Veterinarian offers acupuncture, chiropractic care for animals

By, Dennis Sharkey, Staff Writer

Ben McCall/Sun Photo veterinarian Michelle Chappell uses acupuncture to treat liver disease in miniature dachshund Karma, Shawnee, with the help of assistant Nichole Puskas, Olathe.

Veterinarian Michelle Chappell, owner of Mariposa Veterinary Center, 13900 Santa Fe Trail Drive, Lenexa, estimates that 30 percent of her practice is acupuncture and she anticipates it becoming half of what she does.

Chappell became familiar with acupuncture while working at a large clinic in San Diego, Calif.

Chappell said a doctor on staff there practiced acupuncture but she remained skeptical.

“I always assumed before that if anybody got better with acupuncture that they decided to get better, as if it were a placebo effect,” she said. “I never sent him any cases because I thought it was voodoo.”

Chappell said that began to change when a 92-year-old woman brought in her paralyzed dachshund. Chappell said the dog meant the world to the woman, whose Social Security budget could not pay for surgery.

As Chappell prepared to euthanize the dog, she said her emotions overcame her.

“I felt so torn. I had to let her know that this might work,” she said.

After two acupuncture treatments, Chappell said, the dog stood up on its own.

A few months later, Chappell observed similar results with a different dog.

Chappell said her mind changed at that point and her skepticism went away.

“There is no way a wiener dog knows what you’re doing,” she said. “Obviously something was happening there that I couldn’t do with traditional tools.”

Chappell said she realized she needed to learn acupuncture after she and her family moved to Arkansas. She said time and time again she euthanized dogs because no one in Arkansas practiced acupuncture.

“I wasn’t going to put another wiener dog to sleep because I didn’t know acupuncture,” she said. “Sometimes it’s the only option an animal has.”

Mariposa also has an onsite chiropractor.

Chiropractor Grace Brewer practices at the clinic two days a week when she is not working on people.

Brewer said she took a special course in Illinois that focuses on animals.

“I’ve always had animals and I’ve always wanted to work with them,” she said.

Brewer said chiropractic studies for animals has been around for more than 100 years.

“Anything with a spine can be adjusted and chiropractic is definitely applicable,” she said.

She said her techniques and tools are practically the same for animals as for people.