Treatment Modalities & Services
Rather than a list of treatments implemented in isolation, we think of this as a toolbox. Complicated & challenging jobs may need multiple tools. Over time we may add or switch tools. That one favorite hammer may not do the trick anymore, or the job has become exponentially more difficult. This is often the case with older pets who may initially come to us for orthopedic issues and later develop additional health challenges such as diminishing organ function. Especially with Chinese herbs there are many options and Dr. Yamate’s expertise is matched by few practitioners.
A comprehensive treatment plan will be provided as the result of your pet’s initial consultation. For optimal results, we hope you are able to follow the full treatment plan and are open to the veterinarian’s recommendations which are based on years of clinical results and continuing education. Diseases are not stagnant. Expect your pet’s treatment plan to change over time.
By choice we do not provide many services offered in a conventional vet clinic and when prudent, we will refer you to your conventional practitioner or to a specialist. JUMP to a brief list of services not offered at our clinic.
Acupuncture
Having a quiet treatment environment, 1 hour appointment slots and practitioners who insert tens of thousands of needles each year makes a difference in your pet’s response.Our veterinarians have mastered a variety of acupuncture techniques and choose the technique best suited to your pet’s health challenges and temperament. An experienced practitioner will adjust needle size/type/depth, know which points are more sensitive and will have tricks up their sleeve to make the experience more positive. Our strategy is to gain your pet’s confidence and with each treatment build towards treatments which could have been daunting at the first treatment. Veterinary acupuncture encourages healing by correcting energy imbalances in the body. Acupuncture enhances blood circulation, releases anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving hormones, and stimulates changes in the central nervous system which effect healing. Acupuncture in combination with Chinese herbal medicine can be used to treat a variety of conditions such as arthritis, cancer, trauma, and metabolic diseases such as kidney and liver failure.
DRY NEEDLE is the most commonly known acupuncture technique where thin single-use needles are inserted into acupuncture points along meridians to address the imbalances identified by the Chinese medicine exam.
LASER ACUPUNCTURE acupuncture points are stimulated with low intensity laser light rather than inserting acupuncture needles.
AQUAPUNCTURE is the injection of a liquid into an acupuncture point. This technique is utilized to reinforce points already dry needled, for points where full needle insertion is contraindicated, or for animals that are very active and will not stay still for dry needling. Liquids commonly utilized include sterile saline, Vit B-12, B-complex, Adequan, homeopathic remedies, and the patient’s own blood.
ELECTROACUPUNCTURE treatments begin with dry needling. Needles are then attached to an electroacupuncture machine that generates continuous electrical pulses. The frequency and intensity of the impulse being delivered is adjusted depending on the condition being treated. Among the advantages of electroacupuncture are increased effectiveness of treatment and potentially fewer treatments required. The electroacupuncture machine applies specific electrical frequencies and can be adjusted to mediate the release of β-endorphin or serotonin and dynorphins. β-endorphin is 10-100 times more potent than morphine and circulates in the body for several hours. Electroacupuncture is commonly utilized for pain relief, nerve stimulation, internal medicine disorders, and paresis/paralysis.
Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbs can be used to treat most conditions recognized by conventional medicine. They can be used alone or combined with other therapies for an enhanced or synergistic effect.
TCM herbs are especially helpful in the treatment of internal medicine disorders, failing organs, chronic diseases and diseases of the geriatric animal. They can be used to relieve pain, help improve and restore organ function, strengthen and support the immune system. The herbal formulas prescribed are specific to each patient and are directed at the root cause of an illness to correct it and are not used to control symptoms alone.
TCM herbs are safe and effective and can be used for long periods of time without side effects when prescribed by a qualified herbalist and used appropriately.
In general, TCM herbal prescriptions must be given for longer periods of time than pharmaceutical drugs, but the benefit lies in their natural ability to gradually return the body to a state of balance and health, without adverse effects. Herbs must be given regularly two to three times a day just like conventional medications to see a therapeutic effect. Clinical results from TCM herbs can be seen in as little as 3 days but some take up to 2 months, depending on the formulation, for full effect.
For best results, our veterinarians will periodically recheck your pet’s condition, utilizing both conventional diagnostics and Chinese veterinary medical examination (tongue and pulse diagnosis) to determine if the herbs they are being given are effective and still appropriate. In general, for acute conditions an animal may need to be rechecked weekly; for chronic cases, once a month or longer may be adequate.
We have meticulously selected the herb brands we use and purchase these directly from the manufacturers and trusted distributors we have used for over a decade. These companies have strict programs in place to ensure quality by verifying ingredients at multiple steps in the supply chain as well as testing for impurities. These companies also product herbal formulas for the human market.
Musculoskeletal Manipulation (a.k.a. Chiropractic)
Dr. Stevens and Dr. Yamate have each completed over 200 hours of post graduate course work in this area of expertise.
Musculoskeletal manipulation focuses on the preservation and health of the neuro-musculo-skeletal system. Trauma, overuse, or underuse may cause vertebra of the spine to become fixed which can result in nerves becoming trapped in damaged tissues or in the passages they use to exit the spine. Anything adversely affecting the nervous system will have negative effects that will resonate throughout the entire body. If this occurs, an animal may lose normal mobility, experience tension, stiffness, or pain, or may experience organ dysfunction. Practitioners use their hands to identify areas of restriction; and once identified, the practitioner applies a precise thrust on the immobile anatomical structures. When nerves can effectively communicate with all the structures in an animals’ body, they will begin to heal from within. The goal of musculoskeletal manipulation is to restore function and mobility to the compromised joints in an effort to re-establish neurologic transmission.
This modality is easy to confuse with Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation (V.O.M.) where training and certification is available via a relatively brief online course with no hands-on requirement. VOM adjustments are made using a spring loaded actuator with no physical palpation for subluxations.
Board Certified Veterinary Specialists - Ultrasounds & Echocardiograms
Low stress ultrasounds and echocardiograms are performed by board certified veterinary radiologists and cardiologists. Pets are managed by familiar staff members using gentle, low stress techniques. Exams are performed while the owner waits and pertinent results are shared immediately. We provide this high level of service so the stress on our patients and pet parents is kept to a minimum. No one wants to drop off their pet in a chaotic environment and agonize waiting for results.
End of Life Care - Palliative Care
We are devoted to our patients and feel a strong obligation to see them through to a peaceful end when the time comes. They will be with familiar people who know the best spots to scratch and in a calm, quiet environment. If you prefer, we can also come to your home. We thoughtfully schedule these appointments with adequate time to say goodbye.
Labwork & Diagnostics
We provide standard blood, urine & fecal tests along with yearly checks for heartworm & tick borne diseases. Also at our disposal are cancer panels, allergy tests, titers and additional specialized tests and screenings. Routine lab work, especially for seniors, is important for identifying diseases at an early stage so we can act to slow disease progression. Best of all, we contact our pet parents with results in 1-2 business days and Dr. Yamate will call you to discuss abnormal results, concerning trends and provide recommendations for treatment and diagnostic monitoring. If you have labwork run at another clinic, make sure they discuss the results with you, and answer all of your questions.
Titers & Vaccinations
We encourage thoughtful vaccination and having the results of a vaccine titer is an important data point in weighing the risk/benefit of a booster. Running a titer requires a blood draw and results are available in 3-4 weeks. Dogs can be titered for rabies, canine distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus). Cats can be titered for rabies, feline rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia. This is an excellent article from the Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine discussing vaccines and titer testing.
Targeted Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (tPEMF)
A targeted Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (tPEMF™) is delivered via a microcurrent that targets the body’s own natural anti-inflammatory process stimulating cellular repair by upregulating the production of endogenous nitric oxide (NO). The expected benefits are accelerated healing and the lowering of inflammation, pain and swelling. tPEMF is a safe, effective, non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical therapy using the same technology that has been FDA-cleared for human use. Home and clinic versions of the devices are used to treat inflammatory conditions, wounds, neurological issues, degenerative disorders, post-surgical pain and swelling, and orthopedic injuries. Our clients find this device especially useful when their pet has an acute injury (i.e. came up lame after chasing a squirrel) as they are able to begin a treatment, which has little to no downside, prior to having a veterinarian evaluate the injury.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy can be a standalone treatment or combined with acupuncture or musculoskeletal manipulation. A non-invasive, fast and effective modality, therapeutic diode lasers emit light in the near infrared spectrum and produce an effect in target tissue known as photobiomodulation. In this non-thermal interaction, photonic energy is absorbed by chromophores within the cells resulting in increased ATP production, improved cellular signaling, increased metabolic activity, cell growth and reproduction. Benefits demonstrated in clinical trials include: reducing pain, inflammation and edema, accelerating tissue repair and cell growth, improving vascular and metabolic activity and to reducing scar tissue formation. Our red/violet laser is especially effective with non-healing wounds.
Bioregulatory Medicine - Complex Homeopathics
Our implementation of bioregulatory medicine utilizes homeopathic remedies to help the body regulate the natural processes of healing. This is known as homotoxicology. Specific homeopathic remedies are selected based on symptoms to promote self-healing, reduce and eliminate toxins, promote organ and cellular function and support a strong immune system. One of the advantages of this modality is that the formulas have a broad and deep activity. Typically these injections into acupuncture points are done during a maintenance acupuncture appointment. Powerful results can occur when injecting energetic medicine (homeopathics) at acupoints. While conventional pharmaceutical medicines mainly reduce symptoms rather than helping the body heal itself - Homotoxicology is truly a holistic medicine to treat the whole patient, not just the symptoms.
Medicinal Mushrooms
When mushrooms are consumed (as food or supplement), it activates a form of cellular communication in the body. The compounds in edible fungi inform the immune system of where attention is needed to maintain balance and vigor. How does this beneficial immune response occur? Mushrooms are rich in bioactive compounds called polysaccharides, which include beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-viral, anti-neoplastic, microbiome-supporting and so much more. Some of the immune cells that beta-glucans interact with are monocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells. In simple terms, mushrooms activate a “wake up and be alert system” in the body, and a message to send resources where needed. The message is “this isn't an emergency, but it could be, so be vigilant”. Mushroom supplements on the market vary greatly in quality and actual mushroom content. We use only organic extracts which are 100% pure mushroom (fruiting bodies). There are no added binders, fillers, starch, grain, and/or mycelium.
Dietary & Nutritional Supplements
Nutritional gaps are increasingly common due to food processing, farming practices, disease and poor nutrition. Nutritional supplements are important tools to support general health as well proactively addressing diseased states. Additionally we may recommend the addition of supplemental foods. i.e. add a hard boiled egg and steamed broccoli to your pet’s normal meal. We carefully select high quality supplements with meticulous manufacturing and quality control processes. Many of our suppliers are GMP certified and also product products for the human market. We purchase directly from the manufacturer or a trusted distributor to ensure proper handling and storage of products which can be degraded by exposure to air, light, heat and moisture.
Traditional Chinese Food Therapy
Chinese food therapy is one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is the study of food as therapeutic agents for the preservation of health and the treatment and prevention of disease. For over 2000 years, doctors in China evaluated and recorded the properties of foods and their effects on the body. Specific foods are prescribed based on an individual's current disharmony or disease process. On a daily basis this promotes better health for the individual and aids in the treatment and prevention of disease. Chinese food therapy follows the same diagnostic and treatment principles as acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Chinese food therapy can be thought of as food used as medicine. Diets are designed to bring the body back into balance and work synergistically with the other TCM modalities. Food is considered to have the same energetic actions as herbs (cooling, warming etc) for treating disease and its application is based on similar principles but with a much broader range of applications. Food energetics refers to the effects food has on the digestion, physiological processes and metabolism of the body. In many cases, complete resolution of clinical signs cannot be achieved without changes in the diet. Selection of foods is based on the energetics of the food, the species/breed being treated, food preferences & aversions, the current disharmony and geographical location.
Adequan® Canine (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan)
Adequan® Canine (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) is the only FDA-approved disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug (DMOAD) that inhibits cartilage loss in the dog's synovial joints, and may help to: restore joint lubrication, relieve inflammation, renew the building blocks of healthy cartilage. Adequan® Canine proactively treats the disease and not just the signs of canine osteoarthritis.
Services Not Available
As needed, we will refer you to your conventional veterinarian or an emergency clinic for services including, but not limited to: urgent care, emergency, surgery, spay & neuter, x-rays, dentals, skin scrapings, eye diagnostics (staining, use of ophalmoscope, pressure measurement), ear diagnostics (otoscope, culture/smears), nail trims, anal gland expression, boarding.