My Dog Wu and His Acupuncture Story
/By Maureen Farley — Last Updated: October 11, 2024
I heard a bang and a crash. I couldn’t imagine what it was. I flew up the stairs and around the corner. I found my beloved dog, barely two years old, convulsing. In that moment of terror and fright, there was no way to know that my life was about to transform in the most blessed and beautiful way because my dog Wu had epilepsy.
After that first seizure, I did all the expected things like visits to the vet, worrying, and waiting in anticipation to see whether it was a one-time fluke or more seizures were coming. With a background in nutrition and western herbalism, and with my holistic vet’s support, I made changes to Wu’s diet and started him on all the supplements that made sense, yet Wu got progressively worse. I hesitated to put him on the usual prescriptions because they ran the risk of enhancing his aggressive tendencies, which were already a significant concern for us. When he began having clusters of grand mal seizures several times per week, and he spent most of the rest of his time hiding in a dark corner in the basement, it felt like I was losing and failing my best friend.
Although this was back in the early days of the internet when there wasn’t quite so much information online, I happened upon a discussion board of dog owners who had found relief for their epileptic furry family members with acupuncture. Dozens of people described how their pet’s epilepsy started and how they progressed – and they sounded like my experience with Wu. They described how effective acupuncture was for their pet and how the seizures stopped. I had to try acupuncture.
A couple of days later, Wu and I visited Dr. Blake Johnson at Interlaken Centre in Waconia, a veterinary clinic that specializes in acupuncture. Wu became instant friends with a white-faced golden retriever in the waiting room. They were jumping and playing, doing mini zoomies around the room, and then had a romp outside. The golden’s owner told me his old doggie was being treated for hip dysplasia, and that before acupuncture, he had trouble standing up and laying down – truly shocking watching the puppy-like antics on display before us. In that moment, a feeling of hope welled up inside me, something I had not felt in weeks.
Wu had his first acupuncture treatment. He was so much better. The seizures became less severe and further apart. After a few treatments they stopped altogether. It felt like a miracle. Or magic. I wasn’t sure how acupuncture worked, but I had a burning desire to find out. I embarked on a years-long journey learning the ancient healing modality acupuncture. I finished the prerequisite college courses and attended a master’s degree program for acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
Over the years I’ve met many skeptics who think acupuncture’s effectiveness is dependent upon the patient’s belief, that it’s purely a placebo effect. I get to share with them the story of Wu and his epilepsy. Wu didn’t believe in acupuncture, but it worked like magic. There are also dozens, perhaps hundreds, of medical studies that prove acupuncture’s efficacy for so many conditions. But somehow the story of my sweet dog Wu tends to be more persuasive than any published journal article on PubMed.
I’ve been using acupuncture now for over 15 years. It's been especially helpful for me and my loved ones for pain, migraines, allergies, asthma, fertility challenges, neuropathy, and recovery from surgery and traumatic injury. With weekly acupuncture treatments, my father had zero side effects for the 6 months he received chemotherapy. Often, when western medicine doesn’t have great options for a particular concern or when extra support is needed, acupuncture is surprisingly effective. And there are no side-effects.
Wu’s full name was “Wu Wei”, which is a Taoist concept that roughly translates as “effortless action”. It describes the practice of letting actions follow the natural course of things. Wu was my teacher in this. In many ways, he showed me how to live life in balance and in flow. Wu lived a long, seizure-free life. We had fourteen-and-one-half years together, and he was one of the most beautiful beings I’ve ever known. I'll forever be thankful that he arranged for me to be introduced to Taoist medicine, aka acupuncture, which has been so important in my life. If you’ve gotten this far, thanks for hearing my story; it might be a sign from Wu that it’s time for you to try acupuncture for yourself. Sometimes healing arrives in unexpected ways.
May you be well and happy. May you live in the flow.
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