References

The statutory regulation of the acupuncture profession.: The Report of the Acupuncture Regulatory Working Group, The Prince of Wales's Foundation for Integrated Health; 2003

British Medical Acupuncture Society. Hot Topics in Acupuncture. 2010. https://www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=130 (accessed 16 September 2021)

Carpenter JW, Marion CJ. Rodents, 5th edn. In: Carpenter JW, Marion CJ (eds). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier; 2018

Chrisman CL. ProQuest (Firm) and British Small Animal Veterinary Association, 4th edn. In: Platt S, Olby N. Quedgeley, Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2014

Clarke GL, Allen AM, Small JD, Lock A. Subclinical scurvy in the guinea pig. Vet Pathol. 1980; 17:(1)40-44 https://doi.org/10.1177/030098588001700104

Cohen S, Beths T. Grimace scores: Tools to support the identification of pain in mammals used in research. Animals (Basel). 2020; 10:(10)1726-1746 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10101726

Di Mattia D, Banco B, De Bellis F, Mancinelli E. Diagnostic challenge. J Exot Pet Med. 2017; 26:(4)310-313 https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jepm.2017.08.001

Ellen Y, Flecknell P, Leach M. Evaluation of using behavioural changes to assess post-operative pain in the guinea pig (cavia porcellus). PloS One. 2016; 11:(9) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161941

Canine spinal cord injury consortium (CANSORT-SCI). Classification of intervertebral disc disease. 2020. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2020.579025

Guzman DSM, Kapatkin AS. Orthopedics in Small Mammals, 4th edn. In: Quesenberry KE, Orcutt CJ, Mans C, Carpenter JW (eds). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier; 2021

Hammons JR. Vertebral subluxation in a guinea pig. Modern Vet Pract. 1979; 60:(3)

Hawkins MG, Bishop CR. Disease Problems of Guinea Pigs, 3rd edn. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW (eds). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Saunders; 2012 https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-4160-6621-7.00023-3

Henson FMD. Pathology of the thoracic dorsal spinous processes. Equine Vet Educ. 2019; 31:(1)34-36 https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.12764

Chapter 4: Effective pain management.Washington, D.C: National Academic Press; 2009

Janssens LAA. Acupuncture for Thoracolumbar and Cervical Disc Disease, 2nd edn. In: Schoen A.M. Missouri: Mosby Inc; 2001

Jeffery ND. Vertebral fracture and luxation in small animals. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2010; 40:(5)809-828 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2010.05.004

Ju ZY, Wang K, Cui HS Acupuncture for neuropathic pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017; 12:(12) https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd012057.pub2

Kitson R, Carr B. Tramadol and severe serotonin syndrome. Anaesthesia. 2005; 60:(9)934-935 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2005.04345.x

Kendler DL, Bauer DC, Davison KS Vertebral fractures: clinical importance and management. Am J Med. 2016; 129:(2)221.E1-221.E10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.09.020

Lee H, Seo J, Park S Acupuncture in patients with a vertebral compression fracture: a protocol for a randomized, controlled, pilot clinical trial. Journal of Pharmacopuncture. 2015; 18:(1)79-85 https://doi.org/10.3831/KPI.2015.18.009

Lindley S, Cummings M. Essentials of Western Veterinary Acupuncture.Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing; 2006

Lundeberg T, Kjartansson J, Samuelsson U. Effect of electrical nerve stimulation on healing of ischemic skin flap. Lancet. 1988; 332:(8613)712-714 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(88)90187-0

Mailis A. Compulsive targeted self-injurious behaviour in humans with neuropathic pain: a counterpart of animal autotomy? Four case reports and literature review. Pain. 1996; 64:(3)569-578 https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3959(95)00173-5

Mickelson MA, Mans C, Colopy SA. Principles of wound management and wound healing in exotic pets. Vet Clin Exot Anim. 2016; 19:(1)33-35 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvex.2015.08.002

Molnar R, Barber SM, Pharr JW, Panizzi L, Plaxton A. Healing of multiple fractured thoracic dorsal spinous processes in a Quarter horse. Can Vet J. 2012; 53:(3)279-282

Oliver VL, Athavale S, Simon KE Evaluation of pain assessment techniques and analgesia efficacy in a female guinea pig (cavia porcellus) model of surgical pain. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2017; 56:(4)425-435

Platt SR, Freeman AC. Neck and back pain, 4th edn. In: Platt S, Olby N. Quedgeley, Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2014

Platt SR, Olby NJ. Appendix 2: DAMNITV classification of disease. ProQuest (Firm) and British Small Animal Veterinary Association, 4th edn. In: Platt S, Olby N. Quedgeley, Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Neurology

Proks P, Johansen TM, Nývltová I Vertebral formulae and congenital vertebral anomalies in guinea pigs: a retrospective radiographic study. Animals. 2021; 11:(3)589-601 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030589

Schwart C. Traditional Chinese medical diagnosis in small animals. In: Schoen A.M. (Ed). Missouri: Mosby Inc; 2001

Smith PA, Stebbing MJ, Moran TD, Tarkkila P, Abdulla FA. Neuropathic pain and the electrophysiology and pharmacology of nerve injury. Drug Dev Res. 2001; 54:(3)140-153 https://doi.org/10.1002/ddr.10013

Swisher S, Lennox A. Analgesia in small exotic mammals: a review. Adv Small Anim Med Surg. 2015; 28:(11)1-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asams.2015.11.00

Turner PV, Pang DS, Lofgren JL. A review of pain assessment methods in laboratory rodents. Comp Med. 2019; 69:(6)451-467 https://doi.org/10.30802/AALAS-CM-19-000042

Williams-Fritze MJ, Carlson Scholz JA, Zeiss C Maropitant citrate for treatment of ulcerative dermatitis in mice with a C57BL/6 background. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2011; 50:(2)221-226

Williams LK, Csaki LS, Cantor RM, Reue K, Lawson GW. Ulcerative dermatitis in C57BL/6 mice exhibits an oxidative stress response consistent with normal wound healing. Comp Med. 2012; 62:(3)166-171

Zehnder A, Kapatkin AS. Orthopaedics in Small Mammals, 3rd edn. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW (eds). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Saunders; 2012

Using acupuncture to manage wound healing and chronic back pain in a guinea pig

02 October 2021
Volume 26 · Issue 9
Figure 4. Patient wearing a protective body bandage made from Granuflex (ConvaTec, USA) and cohesive bandage (NVS, UK). This body bandage was worn for 20 weeks to support wound healing and to prevent further self-trauma. It was also acting as a brace to support the back. Concerns were raised regarding the patient's quality of life if this was required to be worn long term. Note the patient's wide eyes and lack of facial grimace.
Figure 4. Patient wearing a protective body bandage made from Granuflex (ConvaTec, USA) and cohesive bandage (NVS, UK). This body bandage was worn for 20 weeks to support wound healing and to prevent further self-trauma. It was also acting as a brace to support the back. Concerns were raised regarding the patient's quality of life if this was required to be worn long term. Note the patient's wide eyes and lack of facial grimace.

Abstract

Acupuncture is being increasingly used in veterinary medicine in the management of wound healing and chronic pain. In this case study, a guinea pig responded to chronic back pain caused by fractures to multiple thoracic vertebral spinous processes and subsequent vertebral luxation, with severe compulsive self-injurious behaviour. This resulted in a large, full thickness skin wound. Wound healing was managed with a combination of support dressings, multi-model analgesia and manual acupuncture. The underlying back pain was initially managed with manual acupuncture and multimodal analgesia, then subsequently successfully managed long term with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and electroacupuncture.

The domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) is a popular children's pet and is also frequently used in laboratory animal medicine. As prey animals, they have evolved to hide their pain as a survival mechanism. Consequently, pain recognition for is challenging for both the pet owner and veterinary professional. This case study looks at a guinea pig who responded to chronic back pain with severe compulsive self-injurious behaviour. This resulted in a large, full thickness skin wound which was managed with a combination of support dressings, multimodal analgesia and manual acupuncture. Following wound healing, the underlying back pain was managed long term with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and electroacupuncture.

Manifestations of pain in guinea pigs may be subtle, infrequent and inconsistent. Because they are a prey species, signs may be suppressed around humans as a survival mechanism (Turner et al, 2019). Accurate pain assessment is essential for maintaining animal welfare. Frustratingly, analgesia in guinea pigs ‘remains an empirical exercise based on anecdote, experience and best practice’ (Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, 2009), highlighting a critical need for evidence-based recommendations. Extrapolation from pain assessment tools used in rabbits and rodents is unreliable (Cohen and Beths, 2020).

Unlock full access to the Vet Wound Library

Membership of The Veterinary Wound Library includes access to 50+ hours of specialist led webinars, find the latest product information, learn new skills and get the recognition you deserve for your favourite cases.

Membership options include:

  • Full access to specialist led webinars

  • Latest industry news and features

  • Resources and interactive product guides

  • Up to 5 passes for one address with a Practice Membership

Flexible subscriptions to suit you

From £9 GBP