What happens during a house call?

Dr Roth will examine your pet in the comfort of your own home just like she would at the clinic except you won’t have to leave your home and your pet will not have to get into the car, travel or sit in a waiting room full of other anxious animals.

What kinds of procedures can be performed at home?

We can perform any procedure at home that can be done in the clinic except radiographs, surgery/dentals, and emergencies.

What kinds of ailments can be treated at home?

Examples include but aren’t limited to; vaccines, new puppy visit, geriatric exams, arthritis, sick pets, behavior consults, skin problems, GI problems, urinary issues, hospice care, and euthanasia.

What other services can you perform besides routine veterinary care?

Currently, I perform acupuncture and laser therapy on dogs, cats, and horses.

What is acupuncture and how will it help my pet?

Acupuncture may be defined as the insertion of needles into specific points on the body to produce a healing response. Each acupuncture point has specific actions when stimulated. This technique has been used in veterinary practice in China for thousands of years to treat many ailments. The Chinese also use acupuncture as preventative medicine. Acupuncture is used all around the world, either alone or in conjunction with Western medicine, to treat a wide variety of conditions in every species of animal. Clinical research has been conducted showing positive results in the treatment of both animals and humans, and the use of acupuncture is increasing. Acupuncture will not cure every condition, but it can work very well when it is indicated.

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture is the insertion of a thin needle into a special point called an acupoint.
Acupoints are openings under the skin where Qi is distributed or gathered in high concentration. These points are located in proximity to free nerve endings, arterioles, lymphatic vessels, connective tissue, and mast cells.
The main goal in acupuncture is to stimulate Qi in the acupoint, allowing the body to heal itself by allowing the free flow of Qi.
QI pronounced “Chee” is the thread that connects all beings. “without Qi there would be no life”
Blockage of Qi leads to pain (like a traffic jam on a highway)
Where there is free flow of Qi there is no pain.
Some of the physiological effects observed throughout the body include increased circulation, decreased inflammation, relief from pain, relief of muscle spasms and increased T cell counts which stimulate the immune system.
Acupuncture works by releasing B endorphins, serotonin.norepinephrine and endogenous opioids to relieve pain in cases of arthritis, post-surgical, and cancer pain.

What is electro-acupuncture?

Electro-acupuncture is the application of a pulsating electrical current to acupuncture needles as a means of stimulating the acupoints.
It was developed in China as an extension of hand manipulation of acupuncture needles around 1934. The procedure for electro-acupuncture is to insert the acupuncture needle as would normally be done, attain the qi reaction by hand manipulation, and then attach an electrode to the needle to provide continued stimulation.

How does Electro-acupuncture work and what are the benefits:

The benefits of using electrical stimulation are:
1. Substitution for a prolonged hand maneuvering. This helps assure that the patient gets the amount of stimulation needed.
2. May help reduce total treatment time by providing continued stimulus.
3. Production of a stronger stimulation used for difficult arthritic cases, for neurological damage or paralysis such as intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), Wobbler syndrome, musculoskeletal disease
4. It is easier to control the frequency and amount of stimulus than with hand manipulation of the needles.
There is virtually no current transmitted through the body, but there is enough voltage stimuli for the patient to feel it. Duration of standard treatment with electro-acupuncture is usually 10-20 minutes. During the stimulation period, the patient may become adapted to the stimulus (this will typically happen after the first minute or two), with a gradual decline in response. The electrical output is adjusted in frequency and/or intensity to resume the sensation.
It is normal for the patient to experience responses such as rhythmic spasms or weak twitching of the muscle, as well as the usual “deqi” reactions of acupuncture therapy