Acupuncture for dogs and cats - The Holistic Vet for your pets healthcare.

What You Can Expect From Veterinary Acupuncture

Acupuncture is known to have good therapeutic effect in a wide variety of animal diseases. Although pain moderation is an important application in veterinary acupuncture, it has much wider applications. It is generally considered to be beneficial for most functional disorders. It is also efficacious for numerous structural disorders as well.

Besides therapy, acupuncture is useful in clinical practice as a diagnostic aid. Many clinical conditions can be differentiated and localized with the use of manual examinations or instruments. Even when acupuncture is indicated, it must be weighed in context with alternatives. In addition, the owner's objectives, preferences and personal values must be carefully considered.

It is interesting to note that not all conditions respond equally well when compared between species of domestic animals. For example, in cattle it is particularly useful for endocrine. reproductive and metabolic disorders; in horses, locomotor and musculoskeletal problems. In dogs and cats it can be especially useful for many neurologic and gastrointestinal conditions.

Generally speaking, indications for acupuncture therapy fall into three categories. First, it may be a primary therapy. In this instance, acupuncture is considered to be the method of choice or is selected as the principal modality of therapy. Second, it may be more appropriate to utilize acupuncture as supportive of adjunctive therapy. Third, acupuncture may be viewed as a backup or alternative therapy when standard treatments are inadequate.

It is not unusual to use acupuncture in conjunction with other therapeutic modalities and methods of supportive care. It can be used simultaneously with many traditional Western therapies. It is especially useful in bridging the gap between medicine and surgery. In addition, it is compatible with many non-traditional and holistic approaches to veterinary care such as homeopathy and chiropractic.

There are clearly circumstances where acupuncture wiould be useless or even contradicted (see Limitations and Contradictions of Acupuncture). It is not intended to replace other modalities when they are appropriate. Knowing when and how to integrate acupuncture with the overail management of an animal's injury or illness requires considerable clinical skill and discretion. if your animal has a compound leg fracture, he/she needs orthopedic surgery. Nonetheless, post operative acupuncture minimizes post operative pain, facilitates a quicker return to function, as well as lessens post operative arthritis.

The following are examples of some of the clinical conditions where veterinary acupuncture may be appropriate.

A. Gastrointestinal disorders, esophageal hypomotility, gastritis, rumen atony, gastroenteritis, colitis, megacolon, rectal prolapse, chronic idiopathic diarrhea or vomiting.

B. Respiratory problems: rhinitis, sinusitis, laryngitis epistaxis, bronchial asthma, chronic coughing, pneumonia.

C. Neurological disorders: trigeminal neuralgia, peripheral nerveparalysis, nystagmus, vestibular syndrome, torticollis, nondegenerative myclopathies, epilepsy, stroke, deafness, coma.

D. Musculoskeletal disorders: chronic degenerative joint disease, intervertebral disc disease, spondylosis, spondylothesis, hip dysplasia, disunited anconeal process, tendonitis, sprains, muscle spasms e.g. trapezius spasm.

E. Reproductive, endocrine, and metabolic disorders: ovarian cysts, dystocia, retained placenta, uterine prolapse, mastitis, udder edema, milk fever, hepatitis, jaundice.

F. Immunosuppressive and allergic disorders.

G Dermatologic disorders: lick granulomas, sensory nervodermatitis, allergic dermatitis.

H. Urinary disorders: incontinence, cystitis, urine retention.

I. Emergencies: cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest.

Is Acupuncture For Your Animal?

If you are considering acupuncture for your animal, what would you expect when you consult with a veterinary acupuncturist?

1. A careful history of the sequence of signs and symptoms your animals condition will be obtained. In some cases, previous xrays and laboratory data may be important if not essential.

2. Your animal will be examined and physical findings recorded.

3. A diagnosis should be established, or a plan outlined to confirm a tentative diagnosis.

4. The veterinarian will discuss with you your animal's candidacy for acupuncture. If it is indicated, the following topics should be included: a proposed schedule of treatments or plan of therapy, an explanation of the prognosis, possible sequelea, estimated fees and a review of the alternatives. He/she will also indicate any preliminary steps or supportive care that may be indicated in conjunction with acupuncture therapy.

5. If you have been referred to a veterinary acupuncturist by another veterinarian, you should expect that your regular veterinarian will be kept informed by the acupuncturist.

For some conditions, one treatment is all that is necessary. This is not usually the case. Typically acupuncture therapy requires multiple treatment. Five to six is common, and for some long-standing problems, sometimes up to ten or twelve treatments. Often convincing signs of improvement will be observed after the second or third treatment. However, it is important to know that how completely an animal recovers does not necessarily correspond to how fast improvement is noted. Many kinds of illness require persistence in order for acupuncture to work.

Perhaps even more than with traditional veterinary care, you should recognize that the veterinary care is very personal as are your priorities, values and philosophy. Therefore, you should feel comfortable in being very direct in asking questions or discussing the rational of any proposed treatment. Be certain that acupuncture is not a panacea. Becoming informed about veterinary acupuncture and selecting a veterinarian in whose skill and judgement you can have confidence are prerequisites.

What to expect at the time of treatment

Ordinarily, pain and discomfort associated with acupuncture treatment is conspicuously absent or minimal. In fact, there is typically far less discomfort associated with an acupuncture treatment than with an ordinary vaccination or hypodermic injection.

Occasionally, there is a brief moment of sensitivity as an acupuncture needle penetrates the skin in certain sensitive areas. Once the needles are in place, most animals relax. Some will even fall asleep during treatment.