Is your pet slowing down this winter?
Perhaps their waistline is spreading, and they seem keen to spend more time decorating your sofa than playing with their new Christmas presents? If so, I may have a good new year’s resolution for you. It may be that your dog or cat is experiencing some pain from the wear and tear kind of arthritis of middle to old age, or osteoarthritis, and I have a little book full of ideas about how you can address this.
It’s called Caring for Dogs with Mobility Issues and is full of practical tips on how to recognise the problems of osteoarthritis and manage them.
There are chapters on weight management, and home massage, as well as natural remedies and medications.
One of my personal preferred ways to support a pet with creaky joints is to offer them a course of acupuncture. Our vet Angie Gill has studied for years the very best techniques to perform both Chinese acupuncture with tiny needles and the relatively unknown laser acupuncture.
A laser pen can be used to achieve a similar effect on acupuncture points as a needle.
Therapeutic lasers use light waves of a specific wavelength to cause photobiomodulation. This alters cellular and tissue physiology, stimulating electrons and activating cells to promote healing.
This results in endorphin release, muscle relaxation, and vasodilation, which brings oxygen and cells involved in healing to the affected joint, reducing inflammation and stimulating faster repair.
Having personally had positive benefits from acupuncture when I have suffered injuries myself, and for my beloved Labrador, Jasmine, I now recommend it for all older pets experiencing the stiffness of old age.
Best of all, the cost of acupuncture treatment is usually covered by most pet insurance policies. And the pets feel no discomfort at all when Angie uses her laser rather than her needles!
Don’t wait until your pet’s mobility slows to a stop – act now.
Request a free of charge copy of my beautifully illustrated book Caring for dogs with Mobility Issues by emailing enquiries@themewes.co.uk or call the Clinic on 01444 456886 to schedule a mobility assessment.