Acupuncture For Your Greyhound

[BPSCG]

So the very nice lady who lives down the next block and who regularly walks her greyhound by our house drives by today; it's the first time our paths have crossed in a couple of months. She adopted Jessie several years ago as a rescue dog. Jessie used to be very high-strung and easily spooked when we first met, especially towards men; her owner thinks the previous owner was probably a man who brutalized her. Jessie has warmed up to me; the big breakthrough was one day when she was quivering nervously in front of me and I threw myself on the lawn and rolled on my back, exposing my stomach and throat to her - the classic, "I'm not a threat" doggie submission posture. We're good friends now.

So she drives by today, but where's Jessie?

"Oh, poor Jessie, she's having back problems. The vet can't seem to find anything, she may have a slipped disc or a pinched nerve, but they can't tell, so I'm taking her in for acupuncture."

Urgh...

She was in the car, I was standing there in the street. This obviously wasn't the place for a long explanation of why acupuncture has never been proven to cure anything, that at best it's a placebo, but that placebos don't work on animals because for a placebo to work, you have to understand what it's supposed to do and unless she's telepathic or has that abominable Pet Psychic woman communing with her, all poor Jessie is going to know is that some strange man is sticking needles in her.

And I'm going to have to throw myself on my back and expose my stomach and throat to her all over again before she trusts men again.

So I made some sympathetic noises about "poor Jessie," and a car came up the street and we had to part company.

 

[Morrigan]

A friend of a friend apparently took an epileptic dog to an acupuncturist and it allegedly fixed it... but yeah, that's a load of bollocks as far as I'm concerned.

 

[CptColumbo]

I have an Italian/Miniature Greyhound, and one of the traits of the breed is a nervousness around strangers (especially other unfamiliar animals). They are not agressive, but shy away and/or hide. I don't know if that is true for regular Greyhounds.

He's prodominatly black in color so the kids named him Vader. Another trait of the breed is a weak bladder. I refer to what he leaves on the rug as "his darkside."

"You don't know the [smell] of the Darkside!"

 

[Scott Haley]

The thread title made me think of someone hammering needles into a bus.

 

[John Bentley]

BPSCG,

As a vet, I see placebos work all the time in animals. All you have to do is ask the owner if they are improved or not, and bingo. As long as the owner thinks the treatment should work, their animal will be improved.

Also as a vet, I can tell you that back problems in greyhounds are exceedingly rare. Is this an elderly dog, by chance? That would up the chances of disc disease somewhat. I'd love to get my hands on this dog and get a real diagnosis.

ETA: Elderly in greyhounds would be somewhere over 10 years old, by the way.

 

[BPSCG]

BPSCG,

As a vet, I see placebos work all the time in animals. All you have to do is ask the owner if they are improved or not, and bingo. As long as the owner thinks the treatment should work, their animal will be improved.

Also as a vet, I can tell you that back problems in greyhounds are exceedingly rare. Is this an elderly dog, by chance? That would up the chances of disc disease somewhat. I'd love to get my hands on this dog and get a real diagnosis.

ETA: Elderly in greyhounds would be somewhere over 10 years old, by the way.

Don't know for sure how old she is, but for some reason, I'm thinking about seven. If I see them again soon, I'll ask and pass along what you said.

 

[Amapola]

One of my neighbors adopts greyhounds. They are nice dogs... I think she currently has 4. Hers are all really friendly (but I can't pet them because I am allergic to dogs ) They too believe in acupuncture, feed their dogs some unusual diet, take them to the chiropractor etc.

They are claiming that the diet is curing the cancer that one of their dogs has. (Apparently, greyhounds are susceptible to bone cancer.) Their dogs are all elderly dogs rescued from the track, so they are doing good work... and I guess, if they think doing all that stuff makes the dog better, then that is fine. The dogs have certainly lived longer with my neighbors than they otherwise would have made it. I'd prefer to see them save their money and take the dog to an actual vet, but they don't appear to be causing the dogs any suffering... Sigh... What can you do? It's almost like a religion with my neighbors.

 

[supercorgi]

I have an Italian/Miniature Greyhound, and one of the traits of the breed is a nervousness around strangers (especially other unfamiliar animals). They are not agressive, but shy away and/or hide. I don't know if that is true for regular Greyhounds.

A lot of Greyhounds are rescued from dog tracks. Those Greyhounds are not treated very humanely and are often beaten. A dog like that would certainly have fear issues especially around men (who are the majority of handlers and "trainers"). Before being put up for adoption, these poor dogs have to be housebroken (they've lived in cages all their lives) and taught to do simple things like climb stairs (stuff they've never experienced).

On the issue of vet woo - it's really prevalent in the dog community. I know people who use chiropractic, accupunture, holistic/herbal medicine, and believe in "animal communicators."

 

[CptColumbo]

A lot of Greyhounds are rescued from dog tracks. Those Greyhounds are not treated very humanely and are often beaten. A dog like that would certainly have fear issues especially around men (who are the majority of handlers and "trainers"). Before being put up for adoption, these poor dogs have to be housebroken (they've lived in cages all their lives) and taught to do simple things like climb stairs (stuff they've never experienced).

On the issue of vet woo - it's really prevalent in the dog community. I know people who use chiropractic, accupunture, holistic/herbal medicine, and believe in "animal communicators."

I was at my local Border's bookstore one night a few years ago and a large group was gathering in the area where they have special guests (for book signings and lectures). It was for that pet psychic who was on cable at the time! A sign said that since pets were not allowed in the store she would do readings from photographs.

I wasn't sticking around for it, but saw her outside and coughed "bull[rule10]."