I  just returned from the AAVA  2011 annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is a three day continuing education seminar which offers member veterinarians some 20 plus hours of advanced lectures on veterinary acupuncture. This year the meeting was attended by over 150 veterinarians from the US and abroad. I take great pride in serving as the annual meeting program chairperson. My duties include the speaker selection,  seminar topics, and conference site selection.

I will be giving a lecture at Cook College Rutgers University ” An Introduction to Veterinary Acupuncture in Cats and Dogs “ to the undergraduate animal science class Toninght (5:35-6:55pm).  The Course Instructor informed me that there will be room for non -students (the general public) to attend.  The lecture will be in  Loree Hall room 024 at 72 Lipman Dr in New Brunswick.

Here is a recent article I read about Noise reactivities and phobias in dogs that I thought would be  informative and interesting.

go to http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Behavior360/Noise-reactivities-and-phobias-Behavior-modificati/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/698406

Please be advised of a pet food recall for certain brands sold at Kroger Food Stores. Please go to http://www.kroger.com/services/Pages/recall_information.aspx for more information

Rabies is still a disease to be aware of and to continue proper vaccination and protection for your pet.  Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) published a report on September 15, 2010 summarizing the incidence of confirmed cases of rabies in animal species in 2009. Here in New Jersey there were 288 cases of confirmed rabies infection in animals. There were 189 raccoons, 32 bats, 37 skunks, 5 foxes, 5 other wildlife species, and 20 cases of rabies in domestic cats!

What is Rabies? it is a viral disease of mammals which if contracted and the virus infects the central nervous system is almost always fatal. Fortunately vaccination is highly effective prevention for the disease.

What can I do to be proactive? Some general safety tips are:

1. Never handle sick or injured wildlife, leave that to the professional at your local animal control office or police department
2. If your pet has an encounter with wildlife (is attacked by or bites a wildlife species) wear rubber gloves when cleaning your pet and contact your veterinarian about getting a booster vaccine for your pet; if you are bitten by a wildlife species contact your physician or local health department or emergency room for assistance
3. Finally keep you pets current on their rabies vaccines. Contact us to schedule your appointment.

Other Resources:

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Summary
Follow this post to prepare for tips on best practices in caring for your pet this winter. Whether you are planning a holiday party or just prepping the car for winter, remember to keep your pets in mind!

Safety Tips

1. Cats and kittens like to nap in warm places, this can include under cars and in car engines. To scare away any napping pets, knock on the hood of your car or truck or honk the horn, then wait a few minutes before starting the engine. If in doubt, open the hood and look.
2. Antifreeze smells good and tastes very sweet. Very small amounts can kill your pet. If a cat walks through it and then licks its paws, it can ingest enough to be lethal. The chemicals in antifreeze crystallize in the kidney, so symptoms may not show up for 12-48 hours and then it may be too late. Thoroughly clean up any spills, store antifreeze in tightly closed containers and store where pets and children can not get to them. Do not dispose of antifreeze by pouring into the gutter and never let your pet drink from the gutters. There are “pet-safe” brands of antifreeze on the market today.
3. The use of rodenticides increases in the fall as rodents seek shelter from the cooler temperatures by attempting to move indoors. Rodenticides are highly toxic to pets—if ingested, the results could be fatal. If you must use these products, do so with extreme caution and put them in places inaccessible to your pets.
4. Holiday foods, alcoholic beverages and candy can all lead to serious problems for your pet. Keep your pet on its regular diet. Many animals may enjoy an occasional treat, but many times rich foods that your pet is not used to can lead to serious illnesses such as pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, toxicities and other digestive upsets.
5. Many plants, including Christmas rose, holly, mistletoe, philodendron, and dieffenbachia are toxic to your pet. Keep them out of your pets reach.
6. Also keep in mind when decorating; electric cords, tinsel, glass ornaments, candles, spray on-snow (some are non-toxic-read the label), ribbons, plastic or foil wrapping, etc. can be dangerous to your pet. Cover up or hide electric cords so your pet can not chew on them. Do not tie ribbons around pets’ necks or limbs. Watch out for rubber bands too.

More Resources

• What to do if your pet gets poisoned | Courtesy of DVM NEWSMAGAZINE (pdf)
• Common Toxic Human Foods | Courtesy of the ASPCA

Acupuncture is known to have good therapeutic effect in a wide variety of animal diseases. Pain modification is an important application of veterinary acupuncture, but there are much wider applications. Examples of clinical conditions where veterinary acupuncture may be used are: Gastrointestinal disorders- gastritis, enteritis, colitis, vomiting, rectal prolapse, megacolon; Respiratory problems- rhinitis, asthma, chronic cough, epistaxis; Neurological disorders- epilepsy, deafness, chronic pain, pinched nerves; Urinary disorders- incontinence, cystitis; Musculoskeletal disorders- chronic degenerative joint disease, disc disease, hip dysplasia, tendonitis, muscle spasms; and Dermatological problems- chronic skin disease, lick granulomas, allergic dermatitis. These are just a sampling of how acupuncture can benefit veterinary patients.

Two important criteria: First your veterinary acupuncturist must be a licensed veterinarian. In most states, provinces, and countries veterinary acupuncture is consider a surgical procedure that only licensed veterinarians may legally administer. Second your veterinary acupuncturist should have some formal training in the practice of animal acupuncture. The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) has a formal training and certification program, as well as the Chi Institute of Florida, Ask your veterinarian about her or his training. To locate a veterinary acupuncturist near you contact the AAVA office at 1-860-632-9911 or go online to www.aava.org.

Like humans, animals also experience artritis and acupuncture can be a great treatment option.

Taylor is a Labrador Retriever who just celebrated her 14^th birthday! She is a two time cancer survivor and had both cruciates repaired.

We met Dr. Levy seven years ago when Taylor could not walk. She could barely stand up. Our regular veterinarian, Dr. Tracie Glicker, suggested we see Dr. Levy and try acupuncture. The arthritis was very bad but Dr. Levy felt that Taylor was a good candidate and that maybe he could relieve some of her pain. Well, after three visits we saw improvement! It was absolutely amazing. She was back to swimming and getting up on the couch!. Taylor sees Dr. Levy every other week. The pet cannot tell you if the treatment is helping, but you can SEE the results and the dog’s excitement when they go for the treatment. Taylor is so happy when she gets to Dr. Levy’s office she can barely contain herself! Now at 14 she has slowed down a bit, Taylor still enjoys a brief swim and a slow trot around the yard with the youngsters.

Taylor absolutely loves going to see Dr. Levy. After her treatment she gets a massage and then best of all- cookies!! Phyllis, Dr. Levy’s office manager, even sneaks her some extras!

Our other Labs, Madison, Marti, and Cooper have been under the expert care of Dr. Levy and also received acupuncture treatments. Dr. Levy and his wonderful staff are like family. We will be forever grateful for all they have done for Taylor.

Jeanette and Jim Scott

Related Articles:

• K-State veterinarian uses acupuncture to treat array of animal ills
• Canine Arthritis
• Alternative Medicine for Pets: Treatments That Work

The length and frequency of treatments depends on the problem and condition of the patient.Stimulation of an individual acupuncture point may be for as little as 10 seconds or as long as 20 minutes, generally acute problems require less time and frequency of treatment. For example an acute sprain may require only one treatment, whereas more severe or chronic ailments may need several or several dozen treatments. If multiple treatments are necessary that are given 1-2 treatments per week for 2-6 weeks.