Dogs with epilepsy, dermatological and respiratory illnesses associated with allergies, and osteoarthritic and muscular problems are candidates for veterinary acupuncture, a practice that has been recorded in Asia for about 4,000 years.
In canines traditional Chinese medicine follows the same principles as in humans: with sterile and disposable needles puncture is made in 12 meridians or energy points (or channels) that run along the animal’s body.
The zootechnical veterinarian and acupuncturist Eduardo Ignacio Trujillo Moore, who has been offering this service in Mérida for over two years, remembers that Chinese medicine recognizes two energies in the body: the yin (it is related to the cold and the darkness, it has descending direction), and the yang (heat, fire, luminosity, elements that go in ascending direction). An imbalance between the two results in diseases.
“From this point of view, with the use of acupuncture we remove the stagnation of energy and make it circulate again”, the expert explains.
“It is scientifically proven that by applying acupuncture endorphins, endogenous neurotransmitters that remove pain and deflate, are released,” he adds.
Although the canines he treats are mostly those in which other treatments are no longer effective, veterinarian Trujillo Moore states that acupuncture is a complementary medicine to other therapies and can also be used for preventive purposes.
“In dogs with cancer, for example, traditional medicine is prescribed to strengthen the immune system and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy”, the doctor says.
“All the problems that cause pain or inflammation can be treated with acupuncture,” he adds.
“With preventive purposes, acupuncture is used a lot in dogs and horses that are involved in competitions or highly active tasks; some horses that compete in the Olympics are given sessions of acupuncture to relax them and reduce inflammation,” the doctor continues.
“When dogs get old, they begin to lose weight, their muscles stunt and they have absorption problems in their intestine. In these kind of cases, acupuncture works very well. ”
“I treat different kind of patients on which nothing can be done medically, for example a puppy that was paralyzed as a result of a surgery, or cases on which inflammation and pain or loss of sensitivity continues.” he says.
Veterinarian Trujillo Moore, who provides care at the Los Almendros Veterinary Clinic in Ciudad Caucel, among other clinics, states that there are diseases for which he does not recommend acupuncture because he believes that it will not have the desired effects, such as renal and hepatic insufficiency and cardiac arrhythmias.
“The veterinarian must give the option of submitting an animal to acupuncture. A dog with arthritis is prescribed painkillers. All analgesics will cause gastritis, kidney or liver problems in the future. With acupuncture the dose of the medication can be reduced or suspended altogether”, says Trujillo.
“Each session lasts 15 to 25 minutes and it is suggested to do one a week. The total number of sessions may vary according to the patient, because each organism is different. While the price of the treatment, (which by the way, has no side effects), also varies depending on the clinic and ranges between 400 and 1,000 pesos”.
(Photo: laverdadnoticias.com)
Are you afraid of needles?
There are several sizes of needles. They are chosen according to the size of the animal treated.
Needle material
It can be gold, silver, copper or stainless steel, and its use is decided according to the pathology.
Applications
Gold needles are preferred when more energy is required, as in very weak animals, and silver needles are better to treat illnesses in organs.
Patients
Almost all animals are candidates. Veterinarian Eduardo Trujillo Moore has applied acupuncture even in birds, crocodiles and tigers.
Animal acupuncturen in Mexico
Veterinary acupuncture is a decade old and was introduced by a specialist from UNAM.
For more information:
PH.- 9993-15-30-89 (Veterinaria Los Almendros) and 55-1699-5841
Facebook: Acupuncture and Animal Ultrasound Mérida Yucatán.
TYT Newsroom with information from yucatan.com.mx
