Today I want to share the heartwarming story of Hanna, a 13 year old dachshund. When I met Hanna, she was completely paralyzed in her hind legs with no pain sensation. Spoiler alert: she made a dramatic recovery! Continue reading to learn more about her journey.
As a dachshund, Hanna is predisposed Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD), which can cause issues ranging from back pain to full paralysis. Surgery is the standard Western approach to treating this disease when it is severe, but it is expensive. That is why I am so excited to be able to offer an alternative: Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine! Even if an owner chooses surgery, acupuncture makes a great complement to speed recovery and restore mobility.
Initial Treatment with Hanna
We started Hanna right away on a customized treatment plan which incorporated herbal medications and acupuncture. Initially we performed acupuncture three times a week, an ideal practice in severe cases. We used acupuncture and electroacupuncture, which sends a gentle electrical signal between two needles. Electroacupuncture enhances the effects of acupuncture, and it is an exciting modern option in the field of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. You can see in the image that Hanna is calm and relaxed.
Here is Hanna at one of her first treatment sessions. The wires are for an enhanced modality of acupuncture called electroacupuncture.
I prescribed two herbal medicines, Double P II and Di Gu Pi San, which stimulate energy through the spine and treat underlying imbalances. These capsules, which look just like the medicine you or I would take, are filled with a concentrated herbal powder. My supplier, Jing Tang Herbal, produces all of their herbal medicines in the USA and has strict standards for quality.
Progress
As treatments continued, Hanna showed signs of improvement such as going to the bathroom on her own and starting to move her hind legs. I really looked forward to every visit and seeing if there had been any new developments. We gradually increased the amount of time between treatments as her condition improved. After one month (nine treatments), Hanna was starting to use her hind legs to take a few steps! Both her mom and I were very excited with her progress.
As Hanna gained strength and function of her hind legs, she went from starting to move her legs, to bouncing around, and then to walking with more coordination. This resulted in the game Hanna and I like to play where she runs around and I try to get pictures of her that aren’t blurry! Some of the outtakes are pretty funny!
Slow down Hanna!
Stabilization
Hanna can now walk and run (or her new version of it which involves hopping when she gets going really fast)! We now treat her once a month and she no longer needs to take the herbal medicine. Hanna continues to be her usual inquisitive self and won’t be slowed down for anything!
Here she is climbing during her most recent treatment.
Want to Learn More?
Paralysis and other neurologic conditions can be treated with acupuncture and other holistic modalities of veterinary medicine. If you have any concerns with any of your animals, I can help! Click here to ask any questions you may have during a free phone consult. Or click here to schedule an appointment. I would love to talk with you to determine if TCVM is a good fit for your specific case!
She is still too busy for a photo!