WagMore Veterinary Care
Wellness and Acupuncture
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Vicki Kucia DVM, CVA
WagMore Veterinary Care
Wellness and Acupuncture
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Vicki Kucia DVM, CVA
Integrated Services
Our Services for a happy, healthy pet
Wellness / Healing with Care
At WagMore Veterinary Care, we do more than vaccines! We have years of knowledge and experience in the practice of veterinary medicine. We take the time to discuss your pet’s health, answer all of your questions and always offer our best to work with you regarding the health of your pet.
We offer wellness exams, injury or illness exams and technician appointments. We have in house blood analyzers for chemistry and complete blood counts for quick results. We have in house microscopy and cytology to check lumps and bumps, ear cytologies, urine sediments and skin scrapings at your appointment. We do spays and neuters, a variety of soft tissue surgeries and dentistry, including extractions.
We are pleased to offer abdominal ultrasounds for your pet at WagMore with a board certified specialist. When needed we also can offer orthopedic and soft tissue consults and surgery with one of Tufts finasts but at a WagMore price. We want the best specialty care for your pet and work closely with Tufts and OSVS when a referral is necessary. We go the extra mile for you because your pet deserves the best medical care!
Additionally, we can offer you integrative medicine. Integrative medicine is using all the best Western medicine has to offer and combining that with evidence based, safe Eastern medicine practices. The result is a focus on wellness and the prevention of disease. By incorporating complementary therapies such as acupuncture and Tui-na, the use of prescription drugs can be minimized, resulting in safer, less expensive care.
We also understand that as the care giver for your pet, you need to feel comfortable and confident with your veterinarian. At WagMore Veterinary Care, you will never feel pressured to do more or to integrate modalities of care that you do not want.
Compassionate care can’t be found in books or learned. It is something a clinician possesses that sets them apart from their peers. Your pet intuitively knows when a veterinarian truly cares. So don’t ask us, ask your pet — we know they will love us and the care we provide!
Acupuncture / Healing with Needles
Acupuncture is the most commonly recognized branch of TCVM (Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine). Acupuncture is the insertion of fine, thin needles into the skin at strategic points on the body. In traditional Chinese medicine, these points are known as meridians, through which Qi, or life force, flows; in modern medicine, we know them as the vascular, nervous and muscular structures of the body.
Insertion of the needles at specific points activates healing by stimulating nerve endings and releasing certain substances that relieve pain, reduce inflammation and improve blood flow and oxygenation. Acupuncture doesn’t treat specific symptoms, but instead stimulates the body to heal itself.
Acupuncture is most commonly used to relieve the pain of arthritis and other degenerative joint diseases. But many other conditions may benefit from acupuncture including gastrointestinal, respiratory or neurological problems. Veterinarians trained in the use of acupuncture have needled pets with cancer, upset stomachs, rhinitis, sinusitis, vestibular syndrome, hepatitis and allergies.
Depending on the problem, acupuncture may be the main treatment or a supportive treatment. For instance, acupuncture may serve to boost the effects of pain medication. As with Tui-na, several acupuncture points can be taught to clients to stimulate at home using acupressure to enhance the healing process and improve your pets health and well-being.
Herbal Medicine / Healing with Herbs
Herbal Medicine is a major branch of Chinese Medicine. Herbs today are prepared with the benefits of modern technology, but are still guided by the historical wisdom gathered for over 4000 years. Herbs are used to correct imbalance underlying a disease pattern and to promote the body’s ability to heal itself.
Each herb has a different effect on the body and can fall under a number of classifications such as warming, cooling, sour, or bitter and can affect a variety of organs, including the liver, lungs, or heart. TCVM utilizes herbal formulas that are a combination of single-herb ingredients to treat a specific pattern of disease.
The increasing popularity of herbal medicine lies in the fact that it is an all-natural treatment option that is generally safe and effective when prescribed correctly. An extensive body of clinical research have shown herbal medicine to be extremely effective in treating chronic veterinary medical issues in the fields of: gastroenterology, cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, respiratory issues, oncology and behavior.
Herbals increase the quality of life for geriatric patients, especially those diagnosed with terminal cancer, since it assists the body’s ability to reduce tumor size when chemotherapy is not an option. Herbals can be combined with acupuncture and Western Medicine to enhance clinical results.
Tui-na / Healing with the Hands
Tui-na is a manual therapy that is one of the four branches of TCVM and uses Chinese medical theory as the basis for its application and actions. From a conventional medicine perspective, Tui-na can be thought of as corresponding to a combination of acupressure, conventional massage and chiropractic techniques. It can be used to regulate the Channels, soothe joints and sinews, promote circulation of Qi and Blood, strengthen the immune system and promote normal function of the Zang-Fu organs.
Tui-na is most commonly used to treat acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions and is also useful as a preventative medicine therapy, because it promotes balance in the body. It can also be used in conjunction with and to enhance acupuncture and herbal treatments. Small animals all respond well to Tui-na, and it can be administered on animals that will not allow the insertion of acupuncture needles. Tui-na is safe and effective with no known side effects.
Although veterinarians must receive specialized training in the techniques and applications of Tui-na, once mastered, several Tui-na techniques can be taught to clients for home treatments. Mo-fa (touching skin and muscle), Rou-fa (rotary kneading), Ca-fa (rubbing), Tui-fa (pushing), An-fa (pressing), Nie-fa (pinching), Dou-fa (shaking), Ba-sheng-fa (stretching) and Cuo-fa (kneading) are techniques that clients can learn and use to accelerate the healing process and deepen the connection with their animals.