About Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine
There are four branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM):
Acupuncture
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Food Therapy
Tui-na
All four branches utilize a special system of diagnosis which requires a whole-body approach and tailors the treatment to the individual animal patient.
At a TCVM appointment, a thorough history is collected and a TCVM examination is performed. The history will include questions which are not considered relevant in Western medicine, for example what times of day the symptoms are the worst and whether the pet seeks warm or cool areas in which to rest. The examination will focus on different elements than a Western medical exam, such as looking at the tongue and feeling the pulses. The history and exam findings are used to determine the patient’s Chinese medicine pattern diagnosis (or diagnoses), which dictates the acupoints to stimulate, herbal formulas to prescribe, foods to recommend feeding, and massage techniques to perform to bring the patient back into balance. Pattern diagnoses change over time due to treatment, season, lifestyle changes, and aging, so the patient must be reassessed on a regular basis to adjust the treatment as needed.
There are limitations to the TCVM diagnostic approach though, especially because animals cannot directly communicate how they are feeling. It is usually in the patient’s best interest to have a Western medical diagnostic work-up to determine the cause of their symptoms before beginning TCVM treatment. For example, when treating gastrointestinal symptoms, it is often impossible for a TCVM exam to determine whether these symptoms are due to a primary gastrointestinal disease or are secondary to another disease, such as kidney failure, liver disease, or cancer. If the primary disease is not diagnosed and addressed, TCVM treatment may alleviate the symptoms temporarily, but the patient will ultimately get worse. On the other hand, knowing the Western medical diagnosis will allow the TCVM practitioner to treat it directly, leading to the best outcome for the patient. Western medical diagnostic testing is also important for monitoring the response to TCVM treatment. For example, if treating liver disease, rechecking bloodwork is the best way to determine if the treatment is working.
Dr. Gardner does not offer general veterinary services, so all her patients must have a primary veterinarian to provide Western medical diagnostics and treatment when needed. It is recommended for pets to have an annual physical examination and routine lab work (every 6 months for senior pets) to catch disease processes early, when there is the best chance of intervening with treatment. Some diseases, especially if treatment is initiated early, can be successfully managed with TCVM alone, while for other diseases, Western medical treatment will need to be used along with TCVM.
The skill and knowledge of the practitioner in determining the pattern diagnosis, and developing the treatment plan based on it, is a major factor in how effective TCVM treatment will be for the patient. Few veterinary acupuncturists have put in the time and effort to complete training in the other branches of TCVM. As a Certified TCVM Practitioner (CTCVMP), Dr. Gardner is certified in all four branches of TCVM: acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, food therapy, and Tui-na. She often utilizes all four branches for the best chance of treatment success. However, depending on the type of case, one branch may be the most important component of the patient’s TCVM treatment plan. Also, some patients may not be a good candidate for one branch but may be successfully treated by the other branches. More details on each branch of TCVM are provided below. These webpages also have additional information on TCVM and acupuncture:
ACUPUNCTURE
During an acupuncture treatment, specific points on the body are stimulated by the insertion of a needle, which induces release of neurotransmitters. Physiologic effects of acupuncture include pain relief, promotion of tissue healing, regulation of gastrointestinal motility, reduction of inflammation, regulation of the immune system, hormone regulation, and reduction of fever.
Acupuncture is especially good at managing pain associated with musculoskeletal conditions and at stimulating nerve function in spinal cord or peripheral nerve disorders. Acupuncture can also play a supportive role in the treatment of gastrointestinal problems, kidney disease, cancer, endocrine issues, respiratory disease, behavioral issues, liver disease, seizures, and more.
The general treatment plan is to start with a series of 3-6 appointments one week apart to allow the physiologic effect to build up. While some signs of a response can be seen immediately, many dogs and cats will not show an improvement in their symptoms until after the third treatment. Once there is significant improvement, appointments can be gradually spaced farther apart until the least frequent treatment interval is found that maintains the effect. If the condition being treated can be fully resolved (example: recovery from an injury), then acupuncture can be discontinued once the patient is back to normal. If the condition is chronic and incurable (example: osteoarthritis), then on-going treatment will be needed for successful long-term management.
Approximately 10-15% of dogs and 30% of cats do not make good acupuncture patients because they do not tolerate needling. Of the canine and feline patients that allow acupuncture treatment, it is effective in approximately 90% of patients. For most diseases, if there is no improvement after six consecutive acupuncture treatments on a weekly basis, then further treatments are unlikely to help. Some medications that reduce the effect of acupuncture include steroids, opioids, antihistamines, beta blockers, sedatives, and atropine. Acupuncture is a very safe medical procedure, with minimal risks for dogs and cats, when administered by a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist like Dr. Gardner.
Advanced techniques may be used to make an acupuncture treatment more effective and longer-lasting. For example, electro-acupuncture, which involves attaching wires to acupuncture needles to run a small current through the body, is especially important in cases where spinal cord or nerve function needs to be stimulated. Electro is also more effective than needles alone at reducing pain. However, electro is contraindicated in patients with epilepsy or a history of seizures, some heart conditions, cancer, or severe weakness. Another advanced technique Dr. Gardner commonly uses is aquapuncture, which refers to injection of a solution (typically Vitamin B-12 diluted with saline) into an acupoint. Aquapuncture allows for prolonged stimulation of an acupoint, but is also utilized for acupoint locations where it is difficult or dangerous to leave a needle (example: on the belly because the pet would not be able to lie down during the treatment) or when the patient will not hold still long enough for needles to be left in place for several minutes. Dr. Gardner does not charge extra for advanced techniques.
CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
Chinese herbal medicine is the most important component of TCVM treatment for internal medicine conditions (such as kidney disease, liver disease, cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, heart conditions, endocrine diseases, immune-mediated diseases, etc.), as it is more effective than acupuncture in such cases. Acupuncture is supportive for patients with these types of conditions, but in many cases, it will not make a significant difference if used as the only treatment. After becoming a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA), Dr. Gardner returned to the Chi Institute to study Chinese herbal medicine because she wanted to be able to effectively treat a wide variety of cases with TCVM. While there are many CVA’s, only a small percentage have completed training in Chinese herbal medicine. Dr. Gardner became a Certified Veterinary Chinese Herbalist (CVCH) because she is committed to using TCVM to its full potential to help her patients.
In addition to its importance for internal medicine conditions, Chinese herbal medicine can also be considered for pets that are not cooperative for acupuncture but may be good herbal patients. Dogs and cats are good candidates for Chinese herbal medicine if they are not prone to vomiting or diarrhea (unless using formulas to treat gastrointestinal issues) and are not difficult about taking medications. Chinese herbal medicine also has the advantage of being cost-effective, as appointments are needed on a less frequent basis than for acupuncture. Periodic follow-up appointments are necessary to reassess the patient’s TCVM pattern diagnosis and adjust the Chinese herbal formulas accordingly. Herbal medicine works slower than drugs, so it may take a few weeks to begin to see the effect.
Dr. Gardner orders Chinese herbal formulas from Dr. Xie’s Jing Tang Herbal, Inc., a reputable supplier in Florida. Formulas are shipped to clients by USPS Priority Mail, which typically takes 2-3 business days (Dr. Gardner does not keep formulas in stock). Jing Tang’s Chinese herbal formulas come in capsules or loose powder for oral administration, and they can be mixed with food to hide the taste and smell. The purchase price of herbs is an additional cost and varies depending on the formula, but the appointment cost is the same whether Dr. Gardner is performing acupuncture, prescribing herbal formulas, providing food therapy recommendations, or any combination of these.
FOOD THERAPY
Food therapy is the branch of TCVM that involves tailoring a patient’s diet to their specific needs and selecting individual food ingredients based on their properties. Dr. Gardner often helps her clients choose a high-quality diet for their pets, but even small nutritional changes can make a difference. Simple examples of food therapy include switching to a different meat option within the same brand of commercial food the pet is already eating, top-dressing the pet’s current diet with a few additional foods, or choosing specific foods to use as treats to supplement the current diet. Elaborate food therapy plans could involve entirely changing the pet’s diet to a home-cooked recipe with carefully chosen ingredients. For clients that wish to prepare a homemade diet for pets with complex medical conditions, Dr. Gardner always recommends hiring a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to formulate a custom balanced diet.
TUI-NA
Tui-na is often referred to as Chinese medical massage. Tui-na treatments are customized to address the patient’s TCVM diagnosis and consist of specific manual therapy techniques which incorporate massage, acupressure, passive range of motion, and stretching. Dr. Gardner frequently teaches clients how to perform simple techniques so they can treat their own pets every day. In some cases, Dr. Gardner utilizes Tui-na to calm patients prior to acupuncture or even uses Tui-na instead of acupuncture for needle-averse patients. (Note: Dr. Gardner does not offer massage therapy appointments. She only performs Tui-na during acupuncture/TCVM appointments.)
For detailed info on Dr. Gardner’s services, including appointment costs, please visit the Services page.