CAT-UPUNCTURE
Toronto veterinarian sticks needles in nerve bundles of cats and dogs to relieve chronic pain,
Sticking needles in nerve bundles has never felt so good for Dr. Galina Bershteyn. It’s even better if her patient begins to drool — or wag its tail. As Bloorcourt Veterinary Clinic’s resident acupuncturist, Bershteyn is bringing an 8,000-year-old approach to alternative medicine to man’s best friend. She’s one of the few Toronto veterinarians certified by Florida’s Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. This interview has been condensed and edited.
Honestly, I had no idea this even existed for our four-legged friends.
Clients don’t always know it is an option for pets, especially for chronic pain conditions or when a standard medication isn’t an option.
For example, arthritis medication can sometimes be hard on the kidneys.
If you have a patient with kidney disease, sometimes acupuncture is the only option.
I would have assumed one needle would be enough to freak out a dog or cat. How do you get the animals to remain still?
Sometimes the dogs smile; they do that happy-looking sort of face and start drooling.
It’s great.
They’ll relax or fall asleep because it has a sedative effect.
I have some dogs that will pull on their leashes to make their way in and lie right down on the table to wait for their treatment, which is cool.
The animals don’t always stay still, so sometimes there is some coaching involved using treats.
A lot of the owners have had acupuncture themselves, so they know what to expect.
Who is more likely to try it out: cats or dogs?
Typically, I’ll have more dogs, but cats are real endorphin junkies.
Overall, the majority of clients are older animals who have arthritis or back-disc issues.
It can also be used for constipation in cats, allergies, as well as seizures.
Can this be used on other animals as well?
Historically, the Chinese practised acupuncture on horses. It’s very different when compared to smaller animals like a cat or dog. Horses have 270 acupoints, the most of any animal species.
It can also be performed on birds. During the course, the instructors performed acupuncture on a chicken. It fell asleep.
Wait, birds? How does that work? I just can’t see that happening, except for flapping wings and loose feathers.
I don’t do it myself. Birds die randomly and can get very stressed over something as simple as handling them. It freaks me out, so I leave it for the bird specialists.
Addressing any skepticism out there, what should a pet-owner consider first and foremost?
Chinese traditional medicine is non-invasive and has very few side effects when compared to western therapies. However, the treatments take longer to work and are not necessarily beneficial for everybody.
I warn people this is not a miracle cure for things.
Why would you recommend it?
There is less suffering involved when compared to traditional deterioration. You are not really curing things; you are managing pain to help the animal feel good for as long as possible.
My analogy is, basically, it’s like your living life to the fullest until you slide into home base and drop dead: kind of how I want to go.