Integrative VETERINARY CARE
GERIATRIC AND HOSPICE CARE
WHY TREATING SENIOR PATIENTS USING AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH CAN BE SO EFFECTIVE. PAGE 36
PAIN RELIEF FOR SENIORS
TCVM FOR OLDER PATIENTS
HERB USE IN SPORTING HORSES
MICRO BIOME RESTORATIVE THERAPY
NUTRITIONAL FOOD OPTIONS
WHAT’ S NEW
How therapeutic laser therapy and exercises can work together to reduce discomfort.
FALL ISSUE 2014
www.IVCJournal.com
Herbs have many medicinal benefits, but you and your clients need to know about competition rules and regulations that may prohibit their use.
Why encouraging clients to feed their pets an appropriate diet can benefit both your patients and your clinic.
How Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine can improve their quality of life and even extend longevity.
Find out how giving feces from a healthy animal to another of the same species may be the most efficient way to reboot gut flora.
• State-of-the-art system delivers pinpoint radiation • Which holistic treatments are most important to patients? • Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act one step closer to becoming law
contents FEATURES
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THERAPEUTIC LASER THERAPY AND EXERCISES FOR SENIOR PETS
Integrative medicine offers many approaches to soothe and even resolve geriatric pain. Laser therapy and a variety of exercises are two successful modalities to add to your practice.
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VACCINATION AND CHANGING PROTOCOLS – PART 2
Titer testing as an alternative to annual boosters; vaccine dosages and duration of immunity; and the latest research projects being done on vaccination.
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Nutrition Nook FOOD PRESCRIPTIONS FOR THE AGING PATIENT
Medication through whole food nutrition treats health issues and prevents future problems – without side effects.
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Integrative Practice TEGRATIVE APPROACH TO GERIATRIC AND HOSPICE CARE
Pharmaceutical or surgical intervention is often not an option in older patients. Using a variety of integrative therapies can be the best approach.
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WEARABLE PEMF Miniaturized technology puts healing right on painful joints.
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HERB USE IN SPORTING HORSES
Medicinal herbs can be beneficial to equine health, but competition rules and regulations may prohibit their use in some cases.
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Tech Talk THE VET TECH’ S FRESH FOOD PROGRAM
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LASER THERAPY FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS
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MICRO BIOME RESTORATIVE THERAPY
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SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPORT FOR SENIORS
One of our many tasks is to help clients learn to provide an appropriate diet for their pets. Here’s how to create a plan.
Therapeutic laser works by the mechanism of photobiomodulation, and has several beneficial effects in decreasing inflammation and pain.
Research all over the world indicates that MBRT – giving feces from a healthy animal to another of the same species – may be the most efficient way to reboot gut flora.
Nutrients in food are not ideally absorbed in older pets, so adding a safe quantity of necessary vitamins and minerals is essential to health.
NEUTRACEUTICALS AND INFLAMMATION
Botanical ingredients that support a healthy anti-inflammatory response.
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TCVM ASSESSMENT AND CARE FOR OLDER PATIENTS
The primary goal is to promote quality of life rather than cure disease. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine can help accomplish this goal.
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advisory board Dr. Richard Palmquist, DVM, graduated from Colorado State University in 1983. He is chief of integrative health services at Centinela Animal Hospital in Inglewood, California, president and research chair of the AHVMA, and an international speaker in integrative veterinary medicine. Dr. Palmquist is a consultant for the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) and co-director of the AHVMA Foundation. He has published two books, one for conventional veterinarians and a second for clients discussing how integrative thinking works.
COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
Michelle J. Rivera, MT, VDT, is an instructor at the University of Wisconsin and The Healing Oasis Wellness Center, a post-graduate educational institution offering state-approved programs. She is co-owner of The Healing Oasis Veterinary Hospital, offering massage, rehabilitation, chiropractic and Chinese and Western Herbology. Michelle completed the Chinese Herbal Medicine program from the China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center, and is certified in Chinese Medicine by the Wisconsin Institute of Chinese Herbology.
5 Advisory board 8 Editorial 12 What’ s new
Dr. Joyce Harman, DVM, MRCVS, graduated in 1984 from Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She is certified in veterinary acupuncture and chiropractic and has completed advanced training in homeopathy and herbal medicine. Her practice in Virginia uses holistic medicine to treat horses. Her publications include The Horse’s Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book – the most complete source of information about English saddles.
33 From the IVAS 34 Industry innovations & Spotlight 58 Veterinary resource guide 64 From the AVH
Dr. Steve Marsden, DVM, ND, lectures for the IVAS, the AHVMA and the AVMA, and is co-founder of the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies. He is a director of the National College of Natural Medicine, and authored the Manual of Natural Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Marsden is extensively trai ned in alternative medicine, including Chinese herbology, acupuncture and naturopathic medicine. He has a veterinary and naturopathic practice in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2010, Dr. Marsden was named Teacher of the Year by the AHVMA.
72 Marketplace 73 Events 74 From the VBMA
Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM, received her veterinary degree in 1964 from the Ontario Veterinary College. In 1986, she moved to Southern California to establish Hemopet, the first non-profit national blood bank program for animals. Dr. Dodds has been a member of many national and international committees on hematology, animal models of human disease, veterinary medicine, and laboratory animal science. She received the Holistic Veterinarian of the Year Award from the AHVMA in 1994.
Dr. Barbara Fougere, DVM, CVAA graduated in 1986, and was named the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association Educator for 2011. Dr. Fougere is the principal and one of the founders of the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies. She has continued studying over the last 26 years, and has three Bachelor degrees, two Masters degrees, three post Graduate Diplomas, several Certifications and numerous other courses under her belt.
Dr. Christina Chambreau, DVM, CVH, graduated from the University of Georgia Veterinary College in 1980. She is a founder of the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy, was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School and has been the holistic modality adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program. Dr. Chambreau teaches classes in homeopathy for animals, and lectures on many topics. She is the author of the Healthy Animal’s Journal and the co-author of the Homeopathic Repertory: A Tutorial.
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Therapeutic
LASER
By Laurie McCauley, DVM, CCRT, CVA, CVC
therapy and exercises for senior pets
How THERAPEUTIC LASER THERAPY and EXERCISE can provide pain relief for GERIATRIC PATIENTS.
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s dogs and cats age, joint problems and their associated pain can be a primary problem. Integrative medicine offers many approaches to soothe and sometimes even resolve geriatric pain. Therapeutic laser therapy and many exercises are two successful modalities to add to your practice.
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THERAPEUTIC LASER THERAPY
Laser stands for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation�. Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) involves the stimulation of tissue with low energy lasers to achieve a therapeutic effect.
The effects at a cellular level include changes in ATP production in the cells, ATP release from the mitochondria, enhancing cell respiration by affecting mitochondrial nitric oxide synthase (mNOS), generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) to become secondary messengers, and changing the cellular calcium ion balance. Many studies have been done, including some involving humans on chemotherapy1 and on the healing of burns and wounds in rats2. Considering the variables Variables of wavelength, frequency, and power in mW at the probe or J/cm2 at the tissue can all have an effect on the outcome of laser therapy. Neves observed very different effects using four different probe powers all with the same total power to the tissue.3 In the past, many studies were
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done with low power machines (60mW to 100mW), but more recently we have seen studies looking at 1W to 6W of power. Larkin showed that only one of these high power settings enhanced blood fl ow4. In practice, a range of 250mW to 12W is being used successfully to diminish pain and infl ammation; speed healing; enhance blood fl ow and fi ght infection. Different wavelengths require significantly different amounts of power to create similar effects due to how superficially they are absorbed in the tissue. Less penetration is seen at low (600nm to 700nm) and high (970nm to 980nm) wavelengths so more power is needed to get to the affected tissue if deep penetration is desired. Wavelengths in the 800nm range have been shown to be better at reducing edema, whereas the low 900nm range is better at controlling pain, and the 600nm range is superior for skin infl ammation, pain, healing and infection. As there are no good studies evaluating laser frequency I evaluated what the top-selling five veterinary laser companies used. I found that four out of five used a continuous wave plus a pulsed wave in their therapies. Only one company used greater than 5,000Hz (Hz = pulses per second). All companies used less then 100Hz for acute pain, four out of five used about 5,000Hz for contaminated wounds, and all used 500Hz to 2,500Hz to stimulate healing and diminish edema.
With all the different variables defining the capabilities of each laser, my recommendation would be to start with the laser company’s recommendation, then play with the variables to see what works best in your hands. Laser therapy can be beneficial for geriatric patients by treating pain; speeding the healing of skin, bone and soft tissue; and improving circulation. We commonly utilize laser therapy in patients with chronic back pain, osteoarthritis, acute injuries such as tendinopathy, or post-surgical issues (from cruciate repair to dental extractions), and it can also be used for otis externa, stomatitis/gingivitis, and intra-operatively with tissues with compromised circulation.
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THE ROLE OF EXERCISE
Exercises are vital tools that can be utilized with most canine patients, and are beneficial for our geriatrics. Sarcopenia is a normal old age change where the muscle fibers are replaced first with fat (no change in circumference of the limb) and then with fibrous tissue (visible atrophy). This process has been shown to be slowed down with exercises that use resistance, for instance using the underwater treadmill, and concentric weight bearing exercises. Concentric exercises are defined as exercises that shorten the muscle as it is working. There are exercises for core strengthening, individual limb or muscle strengthening, increasing endurance, enhancing balance or proprioception, and for weight distribution reeducation. When it comes to exercise, the following general
Laser therapy can help treat dental issues by reducing pain and speeding the healing process.
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