Bonnie, a five year old Dachshund, suffered from frequent nausea and vomiting for more than 18 months. She also suffered from diarrhoea and associated pain. A number of clinical and laboratory tests were carried out by the referring veterinarian, and Bonnie was then treated for hepatitis, as well as the associated vomiting and abdominal discomfort during that period. Unfortunately, the conventional drug treatment did not bring about any long-term solution to this highly distressing condition.
Acupuncture (or any other) treatment of such complicated cases, can be lengthy and not always rewarding. In Bonnie's case, it was necessary to administer a total of nine acupuncture treatments over a period of two months. The appropriate acupuncture points (including some points on the ear) were selected according to the evolving clinical signs on each treatment. The clinical signs of the ailment only subsided slowly over the period.
On a preventive visit three months later, the owner could report that vomiting was reduced from the initial daily occurrence to about once a month.
Since the end of the treatment (two and half years later), vomiting is no longer a problem. In the opinion of the owner, the acupuncture treatment was crucial in improving Bonnie's quality of life.
Acupuncture can be useful in the management of particular cases of internal and skin diseases. Indeed, the correct diagnosis should be established first and the available options of conventional medicine should be explored before considering acupuncture.