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.

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

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

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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.

A positive response is generally seen after the first to third treatment. Once a maximum response is achieved (usually after 4-8 treatments) treatments are tapered off so the maximum amount of symptom-free time elapses between them. Many animals with chronic conditions can taper off to a treatment every one to three months.

Veterinary acupuncture has been used to treat animals in China for nearly 4000 years.In North America it has been used for decades in both large and small animal. Acupuncture is one of a variety of therapies a veterinarian may use to treat animals. Simply stated, acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points on the body which have the ability to alter various biochemical and physiological conditions in order to achieve the desired effect. It is a means of helping the body heal itself. Acupuncture is not a cure-all, but where indicated it works well when used alone, or in combination with traditional veterinary medicine.

Ancient Chinese medical philosophy believes that disease is a result of an imbalance of energy in the body. Acupuncture is believed to balance this energy, and thereby assist the body in healing disease. In Western terms, acupuncture can assist the body’s efforts to heal itself by causing certain physiological changes. For example, acupuncture can stimulate nerves, increase blood circulation, and relieve muscle spasms, and cause the release of hormones, such as endorphins (one of the body’s pain control) or cortisol (a natural steroid).

Chinese Herbal Medicine has a long history, with Chinese medical texts dating back to 200 AD. There are hundreds of herbal formulas, many of which are still in use today. Herbs can be used to support the body in many ways. They can be used to supplement acupuncture and conventional medicines in the treatment of acute disease, or as long-term, “tonic” formulas to help strengthen an aging patient. Poor digestion, chronic infections, arthritis, and asthma are only a few of the many disorders that respond to herbal medicine. They can also be used as adjunctive therapy for pets that are undergoing chemotherapy. Chinese herbs are natural potent medicine, which must be used appropriately. This makes the selection of the correct herbs for your individual pet vitally important.