Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
2011/08/29 NewTalk News
Lin Jiahui / Taipei Report
Acupuncture has long been a traditional medical practice in the East, primarily used for treating humans. However, in recent years, the National Taiwan University (NTU) Animal Hospital under the College of Bioresources and Agriculture has been dedicated to extending acupuncture therapy to animals. Today (29th), they held a medical results presentation to inform the public that acupuncture is also applicable to animals and has certain therapeutic effects, providing pet owners with a new treatment option for their pets.
Dr. Liu Jinming, a chief veterinarian at NTU Animal Hospital, stated that Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) has been practiced in China for many years, mainly for economically valuable livestock or horses. Taiwan has only begun developing it in the past 5 to 10 years. Currently, NTU Animal Hospital offers TCVM acupuncture clinics, primarily treating paralyzed animals. Methods include acupuncture, electrical stimulation, laser acupuncture, and aqua-acupuncture to stimulate meridians and regulate energy, supplemented with herbal medicine. "These treatments not only provide an alternative for paralyzed animals but also serve as a new proactive adjunct therapy."
Additionally, Liu mentioned that over the past two years, many successful cases have been accumulated, mainly targeting paralyzed animals. For safety reasons, the therapy focuses on four scenarios: animals unsuitable for further anesthesia, those not fit for invasive treatments post-diagnosis, cases where acupuncture can shorten recovery time, and post-neurosurgical rehabilitation. The treated animals have shown excellent recovery, and more clinical cases will be accumulated in the future to help more animals.
Pet owner Xie Minghui, who attended the event, shared that her beagle "Qiuqiu" suffered severe quadriplegia two years ago. Due to Qiuqiu's advanced age (15 years old), further general anesthesia was risky. Veterinarians mainly prescribed painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and basic rehabilitation, but the condition did not improve. Eventually, someone suggested TCVM, including herbal medicine and massage. After six months, Qiuqiu could move with an assistive chair and stand steadily without it. A year later, Qiuqiu was able to walk steadily on all four limbs.
Xie said, "I thought there was no hope left, but someone suggested trying TCVM. I thought, if acupuncture works well for humans, why not give it a try for Qiuqiu? And it really worked—step by step, he got better."
Liu explained that the decision to use TCVM should be based on Western medical diagnosis and evaluation. The golden treatment window is as early as possible, but animals with structural damage, such as severe bone fractures, cannot be treated with TCVM.
Currently, NTU Animal Hospital mainly treats dogs and cats but plans to expand to other animals in the future. They also aim to promote this medical technology internationally to provide more comprehensive care for animals.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……rl/ d/ a/ 110829/ 135/ 2xqzw. html
New Acupuncture Option Effective for Animal Treatment
Lin Jiahui / Taipei Report
Acupuncture has long been a traditional medical practice in the East, primarily used for treating humans. However, in recent years, the National Taiwan University (NTU) Animal Hospital under the College of Bioresources and Agriculture has been dedicated to extending acupuncture therapy to animals. Today (29th), they held a medical results presentation to inform the public that acupuncture is also applicable to animals and has certain therapeutic effects, providing pet owners with a new treatment option for their pets.
Dr. Liu Jinming, a chief veterinarian at NTU Animal Hospital, stated that Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) has been practiced in China for many years, mainly for economically valuable livestock or horses. Taiwan has only begun developing it in the past 5 to 10 years. Currently, NTU Animal Hospital offers TCVM acupuncture clinics, primarily treating paralyzed animals. Methods include acupuncture, electrical stimulation, laser acupuncture, and aqua-acupuncture to stimulate meridians and regulate energy, supplemented with herbal medicine. "These treatments not only provide an alternative for paralyzed animals but also serve as a new proactive adjunct therapy."
Additionally, Liu mentioned that over the past two years, many successful cases have been accumulated, mainly targeting paralyzed animals. For safety reasons, the therapy focuses on four scenarios: animals unsuitable for further anesthesia, those not fit for invasive treatments post-diagnosis, cases where acupuncture can shorten recovery time, and post-neurosurgical rehabilitation. The treated animals have shown excellent recovery, and more clinical cases will be accumulated in the future to help more animals.
Pet owner Xie Minghui, who attended the event, shared that her beagle "Qiuqiu" suffered severe quadriplegia two years ago. Due to Qiuqiu's advanced age (15 years old), further general anesthesia was risky. Veterinarians mainly prescribed painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and basic rehabilitation, but the condition did not improve. Eventually, someone suggested TCVM, including herbal medicine and massage. After six months, Qiuqiu could move with an assistive chair and stand steadily without it. A year later, Qiuqiu was able to walk steadily on all four limbs.
Xie said, "I thought there was no hope left, but someone suggested trying TCVM. I thought, if acupuncture works well for humans, why not give it a try for Qiuqiu? And it really worked—step by step, he got better."
Liu explained that the decision to use TCVM should be based on Western medical diagnosis and evaluation. The golden treatment window is as early as possible, but animals with structural damage, such as severe bone fractures, cannot be treated with TCVM.
Currently, NTU Animal Hospital mainly treats dogs and cats but plans to expand to other animals in the future. They also aim to promote this medical technology internationally to provide more comprehensive care for animals.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……rl/ d/ a/ 110829/ 135/ 2xqzw. html