Alternative medicine for your pet

by Dr. Kim Weiss
Special to The Gayly

Why choose alternative medicine for your pet? First off, alternative medicine is not a choice but a way of life. You have already adopted a healthier lifestyle or have a more holistic philosophy, now you want to know more.

Whatever you call it, alternative medicine, holistic medicine, complimentary medicine etc.…it’s all the same: a commitment to being healthy.

Many people are also extending this philosophy to their fur babies. Society at large tends to think of alternative thinkers as crazy or reckless for experimenting with what they perceive as “new age nonsense.” However, alternative medicine has been around 6,000 years or more.

Pet chiropractic adjustment: When the spine or joints become misaligned during everyday motion or injury, the body responds by inducing inflammation. This inflammation is part of the body’s attempt to use the immune system to fight a perceived threat to its health. If the inflammation is allowed to continue, eventually loss of sensory input to the nervous system is the end result. It is especially a problem for our canine companions that are crated all day.

A chiropractic adjustment is a way of realigning the misalignment to relieve the pressure causing inflammation, thus stopping the inflammation and allowing the body to heal naturally.

Acupuncture: This modality is considered traditional Chinese medicine that is based on the overall flow of biological energy across the body’s meridian points. It, too, has been in practice for more than 6,000 years from many cultures across the globe.

The dominant function of acupuncture is to regulate the circulation of Qi (vital energy) and blood. Needles are put into specific meridian points thus removing any blockages that interfere with the body’s internal balance.

In short, a needle placed into the skin stimulates the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) Natural chemicals are released which can dull pain, boost the immune system and regulate various body functions.

Acupuncture encourages the body to heal itself. There are many forms of acupuncture.

An animal acupuncturist must attend school and have performed internships before practicing on your pet.

Essential oils: These are the most dangerous form of alternative medicine on the market because of all the cheap substandard products out there which are not regulated. Harm can come to you or your pet by using an oil that is not pure, so do your homework or consult a professional.

This article is just the tip of the ice berg and hopefully your curiosity will be peaked enough that you seek to learn more on the subject.

Dr. Kimberly Weiss is the owner of Healing Hands Veterinary Wellness Center, located at 1916 NW 39th St. in Oklahoma City, Ok 73118. To schedule an appointment or as about alternative medicine for your pet, call (405) 525-2255.  
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Copyright 2017 The Gayly - 3/21/2017 @ 8:08 a.m. CDT