When you hear about alternative therapies, you may associate the term with mystery and voodoo. The fact is that Union Lake Pet Services uses alternative therapies for pets on a daily basis. These scientifically-founded options help us provide the best and most comprehensive treatment for pets in our care.
The Basis of Alternative Therapies for Pets
In recent years, mainstream medicine has begun embracing alternative therapies as a way to enhance the care available to our patients. The beauty of these types of therapies is that they don’t exist in a vacuum; they’re often complementary to more standard approaches. Finding the right treatment plan doesn’t mean having to choose between alternative and traditional types of therapy.
Alternative therapies for pets can provide the following benefits:
- Can work synergistically with traditional treatments to get even better results
- Gives us another avenue to utilize when other options have been exhausted
- Can improve quality of life for ill or aging pets
- Allows a different approach when traditional treatments or surgeries are off the table
- Provides another viable option to therapies with undesirable side effects
- May be utilized to strengthen the immune system
- Can decrease stress in our patients during times of hospitalization or illness
Another perk of these types of therapies is that there are many different options, meaning we can find the right combination that’s tailored specifically to you and your pet’s needs.
What We Have to Offer
Your pet may have visited us at Union Lake Pet Services before, but you may not have realized all we have to offer. Providing alternative therapies for pets is a large part of what we do, and the list of possibilities is ever-expanding.
We may recommend the following for your pet:
Therapeutic massage — Working the soft tissue structures of the body can help reduce pain and improve function in our pet patients.
Chiropractic care — This therapy relies on encouraging proper alignment of the bones and muscles to relieve pain and improve body function. Dr. Liba is able to provide chiropractic therapy to pets in our practice.
Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine — TCVM is an ancient practice focused on utilizing Chinese herbs, food therapy, and energy balance to achieve desired results. Dr. Hawker is trained and has extensive experience in this field.
Acupuncture — Acupuncture is the strategic placement of needles to stimulate and affect the body to achieve specific results. Our own Dr. Liba has worked hard to complete her training in this field and will be celebrating her official certification this spring. (We will announce when Dr. Liba completes her certification and acupuncture is available.)
Hydrotherapy — Water is a powerful tool. Our underwater treadmill can help heal wounds, relax the tissues, and help improve function.
Stem Cell Therapy – Your pet’s fat cells are used to repair bone, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons to treat arthritis, fractures, and other degenerative diseases.
PulseVet Shockwave Therapy – A series of focused, high-pressure sound waves applied to affected part of a pet’s body helps to relieve pain and stimulate healing.
Low Level Laser Therapy – Laser light therapy is used to manage pain, stimulate healing and reduce infection.
Rehabilitation therapy — Our expert pet rehabilitation therapists, such as Dr. Reynolds and Annette Engler, can help improve your pet’s care by utilizing physical therapy-based techniques and exercises.
If you want a compassionate, whole-body approach to your pet’s medical care, you’ve come to the right place! Call us today to learn more about how we can incorporate alternative therapies into your pet’s traditional care plan.