Not Slowing Down: How Acupuncture Keeps This Senior Dog on the Go

Acupuncture remains a safe, effective, and less invasive form of treatment. photo: AdobeStock

When a patient named Demon first appeared on my schedule for a canine acupuncture treatment last summer, I admit I was a little nervous. An 86-pound Pittie called Demon? What could possibly go wrong?

I soon learned that Demon was really an 11-year-old angel in disguise. This sweet boy bounded into my treatment room for his first acupuncture appointment, plopped down on my fluffliest blanket, and promptly got to work chewing his stuffed toy du jour.

Demon, it turned out, was a sensitive guy - literally. He had a history of allergic hot spots that were mostly well managed by diet but would occasionally flare up. In addition, he was prone to acute ear infections, causing bouts of itchiness. His mom, who was dedicated to supporting Demon’s health and longevity holistically, was also interested in the preventative benefits that acupuncture could offer in his senior years.

What’s His Secret?

Demon’s mom let me know that he was frequently mistaken for a much younger dog. In fact, many of his younger dog pals couldn’t keep up with this active older dude on his hour-long walks. My interest was piqued. What was Demon’s secret to keeping his youthful glow? And did he have any tricks to share with a middle-aged acupuncturist?

Demon’s mom reported that she'd been feeding him healthy fresh foods, home-cooked meals, supplements like green-lipped mussel to support healthy joints, and functional mushrooms for immune-boosting since he was a youngster. She was also committed to keeping him at a healthy weight and having regular vet checkups and lab work. In addition, he’d been getting red light therapy and using a pulsed electromagnetic field mat at home for mobility support (by this point, I was a little jealous of his self-care regimen). Now we’d be augmenting all that good stuff by adding Eastern medicine for symptom relief and root cause rebalancing to the mix.

Holistic Support to Keep Senior Tails Wagging

As an animal acupuncturist, I work with many sweet senior pups whose guardians often report that their dog is doing fine, just slowing down. And while we do expect some degree of natural slowdown as animals transition into their golden years, any significant change in behavior is frequently a sign of a specific medical concern or concerns - ones for which acupuncture and Chinese medicine can often offer highly effective support.

Dog guardians will sometimes normalize certain changes in behavior as a regular part of aging. Some examples include hesitating before jumping into the car, taking longer to get up from lying down, not wanting to go as far on walks, slipping on hardwood floors, no longer wanting to play, or just generally seeming less enthusiastic. However, these changes can be due to pain or fatigue, which may be the result of treatable or manageable veterinary conditions, including common age-related issues like osteoarthritis.

Demon’s mom began bringing him for regular acupuncture care because she refused to accept that getting older meant that his quality of life must decline. As his acupuncturist, I refused to accept that as well.

Nourishing the Body’s Energy

In Chinese medicine, we describe aging as a natural process in which there is a gradual decline in the body’s deep reserves of energy and vitality - what we call our “Kidney Qi and Yang.” In addition, the ligaments and tendons become more rigid and less flexible with the natural decline of our “Liver energy.” These are the underlying root causes of many of the diseases and symptoms of the aging body.

Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and moxibustion - a traditional treatment using heat to stimulate acupoints - can all help nourish these energies, thereby supporting vitality in our dogs’ golden years. In particular, acupuncture has been shown to prevent the development and slow the progression of arthritis, which is why beginning a preventative care regimen while Demon still had spring in his step has been so effective in keeping him going strong on his bayside trots.

Over the past year, I’ve been a part of Demon’s integrative care team supporting him through a variety of complaints not uncommon for an active dog of any age. These included an iliopsoas (hip flexor) strain; some minor limb tweaks resulting from rough-and tumble play sessions, as well as stepping into the occasional hole; a bout of severe digestive distress following an unsupervised pig-out session with another dog’s food; a small wound from scratching above his eye; and the occasional flare up of itchy ears and hot spots.

Throughout all these mishaps, acupuncture has allowed us to manage Demon’s ailments with minimal pharmaceutical drugs, thus reducing the burden on his liver. This is especially important for Demon, who has a history of high liver enzymes, which can be a sign of liver cell damage or slowed bile flow - clearly conditions that should not be exacerbated.

Acupuncture has helped Demon stay strong and active as he ages, especially remarkable for a dog of his size. In fact, my friend Demon will soon turn 13, and I can’t wait to see how this handsome devil decides to celebrate his entry into the teen years.

I just hope I’ll be able to keep up with him.