Long Island Veterinary Acupuncture

Dr. Malik in the News

  • Posted: 1/14/2009 - 6:17:23 PM

     

    Nina Malik, of East Meadow, is an allopathic veterinarian who holistically treats small animals, using both Eastern and Western medical disciplines to provide what she feels is the best care for your pet.   

    It was Nina’s past experience as a vet at an emergency critical-care facility in Philadelphia that inspired her current perspective. “I saw about 20 cases a day,” she recalls. “We were putting so many dogs down.  A lot of them were arthritic or geriatric cases and there was nothing more I could do for these animals [with Western medicine]. I got frustrated and said there had to be other tools in my tool box.”  
    Nina’s career and personal paths crossed in her quest for an alternative solution to her own physical problems when she was suffering with chronic ankle pain and began acupuncture treatment.  She became interested in exploring the use of acupuncture on small animals and with the knowledge that it’s been used with great success for years on horses, she felt that it was a viable treatment for companion animals. “It’s just common sense,” Nina says. 

    Her goal is to bridge the connection between Western therapies and the ancient healing art of acupuncture, changing small-animal veterinary medicine through integrated disciplines. “I’m unique,” says Nina. “I do pure acupuncture. I don’t use herbs; they’re not regulated and can have side effects if you mix them with some Western medications.”   

    Nina’s office is located in Bohemia, at Atlantic Coast, a 24-hour emergency and specialty care veterinary hospital. Her acupuncture room is equipped to relax her patients using the scent of lavender, the soothing sounds of running water and low light. “Normal [Western] veterinarians prescribe steroids and rest [after surgery],” Nina explains. “For me, the gold standard is surgery and then acupuncture.”  And how do animals react to these treatments? Nina says, “For most, by the third or fourth visit they are so relaxed sometimes they snore through the session.” Indeed, when Nina played a video of one of her patients, you could see how anxious the dog was before treatment and the serenity it was feeling during the acupuncture session. “It [acupuncture] makes them comfortable,” Nina says, “I’ve gotten really good response rates.”  

    Acupuncture is helpful with degenerative diseases and is one of the safest therapies available, Nina says. “Dogs can lose control of their hind legs. It’s a horrific disease and Western medicine has nothing for it.” She went on to describe other disorders for which Eastern medicine can help alleviate symptoms using acupuncture, including arthritis, neurological disease, gastrointestinal and skin disorders, bladder control, anxiety and pain control. Accupuncture has also been helpful with alleviating some of the side effects of chemotherapy. Nina also uses electroacupuncture (passing a small current through needles), acupressure (pressure applied to acupuncture points), aquapuncture (injecting solutions into acupuncture points) and moxibustion (warming acupuncture points). These therapies seem to help with the animal’s quality of life as well as their comfort, Nina said. 

    “Sometimes I feel like I’m doing pioneer work,” Nina says. “I help them [pet owners] to take the leap. How can we have companion animals and not try to help them? In Western medicine sometimes there’s no place to go; with Eastern there’s hope.” 

     

    To contact Dr. Malik or for more information call (631) 285-7780 or go to www.atlanticcoastvet.com

     

    If you know a super woman who deserves good Fortune—and a profile—e-mail your nominations to Beverly at bfortune@longislandpress.com. 

     

    http://www.longislandpress.com/articles/fortune52

     

  • Acupuncture for Animals

    Natural Awakenings - Community Spotlight

    February 2009

    by Rachel Sokol


    Pet owners want nothing but the best for their animals.  After all, dog is man's best friend.  So, when a pet needs medical attention, owners will often times do whatever they can to help their furry friends feel better, both physically and emotionally, which usually means a trip to the veterinarian.

       Nina Malik, DVM is a veterinary acupuncturist at Atlantic Coast Veterinary Specialists in Bohemia.  But she's not your average veterinarian.  A member of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture, and the AVMA, Malik practices both traditional - Western - medicine and Eastern, more holistic, medicine.  She embraces acupuncture as a means of healing for animals.

       "I started out as a Western practitioner and in doing so had to euthanize pets that weren't really in critical condition.  I thought, there has to be a better way than just putting these animals down, " she says, admitting that practicing solely as a traditional vet was "very hardening" at times.  "So, I looked into acupuncture."

       According to Malik, who trained extensively as an animal acupuncturist in both Pennsylvania and New York, only certified veterinarians legally can practice acupuncture on animals.  In fact, Malik is one of the few animal acupuncturists on Long Island, which makes her practice truly unique.

       "On Long Island, there is a big division between treating animals the Western way or the Eastern way; it's either one way or the other.  However, I do both," she says. 

       When treating an animal, Malik is extremely thorough, and will sit with the animal for 30 minutes if she has to when using acupuncture needles on their bodies.  "I do a full physical with the animals.  I'll conduct a full Western exam on them and then do a Chinese exam."  After that, she'll give the animals both a Western and an Eastern diagnosis.

       Malik recalls a situation she had when a pet owner thanked her for being so thorough with their dog, informing Malik that another veterinarian didn't even glance at their dog's X-Rays or charts.

       Most of Malik's patients are older dogs suffering from paralysis and arthritis, but she says acupuncture can be effective on any animal, large or small, and treat various ailments including the side effects of cancer and gastrointestinal issues.  Because cats don't usually have as many arthritis ailments as dogs, Malik doesn't treat as many of them via acupuncture. 

       "With older dogs, the owners often bring them for acupuncture to just try it out; just give it a whirl.  They don't want to put their dog through surgery at 13 years old."  According to Malik, most dogs are nervous when they first come in for acupuncture, but by the third treatment or so, they fall asleep.

       Any breed of dog meets the criteria for acupuncture, for Malik hasn't found that acupuncture is more or less effective on a certain type of dog.  And, practicing what she preaches, Malik herself underwent a series of acupuncture treatments a few years back, when a tumor was discovered in her ankle. 

       Various types of acupuncture can be practiced on animals, including aquapuncture, in which a small solution is injected at an acupuncture point, extending the effects of acupuncture.  "I'll use aquapuncture on an animal's acupuncture point when I don't want to put a needle in that particular spot, such as over the lungs," says Malik.

      Aside from acupuncture, Malik is also trained in infrared light therapy, which is another modality that can be used to heal pain.

       Malik truly believes in the power of acupuncture as a healing modality for pets.  Stressing her compassion and patience with every animal she works with, according to Malik, the animals really love their acupuncture sessions.  "They know they will feel better after their session and are excited to see me when they come in."

      Malik is well-aware about some of the skepticism surrounding what she does.  "While Long Island is progressive compared to other places, I still feel like I am a pioneer.  It will take time for acupuncture to become popular as a form of animal treatment," she says.

Copyright Nina Malik, 2008. All rights reserved.

Web Hosting by Yahoo!