Fast forward 4 years, with chiropractic and accupuncture treatments, supplements, and other therapy, our little girl can stand and walk in deliberate steps. Running to keep up with the others is bunny hop. She bounces more than Tigger! Everyone is thrilled for her to have come this far and have regained some of her mobility. She uses her cart outside, but can get around in the house without it.
Last night, I came home from work to find Heidi's diaper down around her ankles (she has never regained bowel and bladder control). Valentin and Pogo have tried to steal Stanley's blanket from his expen, so Stanley (14, downed, very short sighted) is sitting in his squished expen, and the mill foster in the front hallway is in danger of finger/paw painting in her poop, so Heidi's diaper is going to have to wait for a minute. What's this I hear? A tail beating a tattoo on the floor? It must be Pogo and his smooth little tail. NO!! It is Miss Heidi!!! Free of the diaper, her little tail is just a blur as it wags!!!!!!!!! This is HUGE!! She has been able to wag her tail on her own for some time now, but never this hard and this fast. Our little girl (who is probably around 11 or 12) has come so far in her recovery, is there more to come????? Maybe control of bodily functions??? I am fine with the diapers, but wouldn't it be wonderful for her!
Again, I come back to the core reason for this blog. Do not give up on the downed ones (or other "handicaps"). They will suprise you. Heidi did not get the memo that she was paralized and had no hope of recovery - so she does not know that she is not supposed to be able to do these things. And I am certainly not going to be the one to tell her so.
If you understand the title of this post you are probably aware of alternative medicine. Maybe you have had acupuncture at some point in your life. I never have, but I do know plenty of people that swear by it.
Whether you are an agility dog like me, an active dog, senior dog, or a pup just living life; sometimes you need some special care. That's me getting a massage at a dog event a couple of years ago. Love those massages!
When I need special care or just a tune up, my Mum helps me by finding health care alternatives that can be beneficial to my overall health, in addition to the care provided by my primary holistic veterinarian. A few of the health care alternatives I've had over the years are massage, acupuncture and chiropractic. They help me keep in tip top shape for agility, and they also provide great benefits to my overall health.
Alternative health care options aren't just for agility dogs, then can provide great benefits to any dog! Here's a little about the three alternative health care options that I receive regularly and on occasion:
Canine Massage: When I started agility, I got sore muscles. So my Mum looked into canine massage to help ease my soreness and help me be more flexible, healthy and fit. The benefits of massage are great. It can promote good circulation and flexibility, and alleviate arthritic pain. Other benefits include aiding in surgical recovery, helping pets heal from emotional or physical traumas, and improving muscle tone.
Mum has picked up some massage tips from our practitioner and continues to massage me frequently, especially after training and competition; or just when we're relaxing and watching TV. It's definitely helped me over the years.
Canine Acupuncture: Acupuncture is a deep, internal therapy that works by inserting tiny needles into various identified points on a dog's body. It originated over 3,000 years ago as part of a holistic healing system called Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Chinese medicine holds that all animals (and humans) have a "life force" called qi that moves through the body through pathways called meridians. Specific points on these meridians, located close to the surface of the body, can then be accessed via small needles or lasers to re-establish balance in the movement of the qi.
Some of my friends have benefited greatly from needle and laser acupuncture treatments to help in healing.
Canine Chiropractic: According to Wikipedia, veterinary chiropractic, also known as animal chiropractic, is an emerging sub-specialization for Doctors of Veterinary Medicine (DVMs) and Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) to provide spinal manipulation, manual therapy and other holistic and conservative techniques for animals.
In concert with conventional veterinary care, use of veterinary chiropractic reflects the use of complementary and alternative veterinary medicine which continues to grow within the veterinary community. Proposed benefits of animal chiropractic include, enhanced performance, function and quality of life.
If you are interested in learning more about these amazing alternative health care options, click on the links of each alternative modality for more information, and how to find a practitioner in your area.
