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Trixie: Acupuncture for a Tough Spinal Issue

Distraught after leaving the local veterinary school and being informed of our dog, Trixie's need for spinal surgery, we travelled to a local holistic veterinarian's office. The office was closed, but we peered into the office to see "if there were stars and moons on the walls." There were no such decorations, but much to our surprise the veterinarian had stopped by to pick up some things and came out to talk with us.

Sammy (Samantha) with Degenerative Myelopathy

Written by Stephen Lawn

Sunday, July 10, 2011

 

As I sit here on the couch with my little girl Sammy, she is sound asleep. She sleeps a lot more now, showing more and more signs of getting old. She is after all going to be 12 years old in about 3 months. Looking at her could be a sad reflective moment, but all I can do is smile. I smile because I am so happy that Sammy was able to become an “old dog.” I gently rub her head and she wakes up, looks at me for a moment then goes right back to sleep. She is my little girl and I just enjoy sitting beside her!

Sammy, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, was diagnosed with a disease called Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) in December of 2007.

Chi was my teacher, my mentor, from the moment I held her at birth she  was apart of me. Chi led me to the most special people and places. They were my inspiration and helped make managing her DM a creative challenge. Victory was a certainty. She was always a winner. Chi lived over three years past initial  signs of DM. Chi graduated from wheels to four wheel drive with her quad cart. She wanted to go everywhere and meet everyone. She was an ambassador for integrative care and rehab.  

Miss Lola: Acupuncture and Paralysis

Lola was a shelter dog. They found her when she was only 5 wks. old. She only knew the warmth of her mother and litter mates for a very short time, if at all.

Lola is super smart, super strong, incredibly tenacious and stubborn. She figured out patterns in our life that we didn't even know we had, like realizing when my husband is complaining about misplacing his wallet, it means we are getting ready to leave the house. It didn't take us long to go back on a promise we made to each other that she would not sleep with us. Alas, she has been sharing our sleeping space since she was a puppy.