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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions/answers that we are frequently asked. If you have additional questions that aren't covered here, please feel free to give us a call at Weston Veterinary Service.
1. How are the treatments you offer different from conventional veterinary care?
Performing traditional acupuncture treatments and energy medicine requires a willingness and participation on the part of our patients that is unlike conventional medicine. If a patient trusts us and is not afraid when they enter our office, they are more likely to benefit from the therapy. When a patient is calm and relaxed, a better evaluation of its personality and condition can be made upon physical examination and evaluation. We try to establish a friendship bond with each pet we care for. Each day we strive to create a setting that is pleasant and one that feels safe for our patients as well as their caregivers. Because animals often assume the emotional state of the caregiver, we believe the comfort of the human is important to the healing process as well. When a patient and their caregiver can relax and allow treatments we offer to be administered without fear or resistance, the natural healing modalities are more effective. Comforting music is played and there are fountains in our treatment rooms. We use aromatherapy and mixtures of flower essence to relieve tension. Treats are offered at the end of each visit.
2. Can you treat all dogs and cats with acupuncture and alternative medicine?
Because we need to preserve an environment that is conducive to healing, it is important for this facility to be free from fear, pain, and trauma. Animals have a heightened awareness of danger. To that end, there are some pets we cannot treat in this setting due to behavior or emotional problems. In other words, some animals are not good candidates for alternative therapy. Aggressive animals, extremely vocal animals, animals that are out of control or unruly disrupt our healing environment. If this occurs, or if the safety of our staff cannot be ensured, these individuals will not be rescheduled. For the good of the other pets and people who frequent our hospital, as well as the doctors and staff working here, we feel this rule is necessary. We ask for your understanding if you have a pet that meets these criteria. Often medical treatments, calming herbs, and response to therapy improve behavior and emotional disturbances in these patients allowing in-hospital visits to resume. There are some treatment options, like aquapuncture, that we can perform without the cooperation of the patient. These treatment options often have significant benefit and allow us to treat patients who will not tolerate or cooperate with traditional acupuncture treatments. These are special circumstances and must be approved on a case-by-case basis.
3. Can I bring my children and/or my other pets to my appointment?
Because of the length of the initial consultation and the need for undivided concentration by the caregiver and doctor, it is best not to have your children or other pets present at that appointment. For follow-up visits, we welcome well-behaved children at our practice; however, they should be mature enough to remain quiet for 30 minutes. Often a child's curiosity is aroused by the experience and their questions can be difficult to answer. Other household pets sometimes bring their own agenda to an appointment and can diminish the value of a treatment for the one who needs it most. We recommend that you either leave children and other pets at home or that you have a back-up plan in case you find they cannot or will not cooperate with the program.
4. Should my spouse or partner come to the initial consultation?
If possible, it is helpful to bring other adult caregivers to the initial consultation. Different people often have different observations or experiences of the same pet. These different viewpoints can help balance an evaluation of the dynamics and relationships in a pet's life.
5. How long will my appointment last?
Our initial examination is scheduled for one hour to allow time for examination, reviewing medical history, discussion of treatment options, and scheduling a treatment protocol. Some cases are medical cases and acupuncture treatments are not recommended at first. If acupuncture is recommended, usually acupuncture treatments are not performed at the first visit due to time limitations. Supplements and nutritional changes are usually started with rechecks or treatments being scheduled a few days or a week into the protocol. Most of our recheck and treatment appointments are 30 minutes in length.
6. How long is your typical waiting time?
We do not over-book our schedule and our policy is to be on time.
7. How much does a treatment cost?
Treatments costs vary depending on equipment and inventory used, time and assistance needed to accomplish a treatment. Most 30 minute routine treatments range in cost from $85 to $125. Refills of medications, supplements and supplies are not included in this estimate.
8. When should I see a response to treatment?
Alternative therapies are usually not a quick fix, but they frequently can offer a much deeper healing than conventional methods. As a general rule, the longer the condition has been present, the longer it will take to reverse it. Often chronic or recurrent problems can be completely resolved using an alternative approach. Trying to speed up the healing process is not rewarding and doing too little in the face of a big problem will not work. If detoxification products are used, slower is better. We ask for your patience and understanding. It takes time to get to know your pet, you, and the situation that brings you to our office. It takes time to educate you. It takes time to acclimate your pet to the treatment modalities we use. It takes time for their bodies to respond to the supplements and diet changes we recommend. Some problems will not respond to any treatment, conventional or alternative.
9. How many acupuncture treatments will my pet need?
It depends on the pet, the problem, how many changes are made, and individual response to treatment. Each treatment protocol is custom designed based on your pet's individual signs and symptoms. In general, if acupuncture is recommended, we like to try to treat the patient at least once per week for three to five weeks, sometimes longer. Very serious problems might need to be treated two or even three times per week. When a response is noted and improvement is evident, treatment intervals are lengthened until an optimal treatment interval can be established. The optimal treatment interval is the length of time between treatments that allows for consistent alleviation of symptoms between treatments. In other words, we don't want them on a roller coaster of ups and downs. Maintenance treatments vary from case to case. Many animals can come in for treatments two to four times per year once they reach maintenance. Older pets and geriatric animals often require monthly treatments to keep them comfortable. There are some special treatments, like gold bead implants, that can drastically lengthen the time required between treatments.
10. What are the Hospital hours?
Our hospital is open Tuesday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:30pm. Closed
on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
11. Do I need to have an appointment?
Yes, patients are seen by appointment.
12. What forms of payment do you accept?
Cash, Check, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, Care Credit
13. Can I make payments?
Payment is required at the time of service.
14. Do you board pets?
No
15.What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture may be defined as the insertion of needles into specific points of
the body to cause a desired healing effect. This technique has been used in
veterinary practice in China for at least 3000 years to treat many ailments.
The Chinese also use acupuncture as preventive medicine against such
problems as founder and colic in horses. Acupuncture is used all over the
world, either by itself or in conjunction with Western medicine, to treat a wide
variety of maladies in every species of domestic and exotic animals. Modern
veterinary acupuncturists use solid needles, hypodermic needles, bleeding
needles, electricity, heat, massage and low power lasers to stimulate
acupuncture points. Acupuncture is not a cure-all, but can work very well
when it is indicated.
16. For what conditions is acupuncture indicated?
Acupuncture is indicated mainly for functional problems such as those that
involve paralysis, noninfectious inflammation (such as allergies), and pain.
For small animals, the following are some of the general conditions which
may be treated with acupuncture:
- Musculoskeletal problems, such as arthritis or vertebral disc pathology.
- Skin problems, such as lick granuloma
- Respiratory problems, such as feline asthma
- Gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea
- Selected reproductive problems
For large animals, acupuncture is again commonly used for functional problems. Some of the general conditions where it might be applied are the following:
- Musculoskeletal problems, such as sore backs or downer cow syndrome
- Nervous system problems, such as facial nerve paralysis
- Skin problems, such as allergic dermatitis
- Respriratory problems, such as heaves and "Bleeders"
- Gastrointestinal problems, such as non-surgical colic
- Selected reproductive disorders
In addition, regular acupuncture treatment can treat minor sports injuries as
they occur and help to keep muscles and tendons resistant to injury. World
class professional and amateur athletes often use acupuncture as a routine
part of their training. If your animals are involved in any athletic endeavor,
such as racing, jumping or showing, acupuncture can help keep them in top
physical condition.
17. How does acupuncture work?
According to ancient Chinese medical philosophy, disease is the result of an
imbalance of energy in the body. Acupuncture is believed to balance this
energy and, thereby, assist the body to heal disease.
In Western terms, acupuncture can assist the body to heal itself by affecting
certain physiological changes. For example, acupuncture can stimulate nerves,
increase blood circulation, relieve muscle spasm, and cause the release of
hormones, such as endorphins (one of the body's pain control chemicals) and
cortisol (a natural steroid). Although many of acupuncture's physiological
effects have been studied, many more are still unknown. Further research
must be to discover all of acupuncture's effects and its proper uses in
veterinary medicine.
18. Is acupuncture painful?
For small animals, the insertion of acupuncture needles is virtually painless.
The larger needles necessary for large animals may cause some pain as the
needle passes through the skin. In all animals, once the needles are in place,
there should be no pain. Most animals become very relaxed and may even
become sleepy. Nevertheless, acupuncture treatment may cause some
sensation, presumed to be those such as tingles, cramps, or numbness which
can occur in humans and which may be uncomfortable to some animals.
19.Is acupuncture safe for animals?
Acupuncture is one of the safest forms of medical treatment for animals when
it is administered by a properly trained veterinarian. Side effects of
acupuncture are rare, but they do exist. An animal's condition may seem
worse for up to 48 hours after a treatment. Other animals may become sleepy
or lethargic for 24 hours after acupuncture. These effects are an indication
that some physiological changes are developing, and they are most often
followed by an improvement in the animal's condition.
20. How long do acupuncture treatments last?
The length and frequency of acupuncture treatments depends on the condition of the patient and the method of stimulation that is used by the veterinary acupuncturist. Stimulation of an individual acupuncture point may take as little as 10 seconds or as much as 30 minutes. A simple acute problem, such as a sprain, may require only one treatment, whereas more severe or chronic ailments may need several or several dozen treatments.
When multiple treatments are necessary, they usually begin intensively and are tapered to maximum efficiency. Patients often start with 1-3 treatments per week for 4-6 weeks. A positive response is usually seen after the first to third treatments. Once a maximum positive response is achieved (usually after 4-8 treatments), treatments are tapered off so that the greatest amount of symptom free time elapses between them. Many animals with chronic conditions can taper off to 2-4 treatments per year.
Animals undergoing athletic training can benefit from acupuncture as often as twice a week to once a month. The frequency depends on the intensity of the training and the condition of the athlete.
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