What is acupuncture for dogs?
Dog acupuncture is similar to human acupuncture in the sense that we place needles in very specific places in the skin and sometimes the muscle to target specific nerves or muscles to help alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, improve nerve function, and even improve organ function.
Veterinary acupuncture is a holistic and time-tested therapeutic approach that involves the insertion of thin needles at specific points on an animal's body to promote healing and alleviate various health conditions. This alternative medicine practice, rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, has gained popularity in veterinary care due to its potential to complement conventional treatments and provide pain relief, improve mobility, and enhance overall well-being in pets. Veterinary acupuncturists are skilled professionals who tailor treatments to the individual needs of each animal, offering a gentle and natural way to support their health and vitality.
Dr. Jessica Darmofal
43rd Avenue Animal Hospital
Is there more than one type of dog acupuncture?
There are actually a lot of types of acupuncture. Acupuncture has been around for hundreds and thousands of years and has evolved over time. There is everything from Chinese acupuncture to Korean acupuncture. What we practice here, which is now called medical acupuncture, has a scientific base.
How does the use of acupuncture impact the health and wellbeing of your dog?
Acupuncture has many benefits. The obvious things are that it can be used to improve patient comfort. It alleviates pain and inflammation, but it also has the benefit of helping you to connect more with your dog. These sessions are meant to be very pleasant, and you get the opportunity to sit and snuggle with your pet while they receive a rather pleasant experience that makes them feel better.
How old does your dog need to be to receive acupuncture?
My acupuncture patients are usually older. They're dogs that have arthritis or other muscular energy injuries. Juniper here is only three, but she's an athlete. She is my hiking buddy, and she also participates in agility, so she does get sore from time to time. We are also using acupuncture as an adjunct to help treat her liver disease.
What are some conditions that would benefit your dog by receiving acupuncture treatments?
As I said, most of my patients come for acupuncture treatments to alleviate chronic pain conditions, but we can also use it to help other conditions that are not so apparent on the surface. We have one kitty that I treat who has inflammatory bowel disease, and it helps reduce the frequency of her flareups. It helps with chronic allergies, itching, and nasal inflammation. I've got a couple of kitties with chronic inflammatory bladder disease, and acupuncture can also help those guys.
Would acupuncture complement my dog's current treatments?
Absolutely. Acupuncture is not meant to be a substitute for regular medical care, but it is designed to help make those therapies work better. It can make the healing process go faster. In some cases, it can reduce the doses of medications that your pet might need.
How can dog acupuncture be integrated with Western medicine?
That's essentially what we do here all the time. I primarily practice Western medicine. I was recently certified in acupuncture simply because I wanted to learn additional strategies to help make pets feel better. Most of my patients come in, and they get a traditional Western medicine exam and diagnosis, and we start a treatment plan. Then, we ultimately end up adding in acupuncture to help speed along the healing process.
How will a veterinarian determine if acupuncture is right for my dog?
Obviously, Juniper here is showing you how pleasant the experience is. She's pretty relaxed with it. Honestly, most pets can be a candidate for acupuncture. Even the most anxious friends will quickly learn that this process is pleasant, and they start to look forward to and enjoy their sessions.
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