Acupuncture Vs. Aquapuncture

just curius...what was the treatment for???

She is 10 years old and suffer mildly from Arthritis.  At the age of 1 she had hip dysplasia surgery.  Her back legs will shake every now and then.  The vet thought it could be from pain. He took some xrays and saw that she had some arthritis in her back.  She doesn't like for you to touch either one of her hips.  So we opted to try this to see if it will help her.  The other night, I reached down and pet her hip and she just laid on the floor so I know that it is helping as before she would have jumped up and ran away.  I was just wondering if she would benefit more from actualy acupuncture.

as long as you are sure it is helping, thats fine...but if and when you see that it might not be helping then, other than pain control, start thinking of medication..Accupuncture can help with pain control but very very rarely is it correcting the condition..This will be long but what the heck.
 
For years we had a local vet who did accupunture but many time, at least 6 that i know of the dogs, mostly doxies, were slowly becoming paralyzed in the rear,,
But is was not hurting so the owners let them go but finally when the whole rear end was paralyzed it was so far gone that even surgery couldn't help...I am not saying to stop the accupuncture but at the same time you might see a regular vet just in case the hidden pain is not hiding a potential paralysis...
I am saying all this without knowing the problem or seeing the x-rays...but keep in mind it can get to the point where anti inflammatory drugs will no longer help.....good luck, keep us posted.

No GOOD acupuncturist I know would ***ever*** suggest to someone that they see ONLY the accupuncturist.  That is crazy.  You *add* acupuncture -- you don't use it as the only treatment.
 
I've never heard the B-12 shots referred to as 'aquapuncture' -- usually it's done AFTER acupuncture treatment and often my vet combines the B12 with Traumeel -- Traumeel is a homeopathic that is an anti-inflammatory -- so you are stimulating the acupuncture point plus continuing the healing.
 
Acupuncture can be very helpful for painmanagement.  BUT first and foremost it **should** be about encouraging healing.  So other things should be done to slow the arthritis.  I use a plethera of things in helping my dogs (and me -- I've had rheumatoid since I was a child and I'm 52) --from something as simple as Knox NutraJoint which is just calcium and gelatin -- it puts the stuff at the body's disposal so new cartilage can be formed -- takes time but the change IS permanent.  (7 years ago I was walking with TWO canes and couldn't walk across the floor -- a friend suggested the Knox and it was affordable.  AFter 3 months I stopped using either cane and haven't needed them since.  Periodically I go back on it if I develop more arthritis in a different joint.)
 
I wouldn't use the "aquapuncture" instead of acupuncture.  Now I don't know how your vet does this, but I lay on the floor with my dog.  When the dog gets needles I encourage the dog to simply stand or lie next to me.  I keep my hand on the scruff of the neck to encourage them NOT to shake. 
 
Most dog acupuncturists I know use a different kind of needle that has some texture to it so the needles tend to stay in better. 
 
I get acupuncture myself (and yes, I've gotten the B12 and Traumeel myself too) -- acupuncture is used for many different things.  It can stimulate healing, it can block pain, it can move the blood, etc. ... but primarily it SHOULD stimulate healing.  so with arthritis you want to be doing things to help the body cope -- if not NutraJoint then something like glucosamine/chondroitin.  I've got a whole little thing written out, if you want to email me I'd be happy to send it to you.
 
Usually my acupuncturist will also sit with me/dog for a few minutes to talk to me and observe the dog -- just inserting the needles can stimulate the points.  And honestly I would ask the vet to show YOU the points that would be most helpful for accupressure from YOU when you get home.  You simply take the tip of your finger and massage quite hard and deep with the tip of your finger in a tiny circle -- you are simply stimulating that same spot from above.
 
Massage with essential oils that are anti-inflammatory can also help enormously.  I use a couple on the dogs that is really helpful -- White Flower Oil and Wood Lock oil.  My current acupuncturist uses Wood Lock oil -- and a former one turned me on to the White Flower ... but even peppermint oil and wintergreen oils (the essential oils) can really help as well -- just use them as massage oils.  The more oil the more heat you get.  Try them on yourself first and you'll know exaclty how they feel.
 
If you just plain weren't impressed with this acupuncturist then you can check the Chi Institute website ([linkhttp://www.tcvm.com]http://www.tcvm.com[/link]) -- they have a great locator.  I've had good luck referring people to vets on that list.
 
But truly -- a regular vet needs to be in the loop to make sure the treatment is balanced.  X rays can be invaluable to find stuff like spondylosis that needs to be treated differently.

very good points colliecritter--no punintended

Agreed. Ellie has had acupuncture and some pain herbs and some Rimadyl when she needs it all. My holistic vet is a vet and she closely monitors the pills for us.
 
Like CallieCritters, I make her do a Down Stay and then I sit with her and find little things she can do so that she doesn't lose needles.
 
BTW, my cat gets acupuncture for his spine (2 ruptured discs and he's old so no surgery, just for pain management for now) and he's done VERY well. I appreciate my vet--both vets. My non-holistic vet (dare I say that) is great--very conservative, very practical, very careful.
 
Ellie will get her left hip replaced (THR) in 3 weeks. I'm a wreck but after seeing what FHO did to her brother (nothing horrific, just a lot of movement loss), I am my putting my faith into yet another great surgeon/vet.
 
Between the three of them--we might make it. But I have enjoyed adding the holistic vet--and I do switch between pills, surgical consultations, massage, and acupuncture.
 
I might be too Idaho here, but sometimes pills really can make a dent in the pain and then acupuncture can come in and sweep up the rest.
 
Good luck.