Join 13 Chi Institute Indonesia students as they embark upon their Small Animal Acupuncture training. Students traveled from around the world, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and India, to gain hands-on acupuncture experience from top TCVM educators. Watch this short clip to follow their journey. 

To view Issue 39 of the WATCVM Newsletter in its entirety, please Click Here.

Two Points to Use in the Acupuncture Treatment of Performance Dogs: TCVM Practice Insight
Pat Perkins, DVM, CVA, CVH, CVC, CCRT (Lees Summit, MO)

Excess Heat Impairs Liver Yin Resulting in Liver Blood Deficiency and Internal Wind
Chin Ting Justin Fan, DVM, CVA (Hong Kong, China)

TCVM Approach to Idiopathic Vestibular Disease and Bony Bi Syndrome
Kumiko Ogawa BVSc (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) 

Chi Institute of TCVM: South Africa
Roselle Hartwigsen, BVSc, CVA

Integrating More Than Just Medicine at the University of Tennessee
Rachelle (Ray) Khare, UTCVM Class of 2020

Acupuncture Treatment for Radial Nerve Paralysis in Asian Elephant
Weerapongse Tangjitjaroen, Benjatham Thaitham, Onchira Chaopong, Ratchadaporn Srisamut, Tosaphol Phipun

I wish to greet you in the African spirit of Ubuntu: I am because we are. It is with the contribution of each person that all succeed. We are happy to have received contributions from many people to be able to bring you the success of TCVM in Africa this past year. 

This last year has been a fruitful and exiting year for TCVM in South Africa. The Chi Institute South Africa opened their own designated training facility, Qi House. Students can now enjoy learning in a peaceful setting in the African bushveld away from the Xie Qi and stress in the city. This year five students completed the mixed species acupuncture course including an international student from Argentina. Registration for the 2020 acupuncture class is now open!

The team from Chi South Africa did an outreach in Botswana and presented an intro to TCVM including demo sessions at a local clinic. It was very well received by the local veterinarians. TCVM is an excellent modality to add to rural practice where resources are scarce, and veterinarians need to be innovative when diagnosing and treating their patients. Hopefully we will have another visit in 2020.

The faculty of veterinary science in Pretoria started a new course called Ethnoveterinary medicine which includes an introduction to TCVM. The students are very interested in natural remedies and Dr. Roselle Hartwigsen was invited to lecture on the use of herbal medicine in veterinary practice. The students were inspired to start their own Complementary Veterinary Medicine group under the umbrella of the WATCVM. They have been inviting speakers in the complementary field to share their knowledge. The WATCVM aims to work with the student body and faculty members to make TCVM a permanent part of the curriculum in future.

Research on acupuncture is being conducted by the companion animal clinical studies department at the faculty with two clinical trials currently being done. One of the students conducting the research received funding from the WATCVM to complete her study. We are hopeful that this will open the door to even more studies on acupuncture and herbal medicine. The Chi Institute has also donated a scholarship to a faculty member to complete the acupuncture course in 2020.

In South African veterinary practice, TCVM, and especially acupuncture, seems to be growing in popularity and in availability. More and more clients are seeking these treatments for their pets after seeing or hearing about successful cases from friends and family. Social media has also been very successful in spreading the good news about acupuncture with Chi graduates frequently posting and sharing their experiences. Our future goal is to have at least one veterinarian that can offer these services in every veterinary clinic in the country!

In 2020, the Chi Institute South Africa will be co-sponsoring the Complementary Veterinary Medicine Group Conference in St. Lucia, South Africa. We are planning to host excellent international and local speakers and the conference will be combined with exciting safari tours! Please feel free to contact Dr. Hartwigsen should you be interested in presenting or attending.

Over the last couple of years, TCVM has slowly been able to establish a good foundation in the South African Veterinary community. With the hard work from everyone at the WATCVM and the Chi Institute, our wish is to pick up momentum and start accelerated growth in the field over the next couple of years. We would love to invite you to participate in making this goal a reality by donating to the WATCVM or contributing in any way you feel. Together we can make a difference in many African lives!

Keep up the good Qi! - Dr. Roselle Hartwigsen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Fig. 1: Teaching acupuncture points at the Chi Institute South Africa is
often one on one. Here Dr. Fernando Autet from Argentina is mastering
the hind limb points with Dr. Hartwigsen.

Fig. 2: Veterinarians from all over Botswana enjoying an introductory
TCVM lecture presented by the Chi Institute South Africa.

To view Issue 38 of the WATCVM Newsletter in its entirety, please Click Here.

Dr. Louise Cheng Yu is the owner of He Mei Pet Hospital, a primarily small animal veterinary practice in Chongqing, China. An expert on small animal ultrasound, she has been invited to Europe, Thailand, and Australia to provide ultrasound training, and since 2012, she has served as an ultrasound instructor for ESAVS to help guide foreign students. Dr. Cheng Yu also published the book Canine and Feline Abdominal Ultrasound Atlas. In 2017, she joined Chi Institute’s Certified Veterinary Acupuncture (CVA) program to pursue an education in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM).

Dr. Louise Cheng Yu’s case:

6/6/2019 (1^st visit)

The dog presented with a very bad body odor that had persisted for 3 months. The dog’s owners loved to invite friends home for dinner, but due to the dog’s bad odor no one wanted to go to the owner’s home. The owner said the bad odor smelt like that of a dead rat. They brought the dog to 3 different hospitals to be examined but were unable to determine the cause of the problem.

Dr. Cheng Yu performed a color ultrasound on the dog and found many masses on the liver. Many other signs were also observed, including:

1. Eyes were red with discharge in both eyes; the conjunctiva was red
2. Tongue was purple and wet
3. Pulse was weak on both the left and right, though weaker on the right
4. Pus-like discharge in the right-side ear; the ear canal had edema and ulceration
5. No cold or warm on the feet pads

TCVM Diagnosis: LIV/GB Damp Heat

According to Dr. Xie’s Red Book (TCVM Fundamental Principles), the liver issue can produce bad body odor and cause infection of the ear. Acupuncture treatment was performed and the Chinese herbal medicine, Long Dan Xie Gan, was given.  

Acupuncture Points:

• GB-20, BL-10 to clear Wind and stop itching
• BL-18, LIV-2, SP-6, SP-9, GB-34 to clear Damp Heat from the liver and gallbladder
• BL-40, SP-10 to cool Blood to clear Heat
• SI-19, TH-17, GB-3 are local points of ear

Chinese Herbal Medicine: Long Dan Xie Gan

6/13/2019 (2^nd visit)

Seven days later the owner brought the dog in to be checked. The dog no longer had the bad body odor. The owner was happy to share that the dog had a very good quality of life and was sleeping well. The eyes were better, and the ear was much improved (see photos).

The owner referencing Dr. Xie’s Red book (TCVM Fundamental Principles)

To view Issue 37 of the WATCVM Newsletter in its entirety, please Click Here. 

To view Issue 36 of the WATCVM Newsletter in its entirety, please Click Here. 

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine Treatment of Chronic Hepatic Diseases 
Gregory Todd DVM, CVA (Dunedin, FL)

Integrative Therapy with Emphasis on Tui-na in a Dog
George McKay DVM, CVA, CVFT, CVCH, CVTP (Watsonville, CA)

Kidney Yin and Qi Deficiency Leading to Reproduction Disorders in a Mare
Jennifer Yuan Zhou MS (Beijing, China)

What is Needed to Make Integrative Medicine a Part of Vet School Curriculum?
Mushtaq A Memon BVSc, PhD, CVA WATCVM Executive Director

2018 WATCVM Annual Board Meeting

The Development of TCVM in Baton Rouge, LA
Larry McCaskill DVM, CTCVMP, Ron Koh DVM, MS, CVA, CVCH, CVFT, CCRP, CVMMP

TCVM at Veterinary Colleges

To view Issue 35 of the WATCVM Newsletter in its entirety, please Click Here. 

To view Issue 34 of the WATCVM Newsletter in its entirety, please Click Here.