• Vomiting And/Or Diarrhea
• Cat Can't Urinate - Straining In The Box 
• Spay and Neutering Questions  
• Winning The War On Fleas  
• What is Homeopathy?  
• What is Acupuncture?  
• Holistic or Wholistic?  
• Aspects of Natural Healing 

• Emergency Tips
• In An Emergency  
• Emergency Instructions  
• Home Made Pet First-Aid Kit  
• Bleeding  
• Breathing Problems  
• Convulsing Or Having Seizures  
• Poison 

What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an ancient art pioneered in the Orient. Bodies have energy control systems that run through and around the body and these energy channels are called meridians. Points exist on these channels that are local control points for the organs and tissues. Stimulating these points can increase, decrease or disperse the energy flow to the tissues.

Acupuncturists call the energy that flows through the meridian Chi. When Chi energy flows properly, then the body is healthy. Diseases result from altered flow of Chi. Modern physics is only beginning to fully research this field and we now have scientific validation of the effectiveness of acupuncture, especially for the treatment of pain, arthritis and other common problems.

Acupuncture meridians will transport other particles such as homeopathic medicines, radioactive isotopes and even photons. This last finding is exciting and has created a special field called photoacupuncture, wherein the doctor uses light at specific wavelengths to stimulate tissues back into normal activity. Since no needles are necessary, people or pets afraid of needles readily accept photoacupuncture.

Holistic or Wholistic?
The word holistic refers to therapies that involve treating the body as a complete system and taking into consideration the body’s connection to all its parts and even to the parts of the environment. Holistic doctors don’t view the body in a vacuum. While a western doctor would look at a cold as a viral infection and recommend rest and drugs to reduce the nasal discharge and congestion, a holistic doctor would view he cold as an imbalance in the system. Holistic doctors would look for what the patient had been doing that predisposed them to catching the virus, prescribe biologically active agents that stimulate the immune system (like the herb Echinacea or a homeopathic version of that herb) and then assist the body in repairing the area and re-establishing communication and balance with acupuncture, herbs, vitamins, rest, diet and exercise.

We can think of healing technologies and arts as tools in a great toolbox. Western doctors have drugs and surgery. Holistic doctors have herbs, nutritional therapy, massage, acupuncture, homeopathy, homotoxicology, acupuncture and a host of energy medicines. Integrative doctors use all these technologies, and therefore have a larger toolbox at their disposal to assist their patients in staying well and recovering when struck by illness. I like the term wholistic to mean that we should use all the tools that we are given to help people and their pets have active, pleasant and rewarding lives as they reach to fulfill their maximum potentials in the great game of Life!