Small Animal ServicesOur small animal services are provided by Dr. Tina Aiken.
SPECIFIC SERVICES OFFERED:
The routine healthcare services she provides are as follows.
NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT, ADVICE AND SUPPLEMENTS. Dr.Tina considers good nutritional practice to be a cornerstone of good preventative medical practice. She will assess your pet’s current diet and advise you as to how that might be improved, using one or a combination of raw and commercially prepared foods. Dietary supplements play a very important role in the prevention of disease and aiding in the treatment of various conditions. Tina uses a large armory of supplements to augment her medical therapies. Dr.Tina regularly employs acupuncture in the treatment of a wide variety of disease situations. Acupuncture can be thought of as the stimulation of a specific point (the “acupoint”), by needle, finger pressure, a gold bead implant, electric current, laser or injection. Modern research provides the explanation for how this ancient Chinese therapy works. These acupoints are located in areas that have a dense supply of nerve endings and associated structures. Pressure to or stimulation of these points induces the release of endorphins, serotonin and other neurotransmitters that can help relieve pain and support natural healing mechanisms. Acupuncture is a very effective treatment for musculoskeletal disorders including back pain, intervertebral disc problems, muscle soreness, osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease, and neurological disorders. It also has a role in the supportive treatment of many organ diseases including kidney and liver disease. Dr. Tina uses chiropractic treatment as an adjunctive therapy for musculoskeletal problems of dogs and cats. Dr. Tina uses a wide range of herbal medications either in combination with conventional medications, or as a replacement for them. INSULIN POTENTIATION THERAPY (IPT). This is a therapy used against malignant tumors in which a dose of insulin is administered prior to the use of chemotherapy. Cancer cells are believed to behave in way that is metabolically different from normal, non-diseased cells. They appear to depend mainly on carbohydrates as their energy source and for that reason are thought to have a much higher number of insulin receptors on their surface. Insulin enables the cells to absorb sugars from the surrounding tissues. When administered, and after reaching the cancer cells, the insulin stimulates their replication and also switches them in to “receiving mode”. The chemotherapy is then administered and is absorbed preferentially by the insulin-sensitized cancer cells, sparing normal non-cancerous cells. The insulin-induced increased rate of cancer cell replication also works to the advantage of the patient, since most chemotherapeutic agents destroy preferentially those cells that are undergoing subdivision/replication. In other words, the chemotherapeutic agent has an enhanced action as a result of prior stimulation of the cancer cells by the insulin. Furthermore, and most importantly, this allows for the use of lower doses of chemotherapeutic agents, and therefore many fewer side-effects from these potent drugs. Derived from the Latin word “prolo”, meaning to proliferate, regenerate or rebuild, this therapy involves the injection of a mildly irritating substance in to a lesion resulting in localized inflammation with increased blood flow. The increased local blood supply brings to the area nutrients and cells(fibroblasts, osteoblasts and chondroblasts) ,that facilitate the repair process. This therapy is used to treat primarily musculoskeletal injuries such as cruciate ligament injuries, prolapsed intervertebral discs, back pain and osteoarthritis. This is a therapy used frequently for degenerative organ diseases, acute infections and cancer. It entails the intravenous administration of high doses of vitamin C, B vitamins and glutathion. These agents, depending on how they are used, can be, for example, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticancer. Ozone therapy falls in to the class of so-called “oxidative” therapies. Many bacteria, such as Borrelia burgdorferi (the Lyme Disease organism),yeasts and some viruses, are susceptible to high levels of oxygen in their immediate cellular environment. It is a very useful adjunctive therapy in such disease conditions. It also has some anti-neoplastic (anti-cancer) action since it stimulates the production of interferon, tumor necrosis factor and seems to speed regeneration of normal cells. Shockwaves are high energy sound waves, electrically generated and applied to the affected area of the patient’s body. It has been used for over 25 years in human medicine, first as a non-invasive way of dissolving kidney and gallbladder stones, and then to treat a variety of musculoskeletal disorders. In veterinary medicine it is commonly used in dogs and horses to treat musculoskeletal disorders, and more recently has been employed in helping to stimulate the healing of chronic wounds. Used in horses and dogs, adult stem cells are harvested from the fat tissue of your animal. This tissue is then sent for laboratory culture and enhancement, returned to us and injected directly in to the problem area (typically musculoskeletal injury/degeneration). These stem cells have the ability to differentiate into different cell types dependent on the environment into which they are injected, such as tendons, joints and ligaments. They dramatically assist in the healing and regenerative process. Currently this technique is used for musculoskeletal injury, but other areas under active investigation are chronic liver and kidney disease and autoimmune disorders. HORMONE BALANCING WITH BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES. Many animals with recurrent disease and/or behavior problems have underlying hormone imbalances leading to chronically imbalanced immune systems. Typically, their adrenal glands produce too little endogenous cortisol. The body responds to this by releasing a hormone called ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone). ACTH normally stimulates the production and release of cortisol and estrogen from the adrenal glands. In animals with hormonal imbalance, the area of the adrenal gland that usually produces cortisol is incapable of reacting to the ACTH, so that the levels of cortisol remain low. In contrast, the area of the adrenal responsible for estrogen production remains functional and produces estrogen in response to the ACTH. This leads to elevated estrogen levels in both male and female animals. A high level of estrogen tends to be “pro-inflammatory”, disturbs the immune system and also blocks the action of thyroid hormone. This complex hormonal imbalance can play a significant role in the genesis of many behavior problems such as thunderstorm phobia, separation anxiety, house soiling and fear-aggression. It can also play a role in many immune-mediated diseases such as allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, otitis, pancreatitis, cancer and asthma. Tina employs specialized blood testing to determine if this is a problem for your pet, and if appropriate institutes therapy with physiological doses of cortisol and/or thyroid homone. LOW ENERGY PHOTON THERAPY (LEPT). This is very similar to laser therapy and is helpful in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. Dr. Tina regularly gives advice regarding your pet’s health by telephone and will coordinate with your regular/local veterinarian, if necessary, to ensure consistency in care. Dr. Tina also routinely provides acupuncture, chiropractic, ozone therapy, herbal medicine and Low Energy Photon Therapy (LEPT) for horses (see our Equine Services page). |
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ACUPUNCTURE.