Case report: Efficacy of Combination of Electroacupuncture and Aquapuncture Using Vitamin B Complex on Promotion of Ambulation Perception in 15 Dogs with Hansen Type I Intervertebral Disc Disease Undergoing Hemilaminectomy

Fifteen Dachshunds, 6 females and 9 males, aged from 3 to 7.1 years old and weighing from 8.9 to 18.4 kg, were presented with various degrees of paralysis with deep pain on both limbs. The existence of clinical signs was observed by the owners and ranged from 1 to over 7 days. These dogs showed grades of dysfunction ranging from 2 to 5 depending on neurological examination. Hansen type I IVDD was diagnosed in these dogs based on the neurological and imaging examination. Hemilaminectomy was performed on these dogs. Electroacupuncture (using 15-40 Hz on acupoints hua-tuo-jia-ji, GV-14, Bai-hui, KID-1 for 20 mins) was applied 3 days post hemilaminectomy, followed by aquapuncture using vitamin B complex treatment. Five of the fifteen dogs with grade 2 recovered in 7 to 30 days (average 18.6 days) after hemilaminectomy. However, with the combination of hemilaminectomy and electroacupuncture/aquapuncture the recovery time in 3/15 dogs with grade 2 was 12, 18 and 19 days (average 16.3 days), respectively. Therefore, hemilaminectomy combined with electroacupuncture and aquapuncture may be used as a complementary therapy for dogs with IVDD and can shorten the average recovery time, at least, in grade 2 of dysfunction for thoracic and lumbar lesions.