Small Animal
Integrative Medicine
Potlatch Veterinary Clinic takes a holistic approach to animal healthcare through our pet integrative medicine in Potlatch, ID, blending conventional Western treatments with natural and alternative therapies to address a variety of pet health needs.
Understanding Pet Integrative Medicine
Pet integrative medicine combines traditional veterinary treatments, such as surgery and medications, with alternative therapies, like acupuncture, herbal medicine, and laser therapy. This combination of approaches enables a broader spectrum of care, addressing both acute and chronic conditions while supporting general health and wellness. Integrative medicine is particularly beneficial for pets managing chronic pain, recovering from surgery, or facing age-related conditions.
Our team at Potlatch Veterinary Clinic collaborates closely with pet owners to assess each animal’s needs, developing a personalized approach that respects the individual health goals of both pet and owner. We focus on preventive care as well as therapeutic solutions, offering a rounded perspective on animal health.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is a safe, non-invasive treatment that promotes healing, relieves pain, and reduces inflammation. It can be especially beneficial for pets dealing with chronic pain, arthritis, wound care, post-surgical recovery, and other inflammatory conditions. During each session, specific wavelengths of light deliver gentle light and heat energy to targeted tissues, increasing blood flow, stimulating cellular activity, and supporting the body’s natural healing and pain-relief processes.
Therapeutic laser treatments are quick, comfortable, and well-tolerated by most pets. This makes laser therapy an excellent option for animals who may not respond well to medications or who need additional support alongside traditional treatments.
Chinese Herbal Therapy
Chinese herbal therapy has been used for centuries as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Unlike many Western herbal remedies, Chinese formulas combine multiple herbs that work together to support the body and address a wide range of conditions. These carefully balanced formulas are selected based on Traditional Chinese Medicine patterns, allowing us to treat not only the visible symptoms but also the underlying cause of disease.
At Potlatch Veterinary Clinic, we incorporate Chinese herbal therapy as part of our integrative approach to small animal care. Herbal formulas may be recommended to support pets managing chronic conditions, digestive concerns, skin issues, pain, or age-related changes. We offer a variety of herbal formulas in the clinic, with additional options available by special order to meet your pet’s specific needs.
PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields) Therapy
PEMF uses electromagnetic energy to increase blood flow throughout the body and to stimulate the body’s cells and natural pathways of pain relief, anti-inflammatory, and more. At Potlatch Veterinary Clinic, we have a PEMF dog bed that your pet can lay on for a 15-minute targeted session to increase blood flow and energize the cells in your pet’s body to stimulate pain relief, reduce inflammation, stimulate wound and bone healing, and stimulate nerve flow. This therapy can be performed alone or in conjunction with other modalities at the same appointment (i.e. acupuncture or laser therapy).
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the placement of small needles in specific acupuncture points that have been mapped throughout the body of many animal species. Acupuncture points are often at locations that have a lot of nerve fibers, blood vessels, or fascia. Acupuncture increases blood flow, stimulates nerve function, and relaxes muscles to promote the body’s natural pathways of pain relief, anti-inflammatory, and other functions.
Acupuncture is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been used for centuries as a treatment option for most conditions and diseases. Acupuncture is especially useful for pain relief, arthritis, neurologic diseases, and gastrointestinal issues. Most animals tolerate the placement of acupuncture needles very well and this alternative treatment option is available for all species.
Benefits of Integrative Medicine
Integrative medicine offers numerous benefits for animals at all stages of life. By combining conventional treatments with holistic therapies, we can:
- Provide more comprehensive care that addresses the root causes of health problems
- Reduce reliance on medications and their potential side effects
- Improve recovery times after surgery or injury
- Manage chronic conditions more effectively
- Support long-term wellness and prevent future health issues
This approach is especially valuable for animals with complex medical needs or those who are not responding well to traditional treatments. Integrative medicine allows us to offer more options for care, giving you and your animal the best chance for a healthy, happy life.
Acupuncture
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the placement of very small/thin needles into the skin at specific points. These specific points are called acupuncture points and have been mapped along the body of many animal species. Acupuncture points are often at locations that have a high density of nerve fibers, vessels, or fascia. Acupuncture originated in China thousands of years ago and has been used since to treat many different conditions.
What animals can receive acupuncture?
Any! Acupuncture points have been mapped out on most domestic animal species. The first animals to have the acupuncture points mapped were horses and dogs. From there acupuncture maps were made for most other species.
How well do animals tolerate acupuncture? Is it painful?
Most animals tolerate acupuncture well and it is typically not painful. However, some acupuncture points are sensitive and animals can occasionally respond to this sensitivity. Also, uncommonly there can be sensitivity when the needle goes through the skin, after the needle is in place there should be virtually no pain.
If, for whatever reason, a specific animal does not tolerate acupuncture needles well, a therapeutic laser can be used to stimulate the acupuncture points instead. This is termed laser acupuncture, and is also a service that we offer at Potlatch Veterinary Clinic.
What conditions can acupuncture help treat?
Acupuncture provides benefits for many conditions in animals. Some of the most common conditions that acupuncture is used for are pain, arthritis, and soreness especially in aging pets. However, acupuncture can be helpful for so many more conditions. Some examples include, but are not limited to, neurological disorders such as intervertebral disc disease, gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea, and stimulating wound healing. Acupuncture has also been shown to have beneficial effects on certain reproductive, cardiovascular, respiratory, and skin conditions.
How does acupuncture work?
Acupuncture works with the body to heal itself using its natural physiological processes. Acupuncture works to return the body to a balanced state. From our Western medicine standpoint, acupuncture stimulates nerves, increases blood flow and circulation, relieves muscle spasms, and stimulates hormone release to help the body perform a variety of natural functions. Many of the effects of acupuncture have been studied and shown beneficial results, however, acupuncture has been used to treat so many conditions for so long that there are many effects that are still unknown and research will continually be performed.
Meet our Acupuncturist!
Dr. Lillian McKinley is our certified veterinary acupuncturist at Potlatch Vet Clinic. She is a graduate of Washington State University, and is a certified veterinary acupuncturist. Dr. McKinley did her acupuncture training with the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and is certified in both small and large animal acupuncture.
How do I get started?
If you are interested in pursuing acupuncture treatment for your animal, please contact Potlatch Veterinary Clinic at (208) 875-4838. First, we will schedule you an initial acupuncture consultation/treatment with our acupuncturist, Dr. Lillian McKinley. This initial acupuncture appointment includes a full history and examination of your pet; as well as a full Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) history and examination for Dr. McKinley to fully evaluate your animal from both a Western and Eastern medicine perspective. Next during this initial acupuncture appointment, Dr. McKinley will see how your animal reacts to acupuncture needle placement and do the first acupuncture treatment session.
Following the initial acupuncture consultation/treatment, if acupuncture is right for your pet, additional acupuncture treatments can be scheduled based on your animal’s unique needs. Most commonly, weekly acupuncture treatments are recommended for 4-6 weeks. This is because acupuncture is thought to have cumulative effects and sessions build on each other. After the first 4-6 weeks of treatment, the treatment frequency is adjusted to best fit your pet’s unique needs. At Potlatch Veterinary Clinic we offer acupuncture packages or individual session pricing to fit your needs and your schedule. Give us a call if you think acupuncture can help your animal, 208-875-4838.