A little of the old (traditional Chinese medicine), a little of the new (bloat prevention with laparoscopic surgery).
Why consider Chinese herbs for your animal? According to Zen master Suzuki Roshi, "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few." We believe there are many possibilities for the health care of your pet. Everything we do for our patients, we do with the intention to be open, flexible, and kind.
Traditional Chinese Medicine for animals includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, acupressure, and food therapies. We at Sangre de Cristo are trained in Western Medicine primarily. We are also trained and continue our training in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). We may recommend other types of treatment such as chiropractic or homeopathy as well. Dr. Tuler has been practicing acupuncture on animals for fifteen years. Dr. Alsedatter has been trained in TCM herbology. TCM relies on thousands of years of experience. It can be used to treat a variety of problems, including pain, arthritis, heart, lung, kidney, digestive, hormonal, and allergic illnesses. We are happy to combine both Western and Eastern medicine as we find the different approaches complement each other and often, when one probes to be inadequate, the other provides another excellent treatment option.
The physical examination for TCM is a little different than for Western medicine. In TCM, we look at your animal's tongue and note its shape, color, markings, placement of the markings, and coatings. We will ask different questions about your animal's behavior like whether she chooses a warmer or cooler place to lie down, during what season or time of day is the problem worse, does he/she crave certain foods, does he/she sleep well through the night or is he/she awake at about the same time every night. We may also question what time of year the condition first occured, whether your pet prefers hard or soft surfaces, if there have been changes in urination or defecation, and discuss drinking and eating habits. We sill also feel and evaluate 'femoral pulses', and determine whether they are fast or slow, superficial or deep, as well as determine their quality: rolling, weak, thin, full, tight, minute, knotted, intermittent, hollow. All the information gathered during the physical exam will help make a TCM diagnosis. From that diagnosis, a custom blend of Chinese Herbs will be prescribed. Dr. Alesdatter uses granular herbs from Evergreen Herbs and Medical Supplies in Carson City, Nevada. These are high quality herbs recommended by TCM teachers. Usually three or four herbal combinations will be mixed together to treat the presenting complaint and to help to bring balance back to the animal. Herbs can be tailored to each animal's constitution. They can improve vitality, blood, fluid balance, strengthen the immune system, and provide pain relief. Some herbs have antiviral and antibacterial activity; in short, herbs can help treat most conditions except those that require surgery. There are times when Eastern Medicine is the best choice for your animal, and there are times when Western Medicine is the best choice.
Unless you are one of the unlucky owners that has had a dog that "bloated", you may not even be aware of this life-threatening condition. Bloat is a common term for "gastric dilation and volvulus" or GDV. This is a condition in dogs where the stomach expands with fluid and food to such an extent that it twists upon itself. When the stomach twists, it cuts off the blood supply to the stomach resulting in death of the stomach lining and the absorption and release of toxins by the body.
GDV is most commonly seen in deep-chested breeds, such as German Shepherds, Great Danes, Dobermans, and others. It is sometimes associated with dietary habits or exercise right after eating, but is often stress-related as well. Dogs developing GDV will be uncomfortable and unable to lay quietly. They will often retch, salivate excessively, and their abdomens will expand. This is an EMERGENCY. Untreated dogs will die within hours from shock and secondary complications.
Treatment of GDV involves treatment for shock, stabilization of the dog, and decompression of the stomach. Surgery is needed to untwist the stomach and to repair and remove any damaged tissue. The stomach is also "tacked" to the abdominal wall to prevent it from re-twisting (known as a gastropexy). There is a greater than 75% recurrence rate in dogs who do not have their stomachs tacked. Post-surgical complications are common, and many animals die even with treatment and surgery.
Owners concerned about GDV should consult their veterinarians about risk factors and steps that may help prevent this condition, but for some owners the best options may be a prophylactic gastropexy. In other words, the stomach is tacked to the abdominal wall before the dog ever has a chance of developing GDV. This is not a common procedure since it involves abdominal surgery, but has been used by some owners of high-risk breeds. However, this procedure can now be performed at our hospital using a laparoscope, resulting in only 2 small (1/2 inch and 1 1/2 inch) incisions. Anesthesia time is short, pain is minimal, and recovery is rapid.
Prophylactic gastropexy is a safe and quick procedure for dogs at risk for GDV. This procedure saves dogs' lives, as well as hundreds of dollars in medical bills. This is just one of the procedures we can perform with the endoscopic equipment and training at our clinic. These procedures, which use rigid endoscopes, have many benefits to the patient and are in common use in human medicine. Most laparoscopic procedures require much less anesthetic time than comparable surgeries, give better visualization of internal organs because tissues are magnified, and cause significantly less trauma.
All the doctors in our hospital have received advanced training in endoscopic procedures. Watch our website for more information and pictures!
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