Coral Gables Gazette
January 13-19, 1999

Vet gets the point
Animals also need-le alternative medicine
By Wendy Doscher

 She stands brave, balanced on the steel examining table.  She remains calm, even as the 32 gauge needles pierce her furry flesh.  And with not even a flinch, she sits while the one-inch, blunt instrument is pushed in one last time - into her head.

 And then just when it seems she can't possible take any more, the last one is inserted and 15-year-old Chow Mein rolls over - and waits to be scratched.

 This is what happens when Chow Mein, a Chow, gets her dose of medicine, or when she gets "needles" in the confines of Dr. Robert Ferran's - an Animal Acupuncturist - office.
 Like many dogs and cats who visit Ferran, Chow Mein needed a remedy to deal with an ailment.  In her case it was elbow dysphasia.  In Chiffy the Dobermans' case it was paralysis.  And, often times, the bet remedy is an alternative.

 "We gave her medicine to try to keep her walking, but when she finally fell over, that was it," Owner Cindy Dunn said.  "My husband thought I was totally insane.  Everyone that knew me thought I was drawing straws.  My vet through it was a waste of money, but I went to Dr. Ferran's office and told him I was going to give him a try."

 That was October 1997, when Chiffy was nine-years-old.  But the trials paid off well and the acupuncture was such a success that now the Dunn's are enjoying a happy, healthy Chiffy.  Cindy Dunn describes her meeting-up with Dr. Ferran as "fate".

 "She runs, she walks around with me and swims in the water at the beach," Dunn said.  "Before I took her there she used to lay around and just cry in pain.  We had planned on putting her to sleep.  But she wasn't a sickly dog - it's just she had bad hips.  My vet was just beside himself when he saw she was better - he got tears in his eyes."

 Chiffy rated between a 3 and a 4 on a scale of 1-4 for an animal's receptivity to acupuncture.  A four is the rating for least receptivity.  And, although she wobbled in the beginning, within three months Chiffy was walking.  Now, at 10.5 years old and after one and one-half years of treatment, Chiffy is back.

 "My mom and dad came down and said they couldn't believe it," Dunn said.  "She had lost strength in her back legs.  We literally could not even stand her up without her falling - she would just drag her back feet.  When she began to walk again she would take little teeny, teeny steps.  I figure she's going to be around for a while now."

Ferran recently opened his practice at the Ludlam Dixie Animal Clinic after spending nice years as a veterinarian on South Beach.  He moved his practice and re-opened with a new approach, one he calls "integrative medicine."  Ferran uses alternative or conventional treatments on animals, depending on what suites them.

"I don't believe animals should live in pain," Ferran said.  "And not every pet can sustain surgery.  Acupuncture is less invasive and easier."

 Ferran, trained as a vet, was encouraged by a friend to study acupuncture.  Once he got certified in human acupuncture, he decided to take it one step further and learn how to practice on animals.  He received his training through the IVAC - International Veterinary Acupuncture Center based in Colorado.

 Now, he estimates that he works on about four animals per day, all of the canine or feline variety.  Although he has worked on people, Ferran prefers to needle animals.
 "With people there is a lot of anxiety," Ferran said.  "But that is not the case with animals."
Teddy the 10-year-old Yorksire Terrier had just completed its seventh acupuncture treatment for neck and shoulder ailments.  Owner Lynn Milnes said X-rays revealed Teddy would need surgery to fix problems with his vertebrae.  Milnes was a little skeptical but decided to give acupuncture a try.

"I kind of believe in acupuncture so I said let's try that because surgery always leaves something else to deal with after surgery," Milnes said.  "The dog has been responding very well to it.  In fact, I started responding to it and asking questions.  In our culture we're brought up Western and believing in different systems."

 Milnes was so impressed she started going to acupuncture herself for throat problems and found it to be beneficial which makes her "even more of a believer."
 "I think it's a healthier way to go," Milnes said.  "The dogs are much healthier because of it."  After the seventh treatment, one which consisted of laser acupuncture, a deeper treatment therapy, Milnes said Teddy "just can’t wait to get out."

Laser acupuncture and electrotherapy are two other methods Ferran uses in addition to traditional acupuncture.  The laser method is good for tendon and ligament problems while electrotherapy is especially good for treating paralysis.

 Acupuncture works by stimulating and soothing the 365 points in humans or less than 100 points in animals.  The points correspond with 12 organ systems in the body.  The blunt, one-inch, stainless steel needles are manipulated and twisted, to achieve a stimulation or sedating effect on the patient.

 If left in for second the effect is stimulating.  If left in for minutes the effect is to sedate.  Acupuncture causes endorphin secretions 10-100 times stronger than normally excreted.  In fact, pets often go to sleep during the procedure because they find it so relaxing, Ferran said.

 "When we have big dogs here," Ferran said, "and after a few moments they being to lean."  The effects of acupuncture are cumulative, Ferran said, so effects are seen for a long time after treatments.  Acupuncture is not a "mystical thing" Ferran said, but affects the neuroendocrine system.