Most of us are familiar with the typical medications used to treat our pets when they have pain, illness or behavioral problems. Pain relievers, antibiotics, anti-anxiety and sedative medications are often go-to treatments, but are there other non-pharmaceutical options we should consider as well? The answer is yes, so let’s talk about a few of those options!
First up is acupuncture. This ancient treatment modality—used for everything from pain to nerve dysfunction to behavioral issues—has been around for over 4000 years. And it’s still around because it works.
Science has proven that acupuncture points contain an abundance of blood vessels, nerve endings and lymphatics. When stimulated with needles +/- electrical current (electro-acupuncture), we activate and direct the body’s amazing capacity for pain relief and healing in ways that help our patients feel and function better.
Most pets tolerate the needles quite well, especially with continued treatments. With time, many pets become so comfortable with treatments that they often end up falling asleep while their needles are in!
Some pets do show improvement after one treatment, but my recommendation is to start with weekly treatments for one month before deciding if acupuncture is or isn’t helping your pet. At that point, if it’s beneficial, we usually reduce treatments to every 2 – 4 weeks depending on how long the positive result lasts between treatments. Pets can sometimes be a bit sleepy after treatments, but aside from that, the only side effect is that it may not work for all pets in all situations.
Next is cannabidiol (CBD). This is a hot topic right now. You can find CBD in several different forms and made by several different companies who all claim that their product is the best, and therein lies the problem.
It’s clear that CBD can be beneficial for anxiety and pain relief, but the hemp plant contains 11 different major and minor cannabinoids, each with different properties ranging from medicinal effects to intoxication. Effects also vary depending on how they are used or consumed. It becomes confusing quickly. As a consumer, it’s almost impossible to know what cannabinoids (in what ratios, in which formulations, and at what doses) are safe and effective for our pets.
To complicate matters even more, CBD products are considered nutraceuticals, and are not regulated the same way by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as pharmaceuticals. This means they are not held to the same purity, consistency, safety and efficacy regulations as pharmaceuticals. For these reasons, most veterinarians have been hesitant to recommend use of CBD products until more research and development has been done for their use in our pets.
There are brands that have been (and are currently being) tested through clinical trials at several colleges of veterinary medicine. If you are interested in trying CBD for your pet, my advice is to talk to your veterinarian about brands that are intended for animal patients and have some of this data to back their products.
Finally, we have laser therapy. In a nutshell, therapeutic lasers use certain wavelengths of light to stimulate tissues to heal at an accelerated rate. They do this by increasing blood flow, by stimulating growth factor release from cells, and by promoting cell division in the area being treated.
Lasers also help with pain relief by increasing levels of endorphins—the body’s natural pain killers—at the site of tissue damage. Laser therapy can be used for chronic or acute pain, wound and surgical wound healing, and even to promote resolution of infections.
Being able to add these alternative options to our traditional treatment regimens allow us to address problems from different angles, resulting in better outcomes with fewer side effects. If you have questions about any of these options, please consult with a veterinarian or feel free to make an appointment at Felix&Fido to speak with one of us!
My name is Dr. Heather Smith and I have been a small animal veterinarian in the greater Seattle area for 20 years. I am medical director and veterinarian for Felix&Fido – Issaquah. We are reinventing veterinary care by utilizing technology and leveraging the talents of our DVMs, LVTs and assistants in a way that supports and honors pets, pet parents and the veterinary care team. We look forward to serving you!
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