THE amazing power of acupuncture is helping to spare Leeds pets a life of crippling pain.
Veterinary nurse Sarah Cottle uses the ancient healing art, which is now being integrated with present day medical treatment for humans and animals, on patients at Beechwood Veterinary Group’s surgery in Chapel Allerton, Leeds.
Working alongside vets, she provides the service to pets with a range of conditions, including osteoarthritis, muscular pain and digestive problems.
It was witnessing the success of acupuncture on her own dog, which was suffering from a corneal ulcer, that led to Sarah studying for a qualification in Western Veterinary Acupuncture.
Acupuncture works by stimulating nerves under the skin and in muscle tissue, prompting the body to produce pain-relieving endorphins and healing chemicals. The procedure is increasingly common for treating aches and pains in humans – and now pets are discovering the comfort of a pain-free existence.
Sarah, who was recently appointed Head Veterinary Nurse at Beechwood Vets in Chapel Allerton, said: “Acupuncture goes hand-in-hand with other veterinary treatments, as we don’t want to discourage people from using conventional medicine.
“It has helped humans for thousands of years, but a lot of owners don’t realise it can be used to help their pets and pet health insurance companies will even pay out for acupuncture.
“I’ve always been interested in acupuncture and have had it done myself for a bad back, before seeing how much it helped my own dog.”
Among the pets which have so far been helped by Sarah are an elderly Boxer and two geriatric rescue cats with arthritis, while an old crossbreed dog has been able to have his arthritis medication reduced as he had better movement and less pain.
She added: “I work in conjunction with vets Nadine Headley and Erin Murphy, who sees clients initially and I follow up with acupuncture sessions. We are seeing great results, especially in older pets suffering from arthritis.
“We’ve even had fractious stray cats, lying with 12 acupuncture needles in, chilling out and enjoying it. Depending on how severe the problem is, the benefits of acupuncture can be seen quite quickly.”
Sarah succeeds Jayne Dixon as Head Veterinary Nurse at Beechwood Vets in Chapel Allerton, leading a team of four nurses and two reception staff.
She has worked at Beechwood Vets for 23 years, starting as a receptionist, and then becoming a veterinary nurse 15 years ago when she did her training Abbey Hosue in Morley, Leeds. Fellow veterinary nurse Leanne Butcher provides acupuncture at their Beeston surgery.
For media enquiries, please contact Amanda Little, VetPartners Head of PR and Communications, on 0191 274 7910 or email amanda.little@vetpartners.co.uk