My 12 yr old cat suddenly lost the use of his back right foot. He became very weak and couldn’t move for several days. I made a box for him to crawl into and he would not leave it. He stopped eating, and it appeared he was dying. His litter box and food were right there and that 4 square feet of space were his life for that week. I panicked to try and help him because I knew he was dying. His vet couldn’t find anything wrong with him. I couldn’t euthanize him because he would purr when touched and still had the light in his eyes, he has been a family member for 12 years, so I started researching wheelchairs and any option I could find. I discovered Dr. Beth’s website and she scheduled an appointment the next day for him.
After the first treatment, he showed a small bit of improvement. After the second treatment, a week later, he left his box and started limping around the house a little. After the third treatment, he was walking on his three legs and was starting to manipulate his bad leg to walk even though he still could not use his foot except he would balance and walk on it, but he had no motor function below the ankle. After the third treatment, he started yelling at me to be allowed out his cat-door again, which I had locked to prevent him from encountering danger and not being able to get back to the door. He stopped using his litter box some of the time and started going out the cat door to the bathroom again.
After his fourth treatment, he was running up the stairs like a 3-legged cat would, eating normally again, sleeping in his favorite spots that he didn’t have to jump to get to, and he doesn’t even go into the box to sleep that he was dying in a four weeks ago. After the fourth session he was doing very well, healthy, but just with a disabled foot.
After the 4-week session, he went without treatment for 2 weeks. During that time, he has lost function in his other back foot, but during his second 4-week treatment he has re-gained some of his mobility in his left back leg, although both his back feet are not working perfectly. He just drags himself around using that one leg some, and he is building muscle in his shoulders which he walks on mostly and he doesn’t seem to notice his disability. He just hobbles up to me and meows when he wants to be lifted on my lap.
He is incredibly happy now again except he can’t jump, but he is mobile again on his “2 ¾” legs. He will play and likes to go outside the cat door and in on his own schedule, and otherwise back to his old self. We have a nice bed by his cat door, and I carry him upstairs to be with us while we have been in the common room eating and watching TV or at the computer downstairs.
He sometimes uses the litter box I custom-made for him, and other times goes out the cat-door, and he is self-sufficient in his little living area. I spend a lot of time with the flea comb and some diluted lavender oil/water because he can’t scratch with his back legs, so that daily combing relieves him from being miserable- and he is stable now. Of course, he won’t live forever, and there is now an inevitable decline that will happen eventually, but for who knows how many months or years he will be with us still, but we don’t just euthanize our family members when they become disabled. I believe that Dr. Beth treating Jerry has given him a new lease on life, and I would highly recommend her to anyone who wonders if acupuncture could help their pet.
– Brian K.
Asheville NC
“Dr. Jones has helped improve our dog’s quality of life and I highly recommend her. Yoda—our 14-year-old, Cattle Dog/Australian Shepherd mix—has lumbosacral pain due to spondylosis and degenerative disc disease. Pain control is the single most critical issue for seniors. Not only has acupuncture reduced Yoda’s pain; it has also dramatically improved his incontinence, which makes life a little easier for all of us. He loves going to see Dr. Jones and pulls me towards the door. During his acupuncture treatment, he snoozes while she gives him a relaxing massage; he does not seem to find the needles painful at all. Asheville Acupuncture and Pain Relief Clinic offers a positive experience, with treats and love, in a calming environment. Their office is in a convenient location with easy access for seniors with mobility issues.”
– Michelle W. and her dog, Yoda
Asheville NC