Alternative Therapies · Beyond The Leash

Alternative Therapies

I wanted to talk about something a little bit different today and not completely on the nose for predation but aids in a strong foundation for any dog depending on their needs. I recently have had a veterinarian (DVM) come out to do acupuncture on my youngest dog Káosz for these mysterious bumps on his head and eye discharge and to do chiropractic work on my other two, Lucas and Csili. I had acupuncture done on Lucas many years ago to help with his allergies by a different DVM who unfortunately has passed away. Holistic veterinarians are already difficult to find so losing the one I did trust was difficult not just professionally but also personally as we got on very well.

Fast forward to this year, at the prompt of a good friend

@Katie Schobel

, I looked into finding another veterinarian that has this skill set for my middle dog’s, Csili, social/life skill issues. Her biggest obstacle for life skills is being anxious in relation to a vehicle and/or kenneling. I have made a lot of progress with her but we are at a plateau currently so I decided to try chiropractic adjustment for her. She has only had one session so far, and this is by no means the only method of approach I am taking for her, but it is an important piece of the puzzle. I do also have her on some supplements to help relax the overactive part of her brain associated with anxieties. I do try and avoid pharmaceuticals as much as I can which means that the more natural approaches can take longer to go in effect, but, in my opinion, is healthier and therefore worth it in the long run. I can update in a few months on her progress.

My oldest dog Lucas is also getting chiropractic work done as well and as he is older he gets them a little more often than Csili does. He so far has had two and I am very glad I had his most recent one done because apparently his ribs were slightly out of place! I suspect this is from slipping on the stairs going up into my RV. I do not use the stairs that come with the RV itself but some wooden ones that

@Paul Bunker

helped me put together (or rather I helped him). They may just be a little too steep for the old boy so that will need to be upgraded soon. In the meantime, I do help him up the stairs as a guide/catch in case he needs it. I still want him to use his muscles as much as he can and also have the confidence to do stuff. This apparently works because after his last chiropractic appointment I was helping the DVM load up her vehicle and Lucas tried jumping in the back of her SUV! I thankfully caught him and he was not hurt. His attempt was with gusto but I think the vehicle was too tall for him to actually make it in his old age.

For Káosz he has had these mysterious little bumps show up only on the top of his head with eye discharge, at first, out of his right eye then both. The bumps first showed up during his first winter as an adult and they reappeared this past winter which was his second as an adult. Allergies showing up during cold months is certainly not as common and I was very confused. They did not seem to bother him any (not itchy, no scabbing, no redness just bumps) so I left it alone at first. I then tried some Quercetin which is a natural anti histamine that works differently than diphenhydramine (Benadryl) does. I had good success with him on that but then the manufacturer (animal focused company) ran out and needed to make more so Káosz was without for over a month or two but is now back on it. The bumps had returned while off the supplement so I decided to make an appointment for him to get some acupuncture done in hopes that will help clear up the bumps. He has had one session so far and has another one coming up in a couple of weeks but I am happy to say that I do see some improvement already. I do believe that the acupuncture and the Quercetin will help these mysterious bumps be a thing of the past.

This is a different post than usual, a little more personal, but I do hope that perhaps this may prompt you looking into some alternative approaches for any concerns you may have with your dog (or other animals). I do believe that the research and patience is worth it for our dogs to live long, happy and healthy lives as best as we can provide for them.

Thank you for reading.

Resources:

Want to learn acupressure for your dog or cat?:

- https://courses.naturopawthic-courses.com/courses/acupressure-dogs-cats-arthritis

Find a holistic vet:

- https://www.ahvma.org/find-a-holistic-veterinarian/

- https://holisticvetdirectory.com/

Find a clinic that does alternative therapies and surgeries:

- https://www.parsemus.org/vet-directory/

Want to cook for your dog but don’t know where to start?:

- https://peterdobias.com/pages/recipe-maker

- https://rawfedandnerdy.com/