Veterinary acupuncture treats chronic and acute pain, arthritis, injuries, neurologic conditions, cancer, inflammation, preventive care, skin disorders, post-surgical recovery, aging, allergies, and end-of-life and palliative care. 

SEE FULL TREATMENT LIST

There’s no exact formula that works for every pet. In general, pets will require more frequent treatments initially, and we will hopefully space them out as your pet improves. For significant health issues, treatments might begin at one to two times per week. For milder conditions, we might start with a treatment every couple of weeks. It can take three to four sessions to begin to see results from acupuncture. 

The goal is to do treatments frequently enough that we are building on improvements gained from each session and not waiting so long that pets start to slide backward between treatments. That said, I am always willing to work within any limitations you might have, such as availability or finances. For the best results, your pet should receive an acupuncture treatment on the recommended schedule. During the initial treatment period, we will discuss how your pet responds to the acupuncture treatments and evaluate the frequency of future visits.

Small needles are placed at specific acupuncture points and left in place for 10 to 25 minutes. Most pets do very well with acupuncture, much to the surprise of their pet parents. Treatment should take place in a calm and quiet location in your home where your pet feels comfortable relaxing. Often, petting and treats from you can help acupuncture go smoothly. 

Dry Needling: Small, solid needles are used to stimulate acupuncture points. Dry needling is what I use in the majority of my patients. 

Electro-Acupuncture: A gentle electrical current is sent through some of the needles to increase stimulation. I use this primarily to treat neurologic issues, but I may use it in other cases as well. 

The number of sessions your pet may need to find relief depends on the diagnosis. Sometimes improvements start to come after one session and sometimes it can take three to four sessions before changes are noticed. With chronic conditions, it can take regular sessions to maintain the benefits of acupuncture. 

From a TCVM perspective, acupuncture points are used to treat your pet’s root pattern of disharmony by regulating the flow of qi (energy) in the body and stimulating the body to heal itself.

From a western perspective, several different physiologic changes occur during acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture points are often at locations in the body where blood vessels and nerves are closer to the surface. 

This allows stimulation of those points to enact specific changes on the body. Also, acupuncture stimulates the body to produce endorphins and opioid-like compounds which can relieve pain.