Many families are afraid that their dogs and cats experience negative effects from anesthesia & surgery. While anesthetics and surgical procedures can be hard on pets, there is a lot we can do to help pets breeze through procedure, including acupuncture.
Recently, researchers from the Dept of Surgery UFC in Ceara, Brazil, showed that electroacupuncture of two points, ST 36 and CV 12, reduced oxidative stress in the liver & kidney of anesthetized rats. Dogs & cats are likely to have the same benefit as the rats showed.
How Acupuncture Helped Reduce Harm of Anesthesia
During surgery, the liver and kidney work very hard to change the anesthetic drugs. First, the liver metabolizes the drugs into less harmful products, then the kidneys excrete the drug metabolites in the urine. As the liver and kidney work, they build up free radicals, and the free radicals can harm the liver and kidneys. In addition to being harmed by free radicals, low blood flow through the organs of hypotensive anesthetized dogs & cats pets also increases free radicals.
What Are Free Radicals?
Free radicals are tiny electron swords that tear holes in DNA and molecules within the cell. With enough damage, the cell can no longer work, and cell by cell, the organ dies.
Controlling Free Radical Damage
The body has several mechanisms for controlling free radicals including glutathione (GSH). In this study, researchers were able to measure the activity of GSH, and of other enzymes (G6PDH). They found that the liver and kidneys of rats receiving acupuncture had reduced oxidative stress and free radical formation than rats not receiving acupuncture.
How Can You Help Your Pet?
If your pet is scheduled for anesthesia or surgery, request electroacupuncture of CV 12 & ST 36 at 10 Hz and 10 mA for 30 minutes during the surgery. Acupuncture is safe and won’t interfere with any drugs your pet is taking. The use of other acupuncture points can also help your pet experience less pain.
Research Publication
This research was published in Acta Cir Bras. 2011;26 Suppl 1:47-52. Electro-AP stimulation using different frequencies (10 and 100 Hz) changes the energy metabolism in induced hyperglycemic rats. Figueiredo LM, Silva AH, Prado Neto AX, Hissa MN, Vasconcelos PR, Guimarães SB. Dept of Surgery, UFC, Ceara, Brazil.
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