Acupuncture Recommendations & Questions

[Robin1017]

I'm considering trying acupuncture for Robin's arthritis and hind end weakness. He's almost 11 1/2, and the supplements and fish oil are not cutting it. He's definitely worse than he was a few months ago, and I'm considering other options. It may be time to start him on an NSAID, but I also wanted to look into acupuncture, as the recommendations for it are overwhelming.

 

Can anyone in Massachusetts recommend an acupuncture vet that you use and like? I have no idea where to start looking.

 

Also, I'm curious about how often you tend to do it. Is acupuncture something you do weekly, or every few weeks, or what?

 

Finally, what is the ballpark cost per session?

 

Any info is appreciated.

Thanks!

Cathy

[Wonder]

I'm in MN so can't answer the refferal part.

 

I've gone to 2 different vets. The first vet wanted Passion to come every week for a couple months. She was $80 a session.

 

The vet I currently take her to is awesome. She said just to bring her in when I felt she needed it. The first session included an exam so was more. Each session after has been $54. She's gone 3 times in the last 6 months. I only take her when I notice she can't get on the couch as easily or when her back legs shake (Elvis leg).

 

I highly recommend acupunture. It also can help with seizures (which Passion has had)

[Guest DeniseL]

I used accupunture for my lab/shepard mix. It really helped her arthritis. I believe we went weekly in the begining and then streched it out to maybe once or twice a month. My vet told me it just depends on the patient and their needs. Maya was on Deramaxx and Tramadol for a long time before I discovered accupunture.

My other reccomendation would be Adaquan Injections. They were a MIRACLE worker for Maya. I didn't learn about it untill we started Accupunture. I wished I had know sooner. It would possibly have saved years of NSAID use.

Good luck!

[dante2zoe]

Brady is getting the Adequan injections instead of accupuncture for his hind end weakness. My vet is a firm believer of both, but felt that he would get more benefit from the injections at a lesser cost for me. I give him the injections myself and we are down to once a week and it costs me 16.00 per shot. The lesser cost is simply an extra benefit for me. He has improved with the injections, but the degree is unknown since the weather has been cold, windy and damp, which is his worst nightmare for pain purposes.

[djsgreys]

Daisy started acupuncture treatments in early December. Her hind weakness was to a point where she was falling 4-5 times daily and I really thought we were going to have to say goodbye. Thank goodness that I tried acupuncture. I saw a huge difference after the first treatment - she was standing taller and seemed to have greatly increased hind end strength.

 

Our first visit and assessment was 80 - subsequent visits have been 40. She had treatments every other week for the first 8 weeks and now goes on an as needed basis. It has been three weeks since her last treatment.

 

She has fallen maybe 3 times times since we started - an amazing improvement.

 

Sorry, I'm in Canada so can't help with a referral.

[Burpdog]

In addition to Fresh Factors, there are many Chinese supplements the acupuncture vet can prescribe to help with arthritis.

 

I like the CHI certified vets:

 

http://www.tcvm.com/

[Remolacha]

can't help you with a recommendation, but I can't say enough good things about acupuncture! I used it for my first grey when her back end weakness got so bad. Now Fletcher is getting it, and he has started jumping on my bed again, something he hasn't done in almost two years! He got a treatment every two weeks for about the first two months, then we gradually increased the time between treatments. He has been doing every 6 weeks, we are trying 7 weeks this time. I think the Chinese herbs have helped him as well. I pay $70/treatment.

[RedHead]

Sort of off topic, but has anyone tried laser therapy for arthritis instead of acupuncture and found it effective?? I don't have arthritis issues with my pups, but my vet is one of the first vet clinics to have started the laser therapy, and she really swears by it. Just wondering what people's experiences were.

[Guest DeniseL]

Sort of off topic, but has anyone tried laser therapy for arthritis instead of acupuncture and found it effective?? I don't have arthritis issues with my pups, but my vet is one of the first vet clinics to have started the laser therapy, and she really swears by it. Just wondering what people's experiences were.

 

 

The vet that did Maya's acupuncture also swears by it, but we never tried it becasue we had such good results with other things.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

I would ask your vet to recommend an accupunturist. That's what I did and I loved who they sent me too. As others have said, it was once a week for a little while, then every other week, then when needed. THe first visit was more expensive ($120) then it was about $80 a session. But then I live in the Pacific Northwest where vets are expensive.

[Robin1017]

So I talked to the vet today about possibly getting adequan injections, and I got the numbers. Yikes. They said it would be 2 times per week for 4 weeks, so 8 injections. With the amount he needs, it comes to about $55 per injection. So $440 total in one month.

 

He also said that it may not work on Robin as well because he is not "just at the beginning" of arthritis. (He's had it for two years.) I didn't get that impression from reading here on GT, but at any rate, it is kind of a "let's try it" kind of thing.

 

I also got numbers from some vets in the area for acupuncture. There is one that is a Veterinary Rehabilitation Center, and it even has water therapy, and for the area, the cost was reasonable. $90 for the first visit, and $64 for the follow-ups.

 

Unfortunately, I really can't do both right now, even though that would be best. So I think I have to choose, at least at the beginning. So I'm thinking I should do the acupuncture for a little bit and see how that goes, and then I can plan on trying the adequan injections in another month or two. This is assuming that you really have to do the whole cycle of 8 injections for it to be worth it. Is that right? If not, let me know what your experiences have been. If it would be helpful to do a few injections, I could maybe make that happen now rather than waiting.

 

Thanks!

[Guest WhiteWave]

Never tried acupuncture, but I just took Ronon for his first chiropractic adjustment and it made a huge difference. He has had hind end weakness and limping. He was out in one spot in the middle of his back and 2 bad spots in his lower back and his pelvic/hip area was out. After the adjustment, he came home ran around and came in and got on the couch, layed on his back and kicked his legs all up in the air. He is feeling much better and hasn't limped since the visit. He doesn't flinch and drop to the ground when you touch his spine. He will go back in a few weeks and then as needed after that.

 

I used to take Linus my senior hound. He had trouble lifting his head and going up and down the stairs. After an adjustment, he would run around like a puppy.

 

I took Casper too. He didn't respond as well as Ronon. But I think Greyhounds do better and are easier to adjust due to their build. Casper is thick and his bones are huge and heavy.

[Guest DeniseL]

With adequan there is a loading phase, which, if I remember correctly, is twice a week. It is pricey, but after the loading phase we went down to every three weeks, I think. Considering how much I was spending on NSAIDS, it probably would have evened out for Maya. The vet I used at that time ( not the acupunturist) said she didn't recommend it because of the price....but really, considering how well it worked and that I probably could of avoided othe pain control methods, it would have been well worth it...and it is much safer than the nsaids. But, who knows, the acupunture works really well for a lot of dogs, maybe that is all you will need

[Guest Fasave]

You may want to talk to Riverbosun. She uses the adequin on Coyote and does the injections herself which may cut down on the cost. The cost you found for acupuncture is very reasonable for the area. I think I paid $85 for Safari a few years back.

[duncan41]

I-therm would be a good addition to the other suggestions. That little machine can work miracles! You might have to call around to find one or contact the manufacturer (google I-therm) for information.

[krissn333]

Carrie gets acupuncture every month to month and a half. Makes a big difference for her

 

She also gets adjusted every so often-her hips get off kilter from time to time.

[Robin1017]

Robin has an appointment on Saturday for his first acupuncture visit. It is at a nice place with rehab pools and all kinds of neat stuff. We'll see how that goes!

[Robin1017]

So has anyone ever had their dog react badly to acupuncture? Robin had his first treatment Saturday, and yesterday he was refusing to walk and eat, and was clearly in a lot of pain.

 

Today he is moving better, and seems better, but he still won't eat. (I think he's not eating because he's in pain. We're going to the vet in the morning.)

 

So I'm wondering if I did bad by trying acupuncture, and he reacted badly. Or maybe it is because he wouldn't lay down for the treatment, so he was standing up for a while. I'm just wondering if it is related or a coincidence.... I need to decide whether to keep our next appointment on Saturday.

[krissn333]

I have known people who were sore after their first treatment, so I'd imagine it's not uncommon. Carrie didn't seem to have any issues after hers, but, she also couldn't even stand up without me HOLDING her up when I took her in. Acupuncture + a small dose of prednisone literally saved her life. I had to carry her in to the appointment, and back out to the car when we were done. The next morning, she was able to GET UP by herself and walk around. I could NOT believe it.