Acupuncture is one of the primary branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) & is among the oldest healing practices in the world. According to Traditional Chinese medical theory stimulating specific acupuncture points corrects imbalances in the flow of Qi (energy) through the channels (meridians) in the body.

Animal acupuncture is very similar to human acupuncture, except of course the hair... In fact, canine & feline acupuncture points are organized based on anatomical location and a transposed meridian system taken from the human charts. It takes a very light touch, almost sensing a slight give or softness in the skin to locate the exact acupuncture point.

Each acupuncture point has a defined and specific function, based upon the response of the body. Some points may be used singly, but it is more common to use several points, treated simultaneously, to achieve the desired effect. According to TCM theory each acupuncture point communicates with a specific organ & reflects the conditions of that organ. When points are treated by acupuncture, the effect reaches the organ through the point and the meridian.

When I first started my acupuncture training I thought “What have I done, making a living sticking numerous needles in animals, attempting to get them to lay still AND then wanting them to come back for follow up treatments”. Well, the universe sends you what you need... My very first acupuncture case was a 12 year old very stressed, very arthritic, boxer. This old girl would pant non-stop, almost drown us in saliva and practically turn purple when she came through the front door of the clinic. To my great surprise I put one needle right in the top of her head (a calming point) and she stopped panting. By the time I had placed three needles she was out cold and farting up a storm. “Lucy” became an acupuncture junky. She no longer got worried coming into the clinic, her mobility improved substantially to the point that her owners knew when she was due for an acupuncture ‘tune-up’.

My experience was similar with the feline persuasion. Cats tend to be opinionated about having their back legs needled but other than that are typically very accepting of the whole procedure.

There is only the occasional dog or cat that we just cannot do acupuncture on. Many of those can be won over in the end but if acupuncture is not an option we have the Chinese Herbs, Homeopathy and Chiropractic adjustments to turn to.

Acupuncture and Western Medicine, when used together, have the potential to support and strengthen the individual animal towards balanced health.

Conditions that may benefit from Acupuncture.

Depending on the individual animal and the condition being treated, Acupuncture may be used as the primary medical modality or as an adjunct to Western medicine for treating the following conditions:

• Heart issues such as congestive heart failure, arrhythmias cardiomyopathy, hypertension, mitral valve disease, pulmonary edema.
• Gastro-intestinal issues such as anorexia, diarrhea, vomiting, pancreatitis, megacolon, inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal motility, megaesophagus, constipation, abdominal pain.
• Geriatric issues by general strengthening/tonification of aging organ systems.
• Liver disease including acute or chronic hepatitis, gall bladder issues, hepatic lipidosis, and jaundice.
• Immune disease including lupus, immune mediated haemolytic anemia, immune mediated thrombocytopenia, immune mediated polyarthritis, general immune deficiency.
• Skin conditions including allergic dermatitis, demodectic mange, perianal fistula, anal saculitis, military dermatitis, alopecia, ear infections, and eosinophilic granulomas.
• Musculoskeletal conditions such as spinal arthritis, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease.
• Neurologic disorders such as Intervertebral disk disease, fibrocartilaginous embolism, degenerative myelopathy epilepsy and geriatric vestibular disease (stroke), facial paralysis, fecal & urinary incontinence.
• Respiratory diseases such as asthma, cough, bronchitis, nasal discharge, sinusitis, pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infection.
• Urinary issues including acute & chronic renal failure, cystitis, bladder & kidney stones, glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, urinary incontinence.
• Trauma including open wounds, tissue healing, burns, ulcers and fistulas.

The above list is by no means complete it is simply meant to give an appreciation of the scope of problems that may benefit from acupuncture.

Every case is addressed on an individual basis & treatment options are chosen on an individual basis. By integrating more than one medical modality whether it is Western Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Herbs, Chiropractic Medicine or Homeopathy our goal is balanced health.

 

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