other so that Pat is getting the best from both approaches. Both believe in, and embrace, the benefits of these philosophies and have fit them seamlessly into a long term treatment plan for Pat. We are lucky to have both of these dedicated professionals on Pat's side.
