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Acupuncture for Pets

BenBurch said:
The "nearly raw" food that is pressure-sterilized is perfectly safe and some dogs seem to do better on that diet.

BTW, not only do vets push acupuncture, but phototherapy.
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Some dogs do better on pork and beans also.
 
totally anecdotal, but I had a boss with a cockapoo dog, or whatever they're called, that had hip dysplasia. after a couple years of traditional treatment, she went with acupuncture, and his symptoms would disappear, for about 3-5 months at a time. From needing to be lifted onto the bed, to just being able to hop right up like a healthy dog. after 3-5 months, the symptoms would come back. As I said, this is anecdotal, and not at all proof that acupuncture does anything beyond placebo. I just think it's interesting, and wonder if maybe, the placebo affect works in dogs as well as it does in people, which would be pretty neat to know.
 
A placebo effect in dogs? Seems unlikely but not impossible.
A placebo effect in dog owners strikes me as a more likely hypothesis.
 
Puppycow said:
A placebo effect in dogs? Seems unlikely but not impossible.
A placebo effect in dog owners strikes me as a more likely hypothesis.
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Perhaps also, when introducing pain into other parts of the body, the dog is less likely to react to the pain felt by the dysplasia?
 
Puppycow said:
A placebo effect in dogs? Seems unlikely but not impossible.
A placebo effect in dog owners strikes me as a more likely hypothesis.
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I think there is a type of transferance of placebo effect in pets. If the owner thinks they are doing something effective for their pet they will treat their pets like they are doing better and this may help to keep them active which helps with arthritis. So the owners alter their behavior based on beleif that the treatment works and that alters the outcome
 
Hello, Im a forum Newb, but also a Vet Technician. One of the doctors at my practice does acupuncture. I think the whole placebo effect between the owner and patient definitly appies to acupuncture. one important difference between pain meds and acupuncture: pain meds are given at home, acupuncture at the clinic. Many dogs hate coming to the clinic and really stress out ,but they just LOVE getting in the car to go home (No matter what the reason for the visit). Some pets get so excited their tempuratures can shoot up to 103.0F - 104.0F just from being at the vet, surrounded by strange dogs and cats, knowing that something bad is coming. Cats that the owner had to catch and spend 30 minutes trying to shove into the carrier at home will DASH into the same carrier after their appointment is finished. I think many patients are so pumped full of adrenaline by the time they are done with acupuncture (which is a longer than average office visit) that even if they come limping in, they are able to drag their owner back to the car!! Then the owner thinks 'wow that really helped'. Now with pain meds their daily routine doesnt change much, they are at home every day (dogs like being at home), and many owners hide pills in food (Dogs like food). No stressful events to trigger excitement/panic. If a medication works it works, no other factors to influence response. Many clients and co workers comment on how much happier the patients immediatlety after acupuncture (or laser therapy boooo), ie when the dog knows its going home. Thats just my personal theory!

I also see the placebo affect on people i work with. When the acupuncturist first got certified everyone was so excited. She even gave coworkers acupuncture for free! Many of my coworkers had tendonitist or mirgraines, neck pain etc. and from time to time, Id see a doctor with needles sticking out of his neck. or a receptionist answering a phone with needles on her face (for migraine), or our groomer with needles all over her wrist, or another tech will needles all up and down her back (Back Pain). i called them my 'porcupine pals'. but years later, no one is as excited. the tech got back surgery (cyst near spinal cord) but not before wasting a few months with a chiropracter, the groomer gets cortisone injections from time to time, the employees with migraines still take their pills. no more porcupine pals :( . its just not new and exciting anymore.
 
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Welcome to the forum SChrist82. :)

That's an interesting story and a good theory for why pets may appear to respond to the treatment.
 
A friend had a dog that went out occasionally for porcupuncture, and it did make her docile for brief periods, but alas, the effect was too temporary to be cost effective.
 
SChrist82 said:
Hello, Im a forum Newb, but also a Vet Technician. One of the doctors at my practice does acupuncture. I think the whole placebo effect between the owner and patient definitly appies to acupuncture. one important difference between pain meds and acupuncture: pain meds are given at home, acupuncture at the clinic. Many dogs hate coming to the clinic and really stress out ,but they just LOVE getting in the car to go home (No matter what the reason for the visit). Some pets get so excited their tempuratures can shoot up to 103.0F - 104.0F just from being at the vet, surrounded by strange dogs and cats, knowing that something bad is coming. Cats that the owner had to catch and spend 30 minutes trying to shove into the carrier at home will DASH into the same carrier after their appointment is finished. I think many patients are so pumped full of adrenaline by the time they are done with acupuncture (which is a longer than average office visit) that even if they come limping in, they are able to drag their owner back to the car!! Then the owner thinks 'wow that really helped'. Now with pain meds their daily routine doesnt change much, they are at home every day (dogs like being at home), and many owners hide pills in food (Dogs like food). No stressful events to trigger excitement/panic. If a medication works it works, no other factors to influence response. Many clients and co workers comment on how much happier the patients immediatlety after acupuncture (or laser therapy boooo), ie when the dog knows its going home. Thats just my personal theory!

I also see the placebo affect on people i work with. When the acupuncturist first got certified everyone was so excited. She even gave coworkers acupuncture for free! Many of my coworkers had tendonitist or mirgraines, neck pain etc. and from time to time, Id see a doctor with needles sticking out of his neck. or a receptionist answering a phone with needles on her face (for migraine), or our groomer with needles all over her wrist, or another tech will needles all up and down her back (Back Pain). i called them my 'porcupine pals'. but years later, no one is as excited. the tech got back surgery (cyst near spinal cord) but not before wasting a few months with a chiropracter, the groomer gets cortisone injections from time to time, the employees with migraines still take their pills. no more porcupine pals :( . its just not new and exciting anymore.
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Welcome to the forum.
You must meet Rolfe.
 
bruto said:
A friend had a dog that went out occasionally for porcupuncture, and it did make her docile for brief periods, but alas, the effect was too temporary to be cost effective.
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Was it this one?
dogwithquills.jpg
 
Stick a bunch of needles in just about anyone, then take them out. Seems reasonable to expect they'd be calmer afterward than during, don't you think?
 
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