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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 8, 2012)
community may8 Living on a Lake in the Country - Valley Veterinary Clinic 2012 9 “Large or Small We do Them All”- An Unusual Treatment for Dogs By Gayle Rich Boxman Recently, my beautiful Golden Retriever, Jenna has had a mystery illness after being a very healthy dog for her nine+ years. Lots of disc pain in her back, and some internal “stuff”, plus she now has arthritis in her right front elbow and all of this came to pass just two months ago. After going to my regular vet, Dr. Goza in Astoria and having had a battery of tests and nothing conclusive, we are taking it a day at a time…some days good, some days not so good. So last week I was speaking with our local naturopath, Dr. Carol McIntyre, (in Vernonia) who does acupuncture, and I decided to ask her if she knew a veterinarian who does this. I’m a big believer in it and it’s noninvasive and if I can get my dog off some of her current medications AND alleviate her pain, I’m ALL OVER IT. She mentioned Dr. Jule Plummer, founder of Valley Veterinary Clinic in Rainier Oregon. I called and the pricing is pretty reasonable for a first visit and acupuncture treatment. It’ s $47 for an initial exam, and the first treatment is $55.00. For those of you who don’t know what acupuncture is, here’s a quick description/history. Acupuncture is a technique to relieve all sorts of pains and ailments by inserting very thin needles in specific places on your body. According to traditional Chinese medicine (which has been doing this for centuries) the body has “meridians” and there are certain acupuncture “points” on those meridians. If these get blocked, then your energy flow dissipates. This energy flow is called “Qi” (pronounced, CHI). When these fine fine needles penetrate the skin and hit these blocked meridian points, it opens up that blocked bloodflow and gets the energy moving again and thus helps the healing process. I’ve had acupuncture done on my own body and it has worked MIRACLES for back pain, not to mention a myriad of other acute or chronic issues that come up. People who are unfamiliar with acupuncture, may hear “needles” which sends them running for the hills, but I can honestly say that it is quite gentle and sometimes the positive effects can be IMMEDIATE. Years ago, I did have acupuncture done on one of my older dogs, Ted, who was 12 years old and suddenly lost the use of his back legs, which we pretty much determined was due to a slipped disc in his back. He was pain free after several acupuncture treatments and I was able to take him completely off his pain medication. Sadly, at his age, he was not able to get back the use in his legs. However, Jenna is only nine and this was so sudden, that I know it can’t HURT to try this. And I am thrilled to know that a veterinarian, Dr. Plummer is located in my area, a longtime vet in Rainier and Vernonia and can do this painless. Treatment sessions can last anywhere from a few seconds to thirty minutes. Simple injuries and ailments can usually be resolved with one treatment; more complex conditions may require multiple treatments. Acupuncture for dogs can improve a range of conditions, but it is usually used to resolve chronic pain issues, such as back problems. Dr. Jule Plummer also comes to Vernonia on Thursdays from 10am- 5pm at a small clinic located at: 58376 Nehalem Hwy. Walk-ins Only, No appointments Necessary. The main location and phone number in Rainier: 26072 Hwy 30, 503-556-3084. Please call for times. for a reasonable fee. When you have an animal that you love dearly who is a family member, you’ll go to the ends of the earth to make them happy and comfortable. And I’m going to do just THAT. There are documented cases of dogs regaining their health after acupuncture treatments and it’s not like telling a human,” you’re going to get better and the power of positive thinking takes over”….animals don’t work that way! I found the following information on this website: http://www. vetinfo.com/acupuncture-for-dogs.html Dog acupuncture is virtually You can reach Gayle Rich-Boxman, Broker with Vernonia Realty for all of your real estate needs by calling (503) 755-2905 or visit her website: http:// www.lakehomehomesatfishhawk.com RE-ELECT “Working Together To Get Things Done” still isn’t just a campaign slogan to me Working alongside my fellow county commissioners and the public, my focus continues to be on what we can do as a team to improve the quality of life for residents of our county. Serving as a Columbia County Commissioner during these tough economic times can be challenging, but I can also proudly point to key accomplishments: • Worked with the Port of St. Helens and others, attracting businesses to our county such as ORPET bottle recycling plant project, and PGE as they move to build a new power plant at Port Westward. • Worked with responsible parties, seamlessly transitioning our public health services to a new foundation so residents didn’t have interruption of services. • After three years of deliberations, the Courthouse Museum is again open for the public. • Worked with the state on US-30 Highway safety corridor. • Started education subcommittee getting driver safety programs into our schools. Working together, we can continue to make our future brighter not just for us, but also for future generations. I’m asking for your vote and your support to continue serving as your Columbia County Commissioner. Paid for and authorized by the Committee to Elect Earl Fisher. www.ElectEarlFisher.com
