I know – I know, I'm on 2 ends of the spectrum with this!!

For Acupuncture – how long did it take before you noticed any kind of result from it?  For Denali I'm looking at it for both cancer and arthritis (they think the arthritis is why she doesn't hop right).  I just was curious if I do acupuncture, how long before I notice if it's helping or not?

The other question is with Metronomic Protocol.  I know with traditional chemo they don't want dogs sharing the same water bowl and want you to pick up the pooh right away.  Are these the same precautions with Metronomic?  It just would be difficult keeping the 2 dogs from drinking out of the same water bowl.

Hi,

I have no experience with acupuncture but I have had Tai on a metronomic protocol since she finished IV chemo several months ago. I dont know if there are different protocols but she is on Cytoxan (Cyclo something??) and Metacam (Meloxicam in the US). I also have her on Cimetidine and a bunch of other supplements but they were not considered part of the "protocol". Some Vets add a diuretic but Calgary is such a dry area that we didn't want to risk dehydrating her any further. The only precautions I was given were 1) to watch her urine output and do periodic urinalysis tests to check for haemoraghic cystitis and 2) take caution in letting another dog come into contact with her urine. Cytoxan, the low dose chemo drug, is excreted through the urinary tract and sits in an active form in the kidneys (leading to the cystitis in some dogs). It is rendered neutral by UV light so generally the sunlight inactivates it fairly quickly after she pees. There was no problem in letting other dogs, of which I have 2, drink from the same water source or lick each other etc.

Hope that helps. I intend to keep Tai on the Cytoxan as long as possible or until it stops working and she develops lung mets. It is quite an inexpensive drug, about $100 a month.

Laura

Like Jane and Gayle, Fortis just bonks out afterwards. Fortis is receiving both chiropractic and acupuncture treatments. He also receives the electrical current emitted through the needles as Charon has mentioned. I feel we started noticing a difference after the 2nd treatment. I think the chiropractic aspect of the treatment made a big difference. Fortis' spine was all jacked up from trying to adapt to life on three legs. You could visibly see this. I felt there was an almost immediate response to this part of the treatment and he loved it. When we enter the vets office Fortis is beside himself with excitement. But once we put him on the bench which elevates the pelvic area and the vet goes to cracking he is out like a light! Fortis goes every three to four weeks. We have an appointment for this coming tuesday. I'm going to try and take some video as well as photos. I have no experience with metronomic.