Alternative Medicine for Dogs
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Many of us use CAM (Complimentary Alternative Medicine) for ourselves and for our human family members but completely overlook the family dog — the fur
kid — your best friend, or your children's protector. Dogs can benefit from alternative medicine as well as humans.
Thousands of dog lovers are now turning to alternative medicine disciplines for their dog's health care needs. There are new professional associations for veterinary acupuncturists and chiropractors springing up. But the question is, are these alternative medicine therapies actually good for our dogs? Do they work?
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Well, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) thinks so. In a recently released statement, the AVMA said, "sufficient clinical and anecdotal evidence exists to suggest real benefits from a number of unconventional approaches — including chiropractic and homeopathy." The statement went on to say about acupuncture for dogs, "needles are an integral part of veterinary medicine."
As you might imagine, not everybody agreed. A Seattle veterinarian questioned the statement issued by the AVMA. He collected signatures of other veterinarians, and sent a letter to the AVMA stating in part, "The only way to know if any therapy works is to test it in scientifically controlled studies and convincing evidence that these techniques work just doesn't exist."
What a surprise: differing opinions! Those who embrace alternative medicine therapies for dogs and those who don't all agree that there has not been enough testing as yet. There are some studies that do suggest that chiropractic, homeopathy, and acupuncture therapies are effective for dogs.
Still here's the best policy:
- Talk to your veterinarian first. Only a trained vet can properly diagnose your dog's ailments. Most responsible advocates of alternative medicine for dogs say it's wise to try proven conventional treatments first.
- Find a qualified alternative medicine practitioner. Crooks and scam artists always crawl out of the woodwork when the demand is high. Anybody can claim to practice alternative medicine for dogs, so be careful.
- Don't expect miracles. The benefits of many alternative medicine disciplines may be small.
