Acupuncture for your pets

Acupuncture relieves stress for aging and pets who are in pain. Needles are inserted and a low-level electrical current flow to the needles. It is the same as in human acupuncture. After the treatment pets shows less pain and they move easier.

However, pet acupuncture is not cheap the initial consultation and treatment starts at $220 and the followup treatments may cost $73 up to $100.

Acupuncture has been use in animals in China. According to the American Animal Hospital Association and American Association of Feline Practitioners (joint guidelines),  there is a solid and still growing body of evidence for the use of acupuncture for the treatment of pain in veterinary medicine to the extent that it is now an accepted treatment for pain.

MAY is Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Blue Buffalo, Petco and Petco Foundation are teaming up for the 6th annual Pet Cancer Awareness Month in May for a fund raising to increase the awareness and fight this terrible disease. Their goal is to raise $2 million. Cancer is a devastating disease for both pets and humans.

To have a fighting chance, cancer needs to be detected early so that it can be treated more effectively. The Veterinary Cancer Society has come up with 10 Early Warning Signs to detect cancer in pets:

1. Abnormal, persistent swelling
2. Sores that do not heal
3. Loss of weight
4. Loss of appetite
5. Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
6. Offensive odor
7. Difficulty eating or swallowing
8. Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
9. Persistent lameness or stiffness
10. Difficulty breathing, urinating or defecating

If your pet is manifesting these early warning signs, you should brought your pet to your veterinarian as soon as possible for a more complete examination.

Keep your pet away from environmental toxins like lawn fertilizers and surface and rug cleaners that have warning labels relative to children and pets. Experts say that there is a link between environmental toxins and cancer.