Has anybody tried anything along the lines of hydrotherapy, Tellington touch or reflexology in cases like this, or could recommend anything to get him more mobile?
Any advice would be much appreciated
Ray Thrush, by email
Richard Allport, vet, advises…
My advice is to find a vet who
practises acupuncture – check the website www.abva.co.uk
for details of vets in your area. Acupuncture has a good success rate in
relieving pain and discomfort in all spinal conditions, and can often slow or
stop deterioration of disc (and other spinal) problems.
Hydrotherapy and manipulative
therapies such as osteopathy and chiropractic should be considered with great
caution, as there is the possibility of aggravating the condition, and a
definite diagnosis of exactly what is causing the symptoms would be necessary
before any such therapy could be advised.
Massage therapies such as the
Bowen technique and Tellington T touch may have some beneficial effect, as
might reflexology, but none of these are likely to give the same level of
improvement as acupuncture.
Natural herbal anti inflammatories
such as Turmeric, Devil’s claw and Yarrow complex would be helpful and could
well be effective enough to replace the pharmaceutical drugs your vet has
dispensed, which often cause adverse effects in dogs, especially if given long
term.
I’m sure there are natural
treatments that will help your Border Collie – in my view 12 years is not old –
it should be the prime of life!
