Vet smart: comprehensive health care for pets

Not so long ago, few, if any, doctors in the United States could have done much for Butch. But in the 1980s, veterinarians began looking more closely at alternative treatments. Now, treatments such as acupuncture, osteopathic manipulation, herbal therapies and dietary supplements are standard options. "I would say that today between 2,000 and 3,000 veterinarians routinely use forms of holistic care in their practices," says Mike Kohn, DVM, president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. "Twenty years ago, there were fewer than 300. It's exploded."

Following her vet's recommendation, Pavlik took Butch to Narda Robinson, DO, DVM, a traditional veterinarian who also practices acupuncture. "Acupuncture works mainly through the nervous system," Robinson says. "Various illnesses create imbalances in the nervous system. Seizures are a problem with the brain firing in abnormal patterns. With acupuncture, we can select points that help the nervous system come back into balance."

For Pavlik and Butch, the ancient Chinese therapy represented a last ray of hope, albeit, says Pavlik, a dim one. "The first day I walked in, I thought, 'This is hocus pocus.' Narda came in and put Butch on a mat on the floor, then started inserting needles from the crown of his head down his back to his hip and his legs. He just laid there very calmly, and eventually he fell asleep."

Pavlik wasn't convinced the treatment was anything more than a brief bit of calm, but, she says, "At that point, any moment he was feeling good was wonderful because he had been through so much."

Butch began twice-weekly visits to Robinson and soon showed such improvement that doctors were able to lower the dosages of his drugs. Three and a half years later, the boxer thrives on a program of weekly acupuncture and moderate doses of medication--and is nearly seizure-free. When he does have a seizure, less than once a month, it's usually mild and lasts only a matter of seconds. "That's a long way from 17 grand mal seizures in a day," Pavlik says. "Narda saved his life."

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