Points For Pets

What can I say about our experience with Megan? First, I should tell you I was a skeptic about acupuncture — especially for dogs. Our vet recommended that we try it for our arthritic dog nearly two years ago. I’m one of those people that likes to see facts and figures. Acupuncture? How do you quantify what that does for a dog when the creature can’t tell you if it’s doing any good? I was beyond hesitant to call. Our vet (much love to Dr. M at Companion Pet Hospital) kept bringing it up as an alternative method we could use in conjunction with his medication therapy. So in 2011 we called Megan and set up a schedule.
She came over to our house for the initial visit and answered all of our questions. (Word: House calls? Awesome. We’re really busy and she worked with our schedule to set up a time that made it beyond easy for us to schedule his treatments. Our dog also hated the car, so it was nice that we didn’t have to cart him all over the city each week.) During our initial visit, she asked some questions about him. We honestly had no idea how he’d react to someone sticking him with needles. And the truth is she was so gentle that he didn’t even seem to notice. Occasionally Megan would hit a point and he’d say, «I can feel that» (in a dog way), but she was amazingly gentle with him. During her visits, after the needles were in, she’d simply sit with him on the floor and scratch his ears, rub his belly, chat with us, etc. It was a very calm experience, not like a typical «treatment.» We’d often tell her what was going on with him physically and she’d alter the weekly «points» to address various ailments and issues other than his arthritis.
Each week when she would come over he’d calmly go right to his blanket on the floor as if he was saying, «Oh, I guess it’s time for Megan to stick me with needles. I’m not sure how I feel about the needle part, but I feel good after so I put up with it. And she scratches my ears the entire time and I like that too.» When she’d pull out the needles after therapy, our 12+ year old Mastiff mix would do a «happy dance» around the house. Often he’d put his nose on the door (even if we just walked him) as if to say, «Can we go for a walk? My hips feel good. i want to move them.» I swear — he was at his happiest in the days after his Megan-​visits. We started off with an every-​other week schedule, and moved to an every-​week schedule once his arthritis started to pick up.
Throughout the entire year and a half, there was still a level of skepticism from me. (Max was my world so I would do anything to make him feel more comfortable.) But I had to ask — how do I know what’s working? Meds? Acupuncture? Both? At one point in early 2012 we had to skip two treatments. That is when all of my skepticism was thrown out the window. Max was noticeably uncomfortable in those two weeks for no other reason then he missed two treatments with Megan. And when we resumed treatments, we saw that «happy dance» again.
I say this without a doubt — my dog lived many months beyond what we expected because of Megan. When dogs get old, we have to face the fact that we’re going to lose them. Nothing will change that. We can cling to false hope and chase treatments, but the simple answer is, sometimes they’re just winding down. Megan allowed Max to live out his final few months with dignity and comfort. She was an angel that visited every week. He may not have known exactly what was going on when she came over (heck, we don’t even understand) but he knew that she was helping him. Her services were a huge part of keeping him not only alive, but also comfortable and content right up until the end. And she was right there with us when that time came.
I’ve told her this before, but we cannot thank her enough for her services and friendship. Max adored you Megan, right up until the end.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We think of ourselves as Max’s keepers; we think of you as his angel.