sally, Sally, SALLY!!!

Emma, the female Golden Retriever assistance dog who I have had the pleasure to house and to train for several months, went away for an interview in southern New Mexico for a possible position helping children. While Emma has been away, Sally has come to stay with me and what a joy she has been these past two weeks.

Sally came to the life of assistance dogs from a shelter in northern New Mexico. She is not pedigree and she is not apologizing. Heck, I'm not pedigree and I sure ain't apologizing either. Let's hear it for hybrids whether is be corn, cattle, or fuel efficient cars. Hybrids can be seen as an evolutionary step forward on many levels!

Unlike Emma, Sally is very humble, even obsequious at times. In addition to her gentle submission, Sally is exuberant in her love for toys (see the photo of her new stuffed blue snake or is it a fish?). Sally is also partial to her rubber chicken clad in a purple pocka-dot bikini I kid you not! Sally has a truly remarkable skill! Sally has been trained to identify insulin level fluctuations and to communicate relevant changes in insulin levels to whomever exhibits them!

For purposes of training the scent is held in a vile (see photo insert) and placed surreptitiously by the trainers so as to simulate true diabetic insulin levels both dropping and spiking. In one of the photos Sally is poking my hand, the alert she has captured and uses to communicate "your insulin is off!". In a real life situation Sally could literally serve to protect a diabetics health by alerting the diabetic to a dangerous change in insulin levels whether they be sleeping, driving, or simply walking about. How's that for assistance?

At home, Sally has warmed the cockles of Gabriel's heart as well. Gabriel was at first skeptical. When First introduced, Gabriel was unfriendly if not utterly rude. But Sally's beauty and kindness melted away Gabriel's apprehension and scorn. Now they gallivant across the now green desert after the monsoon rains subside. They sumo wrestle across my floor, and they follow my antics with treats and other treasures designed to capture their interest.

Sally's penchant for toys, praise, and treats is steady and considerable however she is careful to never push, just humbly appreciate. Yesterday I took Sally to the fabric store and after for a tour of a discount store. She hovered close to my side and cleverly out of the reach of the grocery cart. She waited at all doorways, and looked to my eyes for direction consistently. Sally is an amazing dance partner and has kept my missing Emma a far easier feat. When Emma finds a forever home, I wonder if Sally can't stay a while.....

Adventures in Animal Acupuncture

It's not every day that your vet invites you to her home to share her knowledge and hospitality let alone acupuncture performances on a weekend, but that's just the kind of fabulous vet I have found in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dr. Sue Mckelvey, a practicing veterinarian at Gruda Veterinary Clinic in Santa Fe New Mexico is where I have been toting my animals for just ten years now. But three years ago Sue arrived on the scene and I've never looked back. She is kind, accessible, knowledgeable, humble, has a great sense of humor, a good listener, a tried and true problem solver, and she's got something in her pocket that not many vets can boast. ....

Sue has acupuncture knowledge and needles. Aside from her Vet degree which she earned from the prestigious Colorado State University in 1997 (home to Professor Temple Grandin --and yes, she was one of Temple's students....to learn more about Temple go through April blog entries) just two years ago Sue set out on a journey of discovery of Eastern medicine as it applies to acupuncture for animals and attended IVAS (International Veterinary Acupuncture Society) courtesy of Dr. and Treva Gruda.

Since that time Sue has utilized her skills on a number of animals for a number of conditions that acupuncture is well suited for such as arthritis. Sue says acupuncture helps animals struggling through movement become more comfortable and acupuncture improves animals' ability to move. Sue says that acupuncture is helpful in cases involving pain, allergies, itching, digestive issues, low energy, and anxiety among others.

The preponderance of Sue's treatment are for animals who suffer from chronic pain. She uses acupuncture in conjunction with glucosamines, fatty acids, and non steroidal anti inflammatory agents where pain is still present. Sue also believes that acupuncture is often useful before during and after elective or orthopedic surgery.

I asked Sue about any remarkable healing stories she could share involving the almighty needles. Dr. Sue says that she had a young poodle come into the clinic who was shaky and uncomfortable and for which she suggested acupuncture. The client agreed and the next day, the condition had lifted never to return. How's them apples! (or is it lichee nuts?)

Sue has also used acupuncture on her dog Sam, a six year old Pit Bull/German Shepherd cross that Sue says is "the dog of her life." If you've had the "dog of your life" you understand what Sue means. One weekend, Sue was home and Sam was exhibiting pain from an ear infection she diagnosed, but being a Sunday Sue didn't have her Western Medicine antibiotics handy and so she reached for the needles. The ear infection went away.

Sue and I bend down and take to the rug in the living room. Sam joins us. Surrounding Sue are her sterile acupuncture needles which she explains she will be using to treat Sam for his right elbow which has been operated on . She applies the first needle in the middle of Sam's forehead and Sam doesn't even flinch. Sue explains this is the Governing vessel twenty or "calming point". She then moves to add needles around the local points around his ailing elbow. Finally she inserts a needle in the "distill point" around his back leg--on the meridian point gallbladder 34, a powerful point for musculo-skeletal problems. I notice that Sam's relaxation is deepening, his breathing is slower, his eyes are blinking into oblivion.

I remark on Sam's relaxation and Sue Smiles. "He's used to this" she says like the proud "parent" she is.

I thank Sue for her time and hospitality and as I ready to leave, Sue's tall Strapping husband an oceanographer and computer professional comes in all smiles. They remark on their upcoming trip to Belize far from the mountains and high desert skies that meet me at Sue's front door. High Dark Clouds are forming on the verge of the Sangre de Christo Mountain Range and I'm suspecting with this weather (which often spawns arthritic pain) that there are more than a few cats and dogs and other critters that would benefit from Dr. Sue McKelvey's acupuncture needles. ( to schedule an appointment check out the Gruda Veterinary Hospital Website at http://www.grudavet.com/ or call them at (505) 471-4400.)