Pets contribute to people’s health in many different ways. Dogs and cats not only lower their owners’ blood pressure and foster their resistance to diseases but also help them regain a sense of being in cases of loneliness or despair. Dogs will assist their owners in conducting their daily routines, working as Seeing Eye dogs or retriever dogs. All the while, they give emotional support through unconditional love and devotion.
Among the list of health benefits dogs are able to provide, one category of medical help is often missed. It is the healing power of the Xoloitzcuintles, also known as Xolos (pronounced show-low), an ancient breed of hairless dogs. Believed to cure and ward off illnesses, the Xolos served in the Aztec culture as a means to alleviate arthritis pain by emitting heat through their furless bodies. Taking the role of heating pads, they have greatly contributed to people’s pain management over hundreds of years.
Nancy Gordon has enjoyed the benefits and the companionship of Xolos for 10 years. After a car accident had left her in constant pain that conventional remedies could not relieve, she took matters into her own hands. Hearing about Xolos and their healing powers, she acquired a dog from a Xolo breeder. The puppy, which she named Toaster, immediately helped ease the pains she had endured for years.
Going one significant step further, Gordon made it her goal to help other people take control of their chronic pain through the assistance of Xolos. She founded a nonprofit organization, Xolos for Chronic Pain Relief (X-CPRTM), to provide less affluent people suffering from chronic pain with a Xolo through funds she secures through donations, fundraisers and sponsorships.
While the demand for Xolos among pain sufferers is high, most people have to rely on funding to afford a Xolo. Gordon said she works with breeders throughout the states, and a dog will be shipped if a new owner cannot pick it up. She said she does not adopt Xolos from animal shelters because she needs to be certain about a dog’s temperament. With the growing demand for Xolos, Gordon said her nonprofit organization, depending on volunteers, is always looking for people interested in volunteering in fundraising, administration, research or any other capacity.
Gordon said Xolos help people manage any pain that responds to heat. The two kinds of Xolos, the hairless and the coated hairless, offer people pain relief but with different intensity and different time requirements. The hairless Xolo, growing fur only on the head, tail and feet, feels hot to the touch and therefore emits strong heat to the patient. Keeping the dog on the affected body parts for 15 to 20 minutes will result in the desired pain relief.
The coated Xolo, on the other hand, has very short, yet full body hair. Consequently, the heat the dog emits is moderate. To benefit from its pain relieving powers, patients have to hold the dog in contact for 20 to 30 minutes but can keep it on longer if they wish.
In addition to the heat, patients also benefit from the dogs’ weight. Gordon said the heavier the dog is the more traction he provides, for example keeping the patient’s shoulders away from the ears. However, to determine what size of Xolo fit best for a patient depends on the location of the pain, she said.
Gordon matches potential owners with the right dogs, considering the owners’ needs and personalities. Although the owners get the Xolos as puppies and therefore untrained, Gordon said Xolos are highly intelligent, and they adjust to the lifestyle of their owners. Xolos also stand out as guard dogs, Gordon said, and they easily bond with their owners to protect them.
Gordon also helps people who are financially able to cover the cost of buying a Xolo with finding the right match if they need the dog for health reasons and not merely want to get it as a pet. In addition, Gordon helps find trainers if the new owners wants to have their dogs trained as service dogs. Certifying Xolos as service dogs will allow the owners to take their dogs with them to public places that ban canines and to reap tax deductions.
To consider an applicant eligible for a Xolos, X-CPRTM requires that the person be physically and financially capable of taking care of the dog. Since Xolos are hairless, they need special care when exposed to the sun to prevent sunburn. At the same time, being natives of Mexico, they are accustomed to a hot climate and need to wear protective clothing in cold weather. A potential owner of a Xolo should also be aware of dental problems the dogs may have. Many Xolos will lose most of their teeth by the time they are adults.
On the other hand, the Xolos’ intelligence makes them excellent students and perfect retriever dogs. They easily learn to bring their owners requested items and to follow commands. Gordon said one owner trained her Xolo to alert her to approaching migraines. The dog, sensing the symptoms, always warned her in time, and she could take her preventive medication.
Comments