Distinctly Montana Magazine

Maintaining health and wellness are absolutely crucial to a strong performance whether the dog is fetching pheasants or a tennis ball in the park, running hills to sniff out an endangered species or to join their owner on the trail. "The toolbox we get in veterinary school includes a wide variety of really powerful skills and techniques to ad- dress an array of symptoms," said Dr. Kriege. "But, when we add in different modalities we're better able to address the cause of these symptoms and often times allow the body to heal itself, providing lasting results." While veterinarians in the United States have been practicing acupuncture since the 1970s, owners have only begun to seek it out for their canine companions in the last decade. No surprise, research into the efficacy of the veterinary use of acupuncture, as well as a variety of complementary modalities, has increased within this same time period and the data reveal convincing evidence in favor of these techniques for healing. Tsavo, another one of Whitelaw's shepherds employed with WDC, suffered from a recurrent lick granuloma, caused by obsessive licking of an area often due to under- lying nerve damage, allergies, or joint disease. After years of trying medicine and surgeries to alleviate his problem to no avail, when an acupuncturist suggested it might be due to nerve damage in his foot, she gave some acupres- sure techniques a try. After a few sessions, he stopped licking the area for good. "Most of the acupuncture patients we see combine this treatment with traditional veterinary care, allowing us to take a whole approach to healing our patients," said Dr. Jane Middlesteadt a Bozeman-based veterinarian, certified in acupuncture and herbs and owner of 360 Pet Medical. "We've found acupuncture and herbs to be most helpful for dogs suffering from arthritis, cancer, seizures, and in alleviating allergies and behavioral problems." After practicing veterinary medicine for more than six years, Dr. Middlesteadt sought out certification in acu- puncture when she discovered the power of this healing technique for herself. Looking to induce labor when she was pregnant with her daughter, acupuncture was suggest- ed and although she didn't think much of it at the time, she quickly changed her tune when it worked. "If I could experience results from something I didn't believe in, I was convinced it could help my patients," said Middlesteadt. Certainly results from acupuncture that profound are not always the norm, and Dr. Kriege advises owners not to give up on a method because it doesn't seem to be working at first. "There is an art to selecting which modality may provide the best results," she said. She often works with other practitioners to better address the whole animal. Not trained in massage, Dr. Kriege will combine her chiroprac- tic care with animal massage practitioners, finding it to be really helpful in activating the nervous system, address- ing issues that are just starting to manifest. According to Kriege: "Massage is an awesome proactive wellness tool and is a great adjunct in treating more chronic issues." DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL Tips for giving your pet a massage. Go to: www.distinctlymontana.com/petmassage131 www.distinctlymontana.com 71

• Cover