Specially trained vets are using ancient treatment to fight illness, pain
By E.J. Mundell, HealthDay Reporter

After surgery for a ruptured disk two years ago, Nelly’s legs remained extremely weak. She could barely move, became lethargic and lost her appetite.

Things were looking grim, but then a concerned friend took the 10-year-old to an acupuncturist, who treated her three times in half-hour sessions.

“Almost immediately after the first treatment, Nelly’s energy went from zero to 100,” recalled that friend, Annie Washburn, who works as a community organizer in New York City. Nelly became more mobile, ate more and resumed regular bowel movements. “She bounced back in a way that seemed miraculous,” Washburn said.

It’s a story that might be familiar to people who’ve benefited from the ancient healing technique. But Nelly, who lives with Washburn, is a frisky, fluffy bichon frise.

“I’m not really into alternative therapies, that’s not my thing,” Washburn stressed. “But this was really unbelievable.”

Dr. Leilani Alvarez, the veterinary acupuncturist who treated Nelly, confessed that even she was once a bit skeptical of what acupuncture could do for four-footed patients.

But hundreds of successful cases later, “it’s far surpassed my expectations,” said Alvarez, who practices animal acupuncture and traditional veterinary medicine — often in combination — at Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center in Bedford Hills, N.Y.

Alvarez noted that many of the referrals she gets are for animals that have not fared well with conventional drugs or other Western medical approaches. In one case, a woman brought a beloved, aging dog to Alvarez’s clinic after a gradual weakening of the dog’s hind legs had led to fecal incontinence.

“As you can imagine, not many owners can tolerate that for very long,” Alvarez said. All the usual treatments had failed to work, and the woman was distraught, even considering euthanizing her pet.

That didn’t happen. “I started acupuncture on the dog, and after just two treatments, the fecal incontinence resolved,” Alvarez said.

Experts point out that animals have been treated with acupuncture therapy from the very beginning. In fact, Chinese records that go back thousands of years describe the use of healing needles on horses and other livestock.

One common myth: Many people believe that patients must “believe” in acupuncture for it to work, ruling out its use in animals.

“But actually, it doesn’t require any higher brain processes to function,” Alvarez said. “It simply works because of what it stimulates physiologically in the body when you insert a needle into these points that have been studied for thousands of years.”

The points, referred to as loci, represent important locations for nerves and blood vessels that, when manipulated, somehow aid healing, experts say. Acupuncture works in humans, horses, dogs, cats and other mammals “because all our bodies share similar features,” explained Dr. Mark Crisman, a professor at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine who specializes in treating larger animals, such as horses.

Over time, he said, veterinary acupuncturists have created “transpositional maps” that shifted the well-known acupuncture points of the human body to animals. This wasn’t always easy. “Obviously, horses don’t have five fingers like people do,” Crisman said. “So, the experts took the points that were equivalent to points on our hands and transposed them around the hooves.”

Today, Crisman teaches a certifying course at the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, which lists more than 2,000 members worldwide, with hundreds practicing in the United States. Two other centers — one at the Chi Institute in Florida and another at Colorado State University — offer degrees in the practice.

Crisman said that veterinary acupuncture has proven effective in healing or easing the symptoms of arthritis, acute injuries, hip dysplasia, respiratory disorders, immune system ailments and a host of other problems. It appears to work on a wide range of livestock and household pets, even creatures as small as gerbils and birds. Some specialists have used acupuncture to enhance the fertility of Kentucky racehorses, Crisman said.

A small minority of animal patients balk at the idea of having needles poked in them, the experts said, but most actually appear to enjoy their treatments. That may be because acupuncture seems to release natural painkillers called endorphins.

“Usually by the second or third treatment, they … will just lie down, ready for their treatment,” Alvarez said. “I have one cat that’s known in the rest of the practice as a rather fractious cat. But this cat will literally purr during his treatment.”

Both Alvarez and Crisman stressed that while acupuncture sometimes works well on its own, it is often best used alongside Western medicine. “If you have an infection, for example, and perhaps the infection is a result of poor circulation to that area, then you can improve the circulation [with acupuncture] and use the antibiotics to kill the bugs,” Alvarez said.

According to the experts, pet owners who decide to seek out an acupuncturist should make sure the practitioner is certified by one of the three U.S. centers, guaranteeing that the person has undergone the required months of rigorous training.

For her part, Washburn worries that too many pet owners don’t recognize acupuncture as a potential treatment option.
“I sometimes see people on the street with a dog that’s wobbly or it looks like it’s limping, an older dog in pain,” Washburn said. “I always tell the owners that they should try it. They probably think I’m crazy. But I’m fully convinced that it extended the life of my beloved pet.”

More information

The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society has more on veterinary acupuncture.

SOURCES: Mark Crisman, D.V.M., professor, clinical services/medicine, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, Va., and certifying instructor, International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, Fort Collins, Colo.; Leilani Alvarez, D.V.M., Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center, Bedford Hills, N.Y.; Annie Washburn, New York City.

 Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
 Original URL: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/alternative-medicine/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100234072

Fun tricks to get moving with your dog or cat.

By Lauren Gelman, Prevention

The pudgy pet problem

Dogs may be the best workout partners ever, but too many of them aren’t getting enough exercise. Nor are cats. Experts estimate that nearly 35 percent of pets today are overweight, which increases their risk for many serious conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, breathing problems, and heart disease.

Blame the pudgy pet problem on too many treats and not enough leash time. “People are stressed and pulled in so many different directions—it’s a lot easier to toss a treat to your pet than to lace up your sneakers and take him for a walk or get on the floor to play with him,” says Gregory S. Hammer, DVM, past president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. So we asked fitness pro and celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson to share some of the moves he developed for petfit.com, a new initiative he started to help dogs and cats get more exercise and eat healthier.

Is your pet too fat?

To tell if your pet is overweight, follow this scoring system used by most vets: As your pet is standing, look down at him. You should see an indentation after his ribs—the waist. As you place your hands on his rib cage and apply gentle pressure, you should be able to feel his ribs. If you can pinch an inch, your pet is not fluffy. He is fat.

When a small- or medium-size animal gains even a little weight, it can have a significant impact on its health. When a 15-pound dog is 5 pounds overweight, that’s the equivalent of you weighing 30 percent more than you should!

If Sparky is really out of shape, take him to the vet for a thorough exam before you start upping his exercise regimen, says Bernadine Cruz, DVM, chair of the AVMA’s Council on Communications and a companion animal veterinarian in southern California. The vet can recommend the best types of exercise to get started.
 
4 key safety tips

• Remember that pets can’t sweat (they pant to cool down), so the best time to exercise outdoors is morning or evening, when it’s not too hot.
• Certain dogs will have an easier time exercising than others. Brachycephalic breeds—aka those with a pushed-in face, like pugs or Boston terriers—have a harder time breathing in general, and especially when exercising during hot, humid weather, says Cruz. Heat and humidity are also enemies of older dogs or those with respiratory issues.
• Sounds obvious, but smaller or short-legged pets are probably not your best marathon training partners; they’re not born to run long distances like Labs or retrievers. Instead, try shorter interval walks with sprints.
• Watch for signs of exhaustion or overheating. Provide an ounce of water for every pound your pet weighs. If your pooch pants excessively or hyperventilates, his tongue and gums turn brick red, or he can’t keep up and stands or lies listlessly, stop exercising and seek immediate veterinary care. These may be signs of a heat stroke, which is potentially fatal.

Now you know the basics, let’s get started!

1. Interval walk
“So many pet owners consider walking their pets a chore, like making the bed,” says Peterson. “Instead, think of it as a way for you both to get exercise, as an essential part of your pet’s good health.” A quick walk down the block to pee and back isn’t enough activity, he says.

Multiple short walks a day may be best for very young, very old, or physically challenged dogs, says Cruz. But for other pets, take longer strolls that increase your pet’s heart rate (at least 15 to 20 minutes), which will boost his metabolism.

One way to do this is to add intervals, suggests Peterson. Here’s how.
• 1 minute: walk
• 20 seconds: jog
• 1 minute: walk
• 20 seconds: shuffle sideways
• 1 minute: walk
• 20 seconds: run backward

Repeat 5 times and you’ll get in a decent 20-minute cardio workout. “Your dog will get excited because you’re always changing things up—just as fired up as he would be from a treat,” Peterson says.

2. Fetch tease for abs
Firm your butt and thighs while your dog gets his jump on.

How to: Grab your pet’s favorite fetch toy and get down on the floor in sit-up position. Hold the toy as you do a sit-up, and pretend to toss it as you reach the top. Fido will chase after it, only to realize you still have his toy. Do another sit-up, and pretend to toss the toy again. Try to get in as many reps as you can until your dog stops chasing and playing along.

3. Squat tease
Firm your butt and thighs while your dog gets his jump on.

How to: Stand with legs shoulder-width apart. Squat and tap your dog with his favorite toy. As you rise, lift the toy above your head; your dog will jump up for it.

4. Dogstacle course
This is circuit training for you and your pet.

How to: Place fitness gear throughout your backyard, as though you’re creating an obstacle course (only do this in a fenced-in area). Think fitness step, bosu ball, jump rope, hula hoop, etc. Place your dog on a leash and briskly walk through the course together. At each station, stop and do a specific exercise, like modified push-ups on the step or balancing moves on the bosu ball. Some well-trained dogs may sit still while you work out, but if he doesn’t, no biggie. If your pooch runs off, that’s part of the fun—you’ll both get a good sprint when you chase him to bring him back. Your dog will love the quality time with you and the fast-paced walking between your stations.

5. Dog tag
Just like the game you played as a kid, this is good sprinting exercise for you and your pooch.

How to: You’re it: “Tag” your dog, then start running around your backyard and let him chase you. After a few minutes, you’ll both get your heart rates soaring.

6. Fetch races
Your dog won’t be the only one playing fetch in this game.

How to: Head to your backyard or a park and throw your pup’s favorite toy—only this time, race her to pick it up (a great way to get your blood pumping). Then wrestle the toy from her grasp, toss, and race her for it again.

7. Dog stairs
Climbing steps together will sculpt your legs and help your pup burn off his breakfast.

How to: Leash your pooch and pick a long staircase, either in your house, or perhaps the bleachers at a nearby school. Go up and down the stairs with your pet by your side, and vary the way you step for a more challenging workout: Take steps two at a time, widen your stance so you step up in a “V,” run up the steps sideways, and more.

8. Cat “light” abs
We didn’t forget about your kitty—she needs to stay active, too. “Getting a feline to frolic can be hard work,” says Cruz. “As cats leave their mischievous kitten stage of life, learning what makes your cat frisky can take some trial and error.

This move tones your tummy and gets your cat up and at ‘em.

How to: Do sit-ups with a mini flashlight in each hand. At the top position, tighten your ab muscles while waving the flashlight beams back and forth on the wall—your cat will chase them.

9. Cat “light” cardio
A mock jump rope exercise with flashlights will get your heart pumping as your cat chases the light.

How to: Hold a mini flashlight in each hand, about 10 feet away from a wall. Pretend to jump rope (you’re not actually holding a rope, just mimic the motion with your arms and legs). The light will bounce on the wall in front of you, and your cat will get a short burst of exercise as she tries to catch the light.

10. Curious cat curls
Sculpt your biceps while your cat jumps and stretches.

How to: Tie a light toy with a string to your dumbbells. Fluffy will go crazy trying to catch the toy as you curl up and down.

Original URL: http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100246776

When we shop for groceries, we tend to choose the best quality product that we can afford to feed ourselves.  Most pet owners honor the same quality choices for their pets.  Here we will outline what to look for in choosing the most nutritious meal for your pets, and take a look at the role of supplements in rounding out pet nutrition.  Nutrition is important to consider to ensure that your cat or dog, or any kept animal, is getting what they need to maintain good health.  Think of pet nutrition as preventative care!

What nutrition does my pet require for optimal health?

The answer to this of course will vary between the large range of pets people keep (porcupines, rats, cats, dogs, ferrets, pigs, monkeys, birds, snakes, etc.).  The supplemental nutrition required for an animal can depend on its species, weight, age, ailments or any combination of other unique situations an animal can be in.  Doing your own research about your particular pet/condition (the internet is great, though make sure a reputable source) may open your eyes the number of supplements available to provide well rounded nutrition to your pet (including Poly-MVA for Pets - see below).  For instance, if your dog seems to have achy joints, a trip to the vet could lead to the addition of a glucosamine supplement to his or her diet.  There are even supplements to assuage pet anxiety!

Doesn’t regular pet food provide enough nutrition?

With rising costs every market is having to cut corners with production costs, and pet food is no exception.  Not only does this pose a danger to our pets due to the lack of regulations and standards in some overseas manufacturing facilities, the substitution of real, nutritious ingredients with cheap, empty fillers means that your pet’s health might be getting undersold.  Also, your pet may be exhibiting a specific ailment such as loss of fur that could be restored by adding flaxseed or omega 3 supplements to his or her diet.  It is always best to check with your vet to see which nutritional pet supplement is best for your furry friends!

Poly-MVA for Pets

Poly-MVA for Pets’ unique formulation not only supplies superior cellular protection, it also supports the development and creation of energy of all our pets’ cells. To have one product than can protect and restore cells makes it ideal for many applications in our pets’ health. The complexing of alpha lipoic acid and B2 make this supplement unmatched for optimum pet health. From a puppy to an aged pet, everyone will benefit. If you want to have the best for your animal, Poly-MVA for Pets is the perfect choice. Learn more here >>

Our furry and feathered friends do more than keep us company—they also provide numerous health benefits.

By Maggie Koerth for MSN Health & Fitness

1. Dogs as cancer detectors

Man’s real best friend may be his best friend’s nose. Dogs’ sense of smell is incredibly powerful, but it wasn’t until recently that scientists began siccing that sense on cancerous tumors. Researchers wondered if canines could be trained to smell the chemical difference between patients with cancer and those without. So far, the results have been promising. Studies show test dogs can accurately pick out patients with lung, breast, ovarian and bladder cancers. In some cases, the pups have hit accuracy rates as high as 97 percent.

But don’t book an appointment with Dr. Beagle just yet. The detection method is still in its early stages of research. To really prove that dog detection can work, researchers will need to show that dogs can identify afflicted patients who haven’t yet been diagnosed by traditional means, as opposed to using previously diagnosed cancer patients and healthy controls. Critics argue the dogs might not be smelling cancer, but instead some olfactory evidence of lifestyle differences between healthy people, and those who are already addressing (and worrying about) an illness.

2. Showing you whom to trust

According to some studies, you can learn a lot about your date, including whether they’re likely to engage in abusive behavior, by watching how they treat their pets. A 2007 study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence found that those who also abused pets were more violent and more controlling. In fact, it seems that abuse of animals often overlaps with a tendency toward domestic violence and abuse of children. There’s also evidence that violence toward animals might serve as a sign, in children and adults, that the person is more likely to be violent with humans as well.

3. Calming the anxious and soothing the depressed

Everybody runs into negative feelings at times including fear, stress, and anxiety, but some people are hit harder than others, and studies show that animals may be able to help. Animal-assisted therapy has been shown to have at least a moderate effect on improving the emotional well-being of humans.

According to a large 2007 study in the journal Anthrozoös, researchers have successfully used animals to calm patients prior to a potentially frightening medical procedure; help patients with post-traumatic stress disorder conquer their fears; and decrease symptoms in people suffering from depression. How does it work? A 2000 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that positive interaction with dogs can give a boost to the brain chemicals that lower blood pressure, which could be the biological basis behind these animal-assisted therapies.

4. Horses helping the disabled

Horseback riding can help everyone from wounded vets to children with cerebral palsy get back in the saddle when it comes to certain kinds of muscle control. Cerebral palsy patients treated with hippotherapy and recreational horseback riding therapy (which are fancy ways of saying, “spending time with and on horses”) saw improvements in muscle control and motor function, according to a 2006 study published in the journal Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.
Victims of spinal cord injuries and traumatic head injuries, and those with multiple sclerosis have also been shown to benefit from time spent with pony pals. The key is in the way a rider’s body responds to a horse’s gait. The 2006 study found that riding a horse creates hip movements that mimic those of normal walking and can help people regain better control over their posture and balance.

5. Dogs as workout partners

Several studies have shown that dogs can play a role in motivating their owners to be more active, which could lead to improved physical fitness. The key seems to lie in what researchers call “non-exercise walking.” You probably know this activity better as simply “going for a stroll.” In general, it covers any walking that’s not done for transportation or a planned workout.

According to studies like one that was published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity in 2006, dog owners do it more. In fact, the JAPA study found no other type of pet that was linked to increased non-exercise walking and a 2008 Australian study found evidence that getting a dog leads new owners to start walking more. That’s good news for dog lovers. But remember, you only get the benefits if you actually go for the walkies.

6. Helping the autistic relate to others

People with autism spectrum disorders often have trouble relating to other people, but studies are showing that animals, whether real or virtual, might be able to help. Dr. Temple Grandin, an animal scientist who herself has autism, has written about how the rhythmic balancing required when riding on horseback can help children with autism be more receptive to learning language. Grandin also says service dogs can help people with autism feel safer and better navigate social situations.

 Other researchers have shown how caring for a “virtual” pet can teach autistic children empathy, and numerous studies have found evidence that bonding with a pet can help some people on the autism spectrum become more aware of social surroundings. There’s one catch: These therapies only work in people who aren’t scared of the animals. For instance, Grandin has pointed out that dog barks are painful and frightening to some autistic people if they’re particularly sensitive to sound.

7. Four-legged social planners

It’s not only the autistic who benefit socially from animals. A 2005 Australian study found that pet owners appeared to be more active in their communities and were more likely to feel like their neighborhood was friendly and safe. And, as any guy who’s ever gotten a date by taking a pup to the park will tell you, dogs can be smooth operators when it comes to helping their owners interact with strangers. A 2008 study in the journal Anthrozoös found that random people on the street were more likely to give money to men and women, help pick up dropped change and give out their phone numbers if the person making the request was accompanied by a pet pooch.

8. Boosters for baby’s immune system

New parents often worry whether having a cat or dog around the house will make their baby more prone to allergies, but that shouldn’t be a concern, according to Dennis Ownby, M.D., chief of the Allergy-Immunology Section of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Research clearly shows that household pets don’t increase the risk of allergies, he says. In fact, there’s some evidence that pets may actually offer infants allergy protection.

It all ties back to what Ownby calls the “hygiene hypothesis”; that super-clean, disinfected modern living ironically makes humans more prone to allergies. Ownby says having a pet may help desensitize babies’ immune systems, making allergic reactions of all types less likely. More research needs to be done, but Ownby says, “The take home is that they certainly don’t do any harm and that there may actually be some protection.”

9. Emergency “pet”-sonnel

Furry first-responders can help epilepsy patients get help faster after a seizure begins. Seizure-response dogs are specially trained pups who live and travel with a person with epilepsy the way a guide dog does with the blind. Experts, such as David Spencer, M.D., a neurologist and specialist in epilepsy at Oregon Health & Science University, and Michael Doherty, M.D., a neurologist at the Swedish Epilepsy Center in Seattle, say these pets improve their owners’ quality of life. Both doctors say response dogs can be trained to get help when a seizure occurs, either by barking to alert family and neighbors, or in some cases by learning how to trigger an alarm that summons human emergency crews. Plus, just having the dogs around seems to make patients feel safer and lowers their stress levels, factors that can actually lower their risk of seizures, according to Dr. Doherty.

10. Improving life for seniors

The relationship between elderly people, health and pet ownership still isn’t well understood, but some studies have shown potential benefits to seniors who keep a furry friend around the house. Salvatore Giaquinto, M.D., of the San Raffaele Pisana Rehabilitation Center in Rome published a study last year that analyzed more than 40 years of research. He found consistent evidence that pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, provides protection against cardiovascular problems in older adults.

Other research has shown that owning a pet may help older adults better cope with stressful and traumatic events in their life. Not all studies support this evidence, but, in general, researchers say it’s likely animal companionship could play a role in keeping seniors active and physically healthy and that pets may even be able to help relieve loneliness as well as symptoms of depression and dementia.

Original URL: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100220377&imageindex=1