Acupuncture for Canine Arthritis

The next case I have is a an older dog, a labrador mix named Danny owned by Mr. A.
The dog is having a problem walking, especially with his hind legs. He seems to be shuffling slowly when he walks and his energy level is obviously low. Danny's coat appears coarse and dry, and looking a his tongue, it is a little on the pale side, with several cracks on the surface. I take his pulse and it feels weak and slow. Mr. A has been giving Danny supplements for his joints like glucosamine and chondroitin for years and he is on a a prescription diet for his arthritis. Lately, Danny has not been doing well, and has even developed a little incontinence. Mr. A is here and he would like us to try acupuncture. Going over my examination notes, I find that Danny, according to chinese system of diagnosis, has Chi, Blood and Yin deficiency. The involvement of the bones in his symptoms and the incontinence points also to Kidney deficiency. I place a few needles in Danny- I do not place a lot of needles in the first session in an older animal because sometimes- they get very weak. If the energy in a patients body is low, I do not overstimulate by using too many points. Danny's symptoms also point to his condition as being Cold and Deficient. I do a little moxa in his case. Moxa is an herb also called Artemisia or mugwort, which is burnt and applied to the needles to heat the acupuncture points. This improves the circulation and dispels the coldness in Danny's body. I use moxa rolled up(moxa sticks) to do this. After several sessions of acupuncture, each session reassessing his symptoms and signs, Danny has improved remarkable. He is now able to walk faster, and his energy level is good for his age and his "accidents" are so infrequent that Mr. A hardly mentions them when he sees me. Mr. A continues to bring Danny in for a "tune up" session every month and it seems that Danny looks forward to these treatments.