Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [57]
Eventually, the consortium hopes to gather the information into a formal pain management program that can be shared with other universities, large referral practices, and at veterinary conferences. It is hoped that pain management might someday become a new veterinary specialty. “Just like we now have pain physicians, we may have veterinarians specializing in pain management in the future,” says Dr. Tranquilli.
Comfort Zone
Harp music has been used in human medicine particularly in hospice situations, to alleviate pain and distress. Susan Raimond, an author, music therapist and concert violinist and harpist, lectures with the International Harp Therapy Faculty in Richmond, Virginia. She has been a pioneer in harp therapy for animals.
Music, especially from the harp, lowers heart rate and blood pressure, slows respiration, increases endorphin levels (natural pain control factors produced in the brain), and possibly increases longevity. Add harp music to your pet’s environment as a stress reliever and pain modulator, or simply to improve his quality of life. It will help you feel better, too!
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is now an integral part of veterinary medicine, endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, says Dr. Beebe. Veterinarians can be certified by IVAS, the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, or by the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA) to ensure they have the proper training for animals.
Acupuncture employs an ancient method for relieving pain without the side effects of drugs. Typically, long, thin needles are inserted into the body to stimulate certain points that affect various systems of the body. Acupuncture was developed in ancient China and has been used for several thousand years to successfully treat a wide range of health problems in both people and animals.
“All the mechanisms of acupuncture are not understood,” says Dr. Beebe. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) holds that all living things contain an energy flow called qi (pronounced “chee”) that moves along specified pathways (meridians) throughout the body. The meridians connect to all the organs, skin, muscles, and nerves, and illness is described as an interruption or imbalance of this natural flow. Acupuncture corrects the imbalance and returns the cat (or person) to health by stimulating specific points found throughout the body along the meridians. Each point is associated with a particular body system.
Magic? Not at all, although it does sounds odd when we’re more accustomed to giving drugs to fix a problem. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) tests have shown that a needle inserted in one part of the body somehow does have an effect on other areas. Certain parts of the brain light up during acupuncture, when measured using an MRI. For example, needling the outside of the foot (the part associated with the eyes) causes the same reaction in the brain as if the eyes saw a flash of light.
“Stimulating specific points on the body can cause the release of certain chemical factors in the blood,” says Dr. Beebe. Studies have shown that acupuncture stimulates the release of natural painkillers called endorphins, can reduce nausea, and even can affect heart rate and blood pressure.
Holistic veterinarians believe acupuncture helps the body heal itself by stimulating circulation, relieving pain, and improving organ function, especially the failing organs of older animals. Many times a cat benefits most from using the best applications from each world. “If you have a system of medicine that does not cause harm, that is relatively free of side effects, and could potentially save a life, you don’t have to believe in it or understand all of it,” says Dr. Beebe. “A good doctor always offers all the options.”
Surgery
Kidney disease and chronic renal failure is one of the top causes of death in old cats. When they are healthy otherwise, cats with kidney failure benefit from an organ