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Puppy Development, 7 Periods

Puppies go through 7 learning periods during which they acquire the experience that shapes them for  life. The periods phase in and out gradually and are associated with increasing ability to see, hear, think & move. The 7 learning periods start with  birth and end when the pup is sexually mature. The  periods:

1. Neonatal Period
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0 days to 10 days
2. Transition Period
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11 days to 21 days
3. Socialization Period
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3 to 12 (-14) weeks
4. Fear Period
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8 to 10 (-12) weeks
5. Juvenile Period
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3 to puberty
6. Second Fear Period?
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3 weeks between 4 and 11 months?
7. Adolescent Period
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Puberty to social maturity


Over the next few days, we’ll discuss each of these periods.
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PTSD PostTraumatic Stress Disorder in Dogs & Cats


 

Ever been abandoned? Been in a housefire? An earth quake? A tornado? A hurricane? Aboard a sinking boat? A plane that went through turbulence so severe it had to land for mechanical reasons? A car wreck? Had surgery? Been unable to breath long enough that you lost color vision? Burried your folks? Your siblings? Well, pets go through these experiences too, so if you think these events can cause human PTSD, you’ll know they can also cause pet PTSD. So, what can we do about it?


Treating PTSD with Acupuncture

A new acupuncture study from the Dept of Rehab at the Chengdu Military General Hospital in Chengdu China showed that acupuncture helped more than the medication Paxil (paroxetine). 138 earthquake victims suffering from PTSD were treated to electro acupuncture or Paxil. Patients were evaluated using 4 tests able to measure anxiety:

·          Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS),

·          Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD),

·          Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and

·          Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS)

The research showed that both acupuncture and Paxil groups benefited, but that the acupuncture-treated group had the most significant improvement.

 
We expect dogs and cats will suffer PTSD just as humans do. We expect they may benefit from acupuncture just as humans do. Of course, there are lots of other things we can do for stressed pets, too:

·          Zylkene

·          Adaptil & Feliway

·          Essential oils: Lavender, Geranium, Neroli

·          Flower essences: Star of Bethlehem, Rock Rose, Mimulus

·          Homeopathics: Arnica, Gelsemium, Ignatia, Stramonium

·          Melatonin
 

If you’d like to read the full study, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:431279. doi: 10.1155/2012/431279. Epub 2012 Sep 25. Clinical studies on treatment of earthquake-caused posttraumatic stress disorder using electroacupuncture. Wang Y, Hu YP, Wang WC, Pang RZ, Zhang AR. Dept of Rehabilitation, Chengdu Military General Hospital, No.270, Road Rongdu, Jinniu District,
Chengdu 610083, China.

 
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Shea, My New Foster Dog



 
Every dog I foster is the best dog in the world, so let me tell you about the latest foster dog. She was rescued from an Indian reserve near Burns Lake, BC by Turtle Gardens. I was told to expect Shea, a 2 year old, 35 lb border collie who had a litter of pups that all died. Well, the name was right because she answers to Shea, but this girl is a 50 lb husky cross who had never been pregnant and is probably less than one year old.
 

Isn’t she beautiful!

This girl would love a home with children (not sure about toddlers). She loves people and most dogs. She is not frightened by men, or people with hats, or trucks that backfire, but she does not like riding in the car—except with her head out the window. She would like to chase rabbits. Not sure about cats.

Shea loves to run, moves beautifully, will chase after thrown apples and toss them in the air. Shea loves playing with other dogs, loves wading into the sea, but I have not seen her swim. She doesn’t love, but willingly accepts bathing. She does love being touched, but she’s not a “sucky” dog.

Shea’s coat is beautiful and has a glow. She has a glorious tail that she carries high and curled over her back. She does not shed excessively. Her teeth are gorgeous. Her nails are light and easy to trim. She is eye-catching.

When folks ask how I can foster a dog and not keep her forever even when I love her, I tell them it’s like being a kindergarten teacher. My job is to get Shea grounded and open her to a world of possibilities. She deserves even more than I can provide, so like a good teacher I’ll watch her graduate to another home, an even better home.

For now, Shea is beside my side throughout the day, which means coming to the clinic. She is learning to tolerate all the dogs & cats that visit us, and when necessary she sits out the client’s visit from her crate in the exam room. Come by and visit and meet the best foster dog in the world.
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Dogs & Cats With Depression

Ever been depressed? Lost a sibling to illness? Gotten sick yourself? Been alone in a new place? Pets go through the same experiences that we do, and are just as likely to run the gamet of emotions, including depression.

How would a depressed dog or cat look?
Depressed dogs & cats may:
• lose their appetite and lose weight
• decline treats
• stop interacting with their toys
• stop vocal communication
• wander as though searching for something
• sleep excessively.

Ways to help depressed dogs & cats
• provide pheromones, such as Feliway for cats and Adaptil (Oxytocin) for dogs.
• stimulate with walks down different paths, different toys, new music
• crunch great treats on top of their food for delicious variety
• offer acupuncture, which in research has been shown effective with depression when given 30 min twice a week for several weeks.
• increase socialization at dog parks or by bring another dog into the family.
• go for rides and let your pet put its head out the window or look through a mesh window on a pet stroller
• take a vacation with your pet. So many pets come back happy from vacations.
• be happy yourself.

The research on depression & acupuncture
Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2012 Nov;18(4):216-20. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2012.06.003. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs as treatments for depression: An Australian pilot study. Lyons Z, van der Watt G, Shen Z, Janca A. School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, Univ of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009, Australia.
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Acupuncture for Acute Pain, US Military Discusses Using Acupuncture to Treat Soldiers with Acute Pain


The US military is discussing acupuncture for treating acute pain. A NIH workshop in Bethesda, MD, was attended by members from the Department of Defense (DoD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). The participants wanted to evaluate treating acute pain in active-duty military personnel. They discussed how stress, genetics, and other factors would influence acute pain and the response to acupuncture. Also discussed were real-world experiences with acupuncture for traumatic acute pain. If the military is discussing using acupuncture to treat acute pain out on the battlefront, shouldn’t we be discussing using acupuncture to treat acute pain in pets in emergency hospitals. Acupuncture could be considered adjunctive therapy for dogs & cats that have been

·         hit by car, or have

·         fallen,

·         disc disease (acute Hansen’s type 1 disc disease),

·         sports injury including ACL tears,

·         acute internal pain, such as pancreatitis.

                                                                           

For more information on this discussion, look for J Altern Complement Med. 2012 Sep 28.  DoD-NCCAM/NIH Workshop  on Acupuncture for Treatment of Acute Pain. The authors were Edwards E, Louis Belard J, Glowa J, Khalsa P, Weber W, Huntley K. 1 Division of Extramural Research, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine , Bethesda, MD.
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Acupuncture Affects the Brain

A research study at the First School of Clinical Medicine. Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province in China,  used brain scans to demonstrate changes that occur with acupuncture stimulation. The study compared acupuncture at TH 5 with needle stimulation at a non acupuncture point and found a difference in the brains of subjects. Subjects  that received  effective point stimulation (de qi) at TH 5 demonstrated significant activated brain areas in brodmann areas 6, 8, 19, 21, 28, 33, 35, 37, 47, the parahippocampal gyrus, lentiform nucleus, claustrum and red nucleus; deactivated points were seen in brodmann areas 9 and 25. Subjects with sham acupuncture did not have similar areas of brain activation.

On dogs & cats, TH 5 (Wai Guan) is located 1-4 finger breadths up from the front leg joint called the carpus (equivalent of human wrist) on the outside or lateral surface.  TH 5 is used to treat fever, chills, stiffness & pain in the neck, to balance yin & yang in the body (coupled with PC 6). It is the Yang Wei master point when coupled with GB 41.

What the research from the School of Clinical Medicine shows is that acupuncture stimulation of TH 5 has an affect on the body because, in part, of its effect on the brain.

If you want to read the full research study,  look for the Journal of Acupunct Med. 2012 Sep 29. The article is titled: Brain areas involved in acupuncture needling sensation of de qi: a single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) study.  Authors: Chen JR, Li GL, Zhang GF, Huang Y, Wang SX, Lu N. Source First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.

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Acupuncture and Back Pain

 

 
Research done at 3 Korean hospitals proved that acupuncture helps with back pain. In a research study of 130 adults with chronic back pain, patients treated twice a week significantly improved with acupuncture. We find similar pain relief with acupuncture in dogs & cats with back pain.

To read the full research, go to the National Institutes of Health Pub Med site: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23026870
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Lasers, the Hottest Trend in Veterinary Medicine


Lasers are used to treat pain, stimulate skin healing without scarring, & reduce inflammation. Lasers are so helpful that pet families should be requesting them for their dogs and cats after spay and neuter surgery, with ACL repairs, to treat hip dysplasia, or relieve pain & paralysis of disc disease.

How Do Lasers Work?
Lasers use photons, packets of electron energy just as released from the sun. We can’t see these packets of energy, and when a laser is held over a pet’s body, we don’t observe a difference on the outside of the body. The laser’s effect occurs under the skin as photons influence cell membranes and cell mitrochrondira. We choose whether the laser will affect the cells of muscles, tendons, bones, skin or lymph by setting the frequency. On the lasers I use, frequencies run from 73 Hz to 4672 Hz.
• E: 4672 Hz to ease pain, decrease calcium deposition, treat acute fractures, affect C reactive nerve fibers
• D: 2336 Hz to treat flesh wounds, chronic connective tissue problems
• C: 1168 Hz to treat bones, tendons, viscera, relax large muscles, and stimulate periosteum
• B: 584 Hz to increase circulation and resolve edema of lymph tissues, treat neuropathic pain, affect the gut, liver and pancreas
• A: 292 Hz to treat skin and nerves including mucous membranes of the mouth, the cornea of the eye. This setting tones the tissues without increasing blood flow. It helps trigger points, treats infections in wounds and burns. A is the universal setting.
• G: 146 Hz is used to decrease inflammation, reduce fresh scar tissue, treat tendons, stimulate healing of infections • F: 73 Hz is used to stimulate circulation, treat endocrine problems and help healing of acute and chronic conditions

Using Multiple Laser Frequencies
In general, we use low frequencies to stimulate cellular activity and high frequencies to sedate cells and relieve pain. With the lasers I use, it’s possible to combine frequencies and stimulate healing in multiple tissues. Examples of combination frequencies I use:
• Arthritis: 4672, 1168, 146
• Dermatitis: 292, 146
• Muscle tear: 584, 1168, 146
• Hip dysplasia: 1168, 4673, 146
• Disc disease: 4672, 1168, 584
• ACL damage: 1168, 156

Laser Treatments for Acute Injury
With severe, acute injuries, such as disc disease and torn ACL, it’s ideal to treat the injury 3 times a week for a couple weeks, then decrease frequency. Laser treatments are often combined with icing, pain medications that include boswellia and turmeric, moxa, massage and rehab exercises that are done at home. For some pets, homeopathic medications such as Traumeel, arnica, rus tox are prescribed.

Laser Treatments for Chronic Injury
With chronic injuries, such as arthritis, it’s ideal to treat dogs & cats once a week for a month. During this time we start an exercise program, start TCM herbal formulas, and consider changes in nutrition that support healing. For example, we increase the pet’s intake of deeply pigmented fruits and veggies to increase their cellular supply of antioxidants and flavonoids. After a month of weekly treatments, many dogs & cats are visibly more comfortable; subsequent visits are scheduled as needed. Usually the chubby pets that have started to lose weight because we’ve got them on an ideal diet will do really well, experiencing a new joy in life.
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