Welcome to the home site of Boggie Veterinary Acupunctuur!
Acupuncture is a medical treatment that has been used in people and animals for thousands of years. The earliest documented record of acupuncture being used in an animal was a treatment given to an elephant in Sri Lanka over 4000 years ago. The use of acupuncture is well known in people, but it is also extremely effective in animals for a variety of conditions.
The most common problems treated with acupuncture are arthritis, spondylosis and intervertebral disc disease (hernia). Arthritis secondary to trauma, hip dysplasia, torn cranial cruciate ligament and elbow dysplasia are all common ailments seen in our canine patients. Patients with intervertebral disc disease are also helped considerably with acupuncture. We can also see arthritis in cats mostly affecting the spine and pelvic area. Greater than 95{18ff2471c7a42c78fe2092debebbb2c42355d79a294632a444ba14de97f8b911} of the patients Dr. Boggie has treated over the past 17 years with these specific complaints have responded very well to acupuncture and herbal therapy.
Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with conventional medicine. Often the conventional drugs will help with pain relief and decrease the inflammation secondary to the trauma caused by the herniated disc or arthritis. Acupuncture also helps with the pain relief and inflammation but in addition helps to increase the blood circulation to the area to further aid healing of the joint tissues or the spinal cord as well as supporting the muscles and tendons and ligaments that are also important in supporting the skeletal system.
Acupuncture is very effective at treating many internal medical conditions as well. It has been shown the be very effective for the treatment of gastrointestinal conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, colitis, chronic vomiting and diarrhea for unknown reasons, and chronic parasitic infections. The two most common areas of research over acupuncture involve the treatment of painful conditions and gastrointestinal complaints. Acupuncture is also effective for digestive complaints secondary to radiation or chemotherapy.
There are many conditions that respond well to acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy:
Skin problems – allergic skin disease, chronic skin infections, food sensivities
Urinary tract problems – chronic bladder infections or irritable bladder, some types of stones
Respiratory problems – chronic or acute rhinitis, sinusitis, feline allergic bronchitis, pneumonia
Seizures and other neurologic conditions
Behavioral problems – fearful or aggressive dogs may be helped with integrated therapies
Cardiac disease – mitral valve insufficiency, cardiomyopathy, congenital heart problems
Hormonal imbalances – reproductive problems, thyroid disease, Cushing’s and Addison’s disease
Internal Medicine – kidney insufficiency, hepatitis, chronic pancreatitis, diabetes
Cancer – oftentimes acupuncture and Chinese herbs can support a patient with cancer to improve
ऀa patient’s quality of life and often give the patient more time
A common question is how can acupuncture treat such a variety of conditions? The short answer is that acupuncture affects the neuro-endocrine system. It has recently been shown that acupuncture has a very strong effect on the limbic system specifically. When an acupuncture needle is inserted into an acupuncture point we are directly stimulating the nervous system. This stimulus is carried to the central nervous system; the spinal cord and the brain. Depending on which points are used we are able to modify neurologic function. This can result in the release of certain chemicals such as cortisol, the body’s own anti-inflammatory neuropeptide; or neuropeptides such as serotonin and dopamine which are important neurotransmitters. We can also affect the release of other hormones in the body especially via the limbic system. Hence, acupuncture can help with many conditions of disease. For more detailed information please click the following link: mechanisms of acupuncture.
For more information regarding specific ailments please look at the menu. If your pets specific problem is not listed or you still have questions please contact Dr. Boggie at +31(0)6-12050611 or by email at lboggie.bva@gmail.com.
