Services
In our goal to achieve renewed balance to your pet we provide all four branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Acupuncture Therapy
Acupuncture, one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) is an ancient medical practice that has been used in people for over 3,000 years and it is now commonly used in the veterinary treatment of animals as well.
Acupuncture for animals involves the insertion of fine solid needles into specific points on the body to cause a desired healing effect. Acupuncture works by stimulating the nervous system, endocrine system and immune system in the body.
Animal acupuncture, including acupuncture for cats and dogs, as well as acupuncture for horses and exotics, is a gentle, effective treatment option. By stimulating chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin to be released by the brain, animal acupuncture can control and relieve pain. Acupuncture for animals has also been shown to support the immune system, increase white blood cell counts, improve endocrine function, relax muscles, regulate the intestinal tract, reduce inflammation, improve local blood flow, and speed healing.
Veterinary acupuncture can be successfully combined with conventional veterinary medicine to enlist the patient’s natural healing mechanisms. An integrative approach for many patients can help reduce the duration of hospitalization and improve outcomes. It can also improve quality of life of many of our senior patients with chronic debilitating conditions by improving mobility and reducing pain. It can replace Western medications when animals cannot take them due to kidney, liver or stomach disease. Acupuncture can support and improve organ disease when Western medicine has little to offer.
Herbal Medicine
Chinese Herbal Medicine is one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). Herbal medicine has been used in China for about 4,000 years. In present day China human patients receive herbal medicines alone or in conjunction with acupuncture in 80% of cases compared to 20% receiving acupuncture alone. Herbal medicine has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of medical conditions including gastrointestinal, respiratory, musculoskeletal, endocrine, cardiovascular, dermatological and cancers.
I believe the best therapy is a combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine to balance the body and provide long term well-being to the patient. The herbs I use are formulations containing multiple herbs that work together to treat a specific condition. All the herbs I use are from a company called Dr. Xie’s Jing Tang Herbal, based in Reddick, FL. Dr. Huisheng Xie, DVM, PhD, MS is the owner and herbologist with over 25 years of experience. Quality Control is most important to preserve the safety and efficacy of these herbal formulas which do NOT contain any heavy metals or material from endangered species.
With few exceptions, Chinese Herbal Medicine can be used in conjunction with Western medications, have minimal to no side effects and are well accepted by most animals.
Food Therapy
The saying “you are what you eat” is central to the TCVM theory of Food Therapy. Food Therapy is the use of foods to help potentiate or enhance the effects of acupuncture and herbal medicine to treat and prevent disease. All foods have an energy associated with them, ie. temperature such as warming or cooling, and taste such as sweet, sour, pungent, salty or bitter.
In TCVM, Food Therapy is used to help balance the body’s energy. As an example, if an animal is too hot, cooling foods are recommended; if the animal is cold, warming foods are recommended. Food recommendations are specific to each animal’s needs. These can be added as a supplement or topping to the current diet or grouped together in a recipe and fed as the sole diet.
The effects of Food Therapy are slower than acupuncture or herbal medicine, but work with these modalities to balance the body. Finally, owners enjoy being able to participate in and contribute to the healing process of their pet.
Tui-na Massage
Tui-na, or Chinese Therapeutic Massage, was first practiced in China in 1600 BC. The formal name, Tui-Na-An-Mo is known by various names depending on the region in China and the techniques in popular use there. Tui-na, as it is known in South China, refers to pushing and lifting techniques while in Northern China the term An-Mo is used to refer to acupressure, massage and other specialized techniques.
It is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) to enhance the effects of the other branches of acupuncture and herbal medicine to treat and prevent disease. Specifically, the techniques used can help balance the body’s energy by tonifying areas that are deficient and sedating areas that are in excess. Also, in TCVM, where there is pain in the body there is a blockage of Qi and blood circulation. Tui-na techniques unblock and improve circulation of Qui and blood and thereby reduce pain. They can also improve organ and immune system function.
In my practice, I use Tui-na three ways:
Prior to acupuncture I will do a short session to help soften and loosen the tissues.
1. I can do an entire session of just Tui-na. Some pets do not like the acupuncture needles but enjoy the Tui-na techniques.
2. I will also do acupuncture in one area of the body and Tui-na in another area or for another problem.
3. Finally, many owners would like to be able to do more to hep their pets. The owner can be taught a few techniques appropriate to their pet’s conditon. These can be done daily at home in between appointments.
