Lockdown has been tough for all of us.
For some it has meant a painfully long period of separation from friends and family. For others having to risk their lives to continue providing a necessary service. And for others still the enforced inactivity was hard to bear.
Pets have also experienced changes. Many may have enjoyed having family members at home all day.
But for Millie the problem was not being able to see our vet Angie for her regular acupuncture appointments.
Back in February Millie was already thirteen, a good age for a cross bred Labrador.
She had been seeing Angie regularly for laser acupuncture since the previous summer. At a routine check-up six months earlier her owner had mentioned that she was getting more stiff, and was slightly dragging one back leg. A combination of keeping her slim, her owner giving her regular massage, and the addition of regular acupuncture caused an immense improvement. By January 2020 she was ‘jumping very well and active on walks’ again.
But then lockdown started, and her appointments had to stop.
I saw Millie when I was allowed to in June. By then her mobility had deteriorated. She was wobbly when she tried to stand still, and quite weak on her back legs. She was really feeling the absence of those acupuncture appointments.
Luckily, since then, Angie has been able to develop a safe way to deliver her acupuncture service outside, to sensible pets like Millie. Her owner is not required to steady her, so Millie and Angie have just been cuddling up on a picnic blanket together in the garden.
The change in Millie is extraordinary.
Millie’s owner Mrs Hollyman said,
“Angie’s magic with her laser soon started to have benefits and after a few sessions Millie was much more mobile again. She enjoys her walks again and even chases the odd pheasant although she can’t catch them anymore! She can also jump onto the sofa which is her favourite place to sleep.
She loves either going to Angie’s garden or being treated at home and is much more relaxed than she was at the clinic.”
