Animal Hospital of Dunedin Offers Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine Services

While Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine is relatively new to the United States, it is a medical system used in China for thousands of years to treat animals. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine is a modification and expansion of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been used to treat humans. With a recorded history of over two millennia, like all medical practices, it is still evolving today. As Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine gains popularity in Western cultures, research on herbal medicines and acupuncture is beginning to show the power these tools can offer modern veterinarians.

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine has been practiced for thousands of years

The Four Branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine

In Western cultures, the terms acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are often interchangeably used when in truth there are actually four branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. Human Traditional Chinese Medicine has five branches but the last one Qi-gong is omitted from Chinese Veterinary Medicine because they are meditative exercises that cannot be done by animals. The four branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine are:

Acupuncture: A treatment done with the insertion of specialized needles to stimulate certain points with in the body, usually along the body’s Meridian Channels.

Food Therapy: This practice uses the awareness of energetics in food ingredients to tailor specialty diets for individual animals to prevent and treat imbalances in their body.

Tui-na– The application of Chinese medical massage in which difference acupoints are manipulated to promote circulation and discrepancies with the internal organ systems.

Herbal Medicine: The use of herbal ingredients listed within the Chinese Herbal Materia Medica in precise mixtures to treat certain disorders.

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine uses Herbal Medicines

Integration of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and Western Veterinary Practices

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and Western Veterinary Medicine both have their own weaknesses and strengths. Western Veterinary Medicine has the tools of modern science to help diagnose disease with procedures and medicines that are extremely powerful and fast acting, but often do not offer much for many chronic conditions which can be treated comprehensively with Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. So while modern veterinary medicine is a powerful tool for dealing with trauma and acute injuries, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine is more effective in treating long-term chronic issues such as:

Arthritis
Disc Problems
Hip Dyspasia
Allergies
Atopy
Cancer
Kidney and Liver Disease
Respiratory problems
Seizures
Vestibular Syndromes

There are many other conditions that Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine can help treat and it is a strong form of complementary therapy when it is used in association with Modern Western Veterinary Practices. Because each ones strengths are able to compensate for the others weaknesses, when these to medical systems are integrated, they ensure the best veterinary care for your pet.

Animal Hospital of Dunedin Offers Modern Veterinary Services and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine

Our veterinarians at the Animal Hospital of Dunedin have years of study and training in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. They will use the extensive knowledge of both veterinary medicines to determine the right treatment for your pet’s needs. Call us today for an appointment, to get your pet the best care possible with the combination of both these veterinary medicine practices.

Our Veterinarian’s Certifications
Dr. Greg Todd, DVM, CVA
Dr. Michael Bartholomew DVM,CVA, CVH, CVT, CVFT