Excerpts from Complete Care for Your Aging Cat and Complete Care for Your Aging Dog by Amy D. Shojai

Our aging pets share with us our life experiences, successes and failures, and joys and sorrows, and they represent milestones in our lives, says Signe Beebe, DVM, a veterinary acupuncturist and herbologist practicing in Sacramento. "I get a lot of joy out of being able to help that animal do really well throughout the rest of its geriatric life," says Dr. Beebe. She says that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which includes acupuncture and herbs, offers wonderful advantages for treatment of chronic diseases because there are so few side effects. "The animal does so well that lots of people tell me it's hard to believe they're that old or that they have cancer or kidney failure," she says. When holistic treatment is combined with mainstream Western medicine, she says the [animal] is more likely to remain vital and enjoy life up until the very end -- rather than experiencing a traumatic decline with intermittent hospitalizations. "My clients want to try everything they can to have a good quality of life for their animal. And when they can no longer have that good quality of life, then it's time for that animal to pass on." Acute problems are often best addressed by surgery or other "allopathic" treatments, but chronic disease doesn't always respond as well to these traditional Western medical therapies. Some "old-fashioned" methods, such as herbal treatment, acupuncture, and nutritional supplements, offer great potential for maintaining quality of life. "Acupuncture and herbs, the two mainstays of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), work together to achieve healing in the [geriatric pet] by improving the homeostasis of the body, rebalancing it, and helping to stabilize and slow down the degeneration of body systems," says Dr. Beebe. Keeping your cat healthy and happy requires addressing all aspects of your cat's life. "It's called a holistic modality because you're looking at the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the animal," says Dr. Beebe. Alternative approaches are often ideal for keeping the old dog feeling well during chronic illnesses. "Integrated medicine offers a greater chance of success because you're utilizing two very strong systems of medicine." "Western medicine is very powerful and effective for certain things. If you're bleeding to death, you can't give herbs and acupuncture. You need Western medicine for that," says Dr. Beebe. Yet when surgery and state-of-the-art diagnostic tools are combined with alternative methods, that offers the best of all worlds ... "Most of these holistic systems have been around for several thousand years. Western medicine has been around for a hundred and fifty," says Dr. Beebe. "there doesn't have to be a choice between them." Holistic veterinarians believe acupuncture helps the body heal itself by stimulating circulation, relieving pain, and improving organ function, especially the failing organs of older animals ... "If you have a system of medicine that does not cause harm, that is relatively free of side effects, and could potentially save a life, you don't have to believe in it or understand all of it," says Dr. Beebe. "A good doctor always offers all the options." "Physical therapy especially for geriatrics is absolutely essential," says Dr. Beebe. This includes a wide range of remedies. Cold packs decrease pain and swelling. Heat therapy decreases pain, increases circulation and healing, relaxes skeletal muscles, reduces muscle spasms, and decreases joint stiffness. Exercise helps improve balance, coordination, endurance, and flexibility. Massage increases blood flow and removes lymphatic drainage from injured tissues. Rehabilitation, massage, water therapy, and chiropractic or other physical therapies are absolutely essential for dogs recovering from surgery, especially for the dog with spinal problems, says Signe Beebe, DVM. These patients also require good nutrition to support the healing process. With the proper postsurgery support, Dr. Beebe says, "that animal is going to recover so much more quickly! It's unbelievable."

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