As a pet owner, you should know that vets deal with animals differently. Some doctors only use traditional medicine, but others also use other medicine. Integrative vets offer a unique mix of both conventional and alternative treatments.
Pets with arthritis are always in pain, stiff, and can not move around much. This blog post will discuss how integrative medicine can help your dog or cat with arthritis.
What Is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine looks at the whole person and focuses on healing. A holistic veterinarian at the animal hospital in Vienna, VA, looks at a pet’s health, how it feels, what it eats, and how it lives. When developing a treatment plan for your pet, they will consider both traditional and alternative methods.
Examples of integrative medicine approaches are:
- Acupuncture
- Herbal medicine
- Chiropractic care
- Massage therapy
- Homeopathy
- Nutritional therapy
People used to think of holistic medicine as an “alternative” treatment, which is something to keep in mind. This kind of care was considered a last-ditch “alternative” for patients who had tried everything else in traditional medicine. Holistic therapies are now being used along with conventional medical practices. So, the phrase “alternative medicine” is no longer accurate.
How Is Integrative Medicine Beneficial to Your Pet?
Integrative medicine puts a lot of focus on preventing illness and ensuring people are healthy and happy. Animals with arthritis can also benefit from integrative medicine in the following ways:
Exercise
Regular exercise can help keep joints flexible and strong, but choosing a suitable activity for each pet is essential. Integrative medicine doctors can help pets with arthritis find the right exercise plans.
Physical Therapy
With the help of physical therapy, you can feel better. You can lessen joint pain and mobility. Integrative medicine doctors can watch over home programs for strengthening and stretching.
Herbal Medicine
Arthritis causes swelling and pain that can be eased with herbal remedies. Integrative medicine doctors can suggest herbs that are safe and good for animals.
Acupuncture
Can help pets with arthritis feel less pain and move around better. It works by making endorphins, which are natural painkillers, come out.
Chiropractic
Adjustments from a chiropractor can help pets with arthritis move their joints again and feel less pain. Integrative medicine doctors who have been trained in animal chiropractic can make adjustments that are safe and effective.
How Can a Combination of Treatments Help Pets With Arthritis?
When treating pet arthritis, veterinary rehabilitation, cardiology, diagnostic lab services, and other therapies may be helpful. Some of the advantages of combining these different types of treatment are:
Holistic Approach
Combining different types of treatment is an excellent way to treat arthritis in pets. When making a personalized treatment plan, this method considers the pet’s medical history, lifestyle, and individual needs.
Comprehensive Diagnosis
Dog diagnostic testing can help find the underlying health problems that are making arthritis symptoms worse or causing them. This could help plan medical care and improve the way things turn out.
Pain Management
Some ways veterinary rehabilitation can help with pain are therapeutic exercises, hydrotherapy, and massage therapy. Pets with arthritis often have heart pain, which cardiology can help treat.
Nutrition
How well a pet deals with arthritis depends on how well it eats. Cardiology, veterinary rehabilitation, and a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids can all help reduce the symptoms of arthritis because they have anti-inflammatory properties.
Medications
Cardiologists can treat dog heart issues and symptoms and slow the disease’s progression with diuretics and ACE inhibitors. These medicines can help treat the symptoms of arthritis.
Complementary Therapies
Alternative treatments like acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and herbal medicines can help pets with arthritis. You can use different treatments to meet the needs of each animal.
Conclusion
You can use integrative medicine to treat arthritis in pets in a whole way. By combining Western medicine with complementary and alternative therapies, integrative medicine practitioners can give each pet a personalized treatment plan that meets its unique needs. Pet owners can help their animals live longer, healthier lives with less arthritis if they work closely with a team of vets.
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