Acupuncture for IVDD Treatment in Veterinary Medicine

Acupuncture? Sounds Whacky.

If you're anything like me, you may have thought that acupuncture fell under the hocus-pocus category for treating diseases as severe as IVDD. The mental image I had of acupuncture fell somewhere along the lines of palm reading and astrology. I was completely wrong.

Many doctors told me that surgery was the only option for treating IVDD, and that Louie would never heal unless he had another expensive surgery by a specialized neurosurgeon. I fell for that trick the first time he was injured. Yes, it made him recover; yes, it was successful. But most importantly, it was successful in putting us into debt. The things we do for our fur-children! I was lucky enough that following his bulging disc in January 2014, he was able to recover with a cocktail of pain killers, anti-inflammatory medications, and crate rest.

The Big Cervical Rupture

In March of 2014 we weren't so lucky. This rupture was a BIG one. It was cervical (neck), so it's primary evil is excruciating pain. We took him to see two neurologists, and they both told us he needed surgery. We told them that we didn't think it was fair to put his little body through that traumatic of a surgery again, nor could our pocketbooks afford it. After trying to treat it conservatively as we had treated the bulging disc back in January, we realized he was only getting worse. His pain wasn't allowing him to move, eat, drink, sleep, or anything really. He was not just crying, but letting out a heart-wrenching scream that was constantly waking us. One Saturday, we came to the conclusion that if surgery was the only option (and it wasn't an option for us), then it was his time. His eyes told us he was done fighting. He lost the spark he once had.

I sat and cried. I couldn't hold him - it hurt him. I couldn't kiss him - it made him cry. I was devastated. I thought we had tried everything. Finally, a forum online suggested a shot of dexamethasone. It is a steroid shot 10x's stronger than the prednisone he had been taking. I went through 5 vets and nobody would give him the shot, despite my cries for help and pleading that this was my last ditch effort to save his life. I wanted to give up.

Finding a Vet to Help

I consulted with a friend who recommended their vet, Gasow Veterinarian, located in Birmingham, MI, and so I called them. They said they dealt with walk-in's that were "hard to treat." They said they would administer him the shot. If it worked, we would see results within 12 hours. While there, they suggested acupuncture. I again considered it, feeling at a point of desperation.

Within four hours, we noticed an astronomical decrease in his pain. He wasn't crying as much and I was in awe that so many vets turned me down for what seemed to be the cure. It wasn't the ticket out of the woods, but it at least got us on the train. We started administering the shot 2-3 times per week, and then mixed in acupuncture.


The Acupuncture

The acupuncture consists of placing small needles into the cervical area of a dog. Surprisingly, it relaxed my wormy, wiggly pup. He sat for the doctor (who smelled like treats), and let her apply the needles and electro-acupuncture. The electro-acupuncture looked like a car battery that they hooked up to the needles in his skin. After we left the first appointment he slept soundly for the rest of the day. We began to notice improvements that we couldn't credit to anything besides the combination of acupuncture and dexamethasone injections.

There is something to be said about the effectiveness of alternative medicine - to be used in humans and pets. Alternative medicine isn't a joke, as long as you have the right doctors and the right treatment plans in place. Dr. Mark at Gasow Veterinarian is phenomenal. She trained in China on acupuncture and uses it on her own pets who have also suffered from the evil IVDD. 

Four weeks ago, we thought we were going to put Louie to sleep because the pain was just unfair. Four weeks ago we found Dr. Mark and Gasow Vet, and they saved his life. This past weekend, Louie took a road trip with us to Traverse City, MI. He was happy as a lark and made lots of new friends. We stopped in Birch Run along the way for some shopping. Louie did some shopping of his own for bones at the pet store.

We did not think he would ever make it back into his wheels, and we didn't think that he would be shaking his head and have recovered from this latest disc rupture. Unfortunately, the nature of the beast is that another disc problem will be inevitable. Now, we are armed with the tools to fight it and overcome it should the next rupture bring him down. 

Louie's Lesson for the Week

Louie's message is to not give up. Keep pushing for what you know is right. Even if that is after nixing five veterinarians, until you find the right one. 

And always, keep on rolling. 

What the heck is IVDD?

IVDD is Intervertebral Disc Disease, which causes the premature aging of the discs in the spine and neck. IVDD is present from birth, but presents itself most often between the ages of 3-7. When IVDD flares up, it can be anywhere from a bulging disc, which causes pressure to the spinal cord and mild pain; paralysis isn't always the problem. Most often, these incidents can be fixed with cage rest and steroids. The type of IVDD episode that hit Louie in 2013 was severe. The disc ruptured and shot disc material into his spinal cord. Slowly, he lost coordination, then he went down, then his tail stopped wagging, and then he stopped being able to go potty on his own. See the chart below for a diagram of what each different disc episode can look like.

So you're probably wondering, what the heck do you do when this happens?! Well, the answer can range from crate rest and medication to surgery. Some dogs respond to a conservative treatment, and some need surgery. During Louie's first episode, when we knew nothing about IVDD, we panicked. We weren't educated and took the first $10,000 suggestion our doctor gave us - surgery. Louie never quite walked the same again, but he regained potty control. He got fitted for a cart in the summer of 2013 and began zooming around like normal.

In March of this year, when Louie begin screaming in pain again, we didn't take the expensive route. Instead, we have been treating him with acupuncture (see below picture) and medicine. Guess what? It has worked wonders! We thought we would have to put him down this go-around, until we saw the miracle of alternative medicine at work. Just remember - you have options!

The first lesson to take from this is: What are the signs of a disc injury?
     -Arching of the back
     -Reluctance to move
     -Pain when touching the abdomen
     -Feet knuckling over or crossing when walking
     -Loss of appetite
     -Crying

What do I do?
     -IMMEDIATELY CRATE YOUR PET! This is not cruel, it is for their own good, and can save the injury from progressing further.

What caused this? I don't remember seeing anything happen.
     -Sometimes you'll never know. It can be as small as turning funny, jumping, or chasing a squirrel in the backyard. Prevention can help, but most of it is predestined.

What is the prognosis if my pet never walks again?
     -Whether they walk again after the first incident, or they don't, there is always the chance of recurrence. One in four dogs will see another disc episode once they have one. Life can be GREAT for a downed pet. Louie runs faster in his wheels than he ever did on all fours. IVDD IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE!

I'll end today's entry by sharing a poem that his neurologist gave to me during his injury:


I’m Still Your Dog

Because I’m “just a dog” you see, I don’t sigh and say, “why me?” I just face it- go on livin’ and play the hand that I've been given.

I need you more now, that is true, for there are things I just can’t do. The ball you throw I can’t catch- I can’t even lift my leg to scratch.

It’s embarrassing a little- that I may need your help to piddle. But if our roles they were reverse, I’d be proud to be your nurse.

But hey, I love you more than ever. Me, give up? Well yeah, like never. I don’t regret what cannot be- with you my friend, I’ll just me me!

I’m still me within my soul where it counts, I still am whole. My back is bent and I’m quite lame, but in my heart I’m still the same.

by Julia Wrigley Smith