Pet acupuncture has been growing in popularity, especially for natural pain remedies for dogs.
How come?
Acupuncture is one of the oldest medical treatments in existence, originating in China more than 5,000 years ago.
Back in the ’70s, acupuncture exploded in popularity in people and has recently been gaining more traction for treatment in pets.
How does acupuncture work?
The goal is to promote the body to heal itself.
Our bodies have an amazing innate ability to heal themselves when given the right tools, and our pets are no different.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into the body’s tissues at acupoints, which is where nerve bundles and blood vessels come together.
These acupoints are all over the body along meridians (where energy or Qi flows according to Chinese medicine). These needles enhance blood circulation, nervous system stimulation, and the release of anti-inflammatory, feel-good, and pain-relieving hormones.
Acupuncture can work for both dogs and cats.
Unlike prescription medications, there are no adverse effects from acupuncture.
Some pets can be sensitive at certain points due to trigger points in the muscles or the correlated organ system being inflamed.
However, most pets relax and enjoy the treatment, because the body produces natural endorphins and provides natural pain relief for both dogs and cats.
What do we use acupuncture for?
Traditionally, acupuncture has been used for pain control with conditions such as osteoarthritis, injuries, or post-surgery in rehabilitation.
Learn more about natural pain remedies for dogs and cats here: Natural Pain Relief for Dogs and Cats
However, there are many other conditions we can use acupuncture in.
Allergies, cancer support, nausea, appetite stimulation, and any chronic illness are some of the conditions we can use acupuncture for.
The beauty of acupuncture is that it can complement any other conventional treatment and will enhance the effectiveness of that treatment without any adverse side effects.
What does a typical acupuncture appointment look like?
Most acupuncture sessions last anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes, and each pet will have a varying number of needles placed because we treat each pet as an individual.
When we are first starting treatments, the frequency is increased with usually 2-3 treatments per week, and then a longer duration in between treatments as the pet responds.
We recommend at least 4-6 treatments before deciding if your pet is going to respond.
Remember acupuncture is modulating the immune system and helping the body heal, so sometimes it can take a little time for some pets to start responding to the treatments.
Whether your pet has allergies or a chronic disease, there is a way to treat it with acupuncture.
Because acupuncture can be integrated with other holistic modalities, like herbal medicine, we can achieve excellent results to heal the body, whereas conventional medicine tends to only treat the symptoms.
Due to the limitations with conventional medicine, this may be why you find yourself at the vet’s office every time allergy season returns or for whatever problem you’re trying to fix.
Meet Ryker.
He’s an incredible German Shepherd, but unfortunately is allergic to many things.
He recently had an acupuncture treatment due to a flare-up of his allergies. Ryker had some improvement and along with continued herbal medicine, appropriate diet and continued acupuncture treatments, he would most likely reduce his allergies to a minimum.
Check out our blog post on allergies which can give you some other ways to help your pet’s allergies if you’re pet is battling this condition.
You can also learn how acupuncture specifically helps your itchy pets here: Itchy Pets, Nutrition and Acupuncture
This is just one way that acupuncture can help.
If you’ve been wondering if your pet can benefit from acupuncture and you’re in the Fort Collins, CO region, give us a call or book now. We come to you!
We love sharing with amazing pet parents like yourselves how holistic medicine can help your pet thrive naturally.
Get our FREE guide on natural remedies you can safely implement with your pets at home to help reduce their pain naturally by clicking here.
MORE NATURAL PET HEALTH INFORMATION
1. Grab your FREE PDF on the Top 5 Ways to Optimize Your Pet’s Health!
Sign up for your free guide to receive simple steps that you can implement today to help your pet achieve optimal health and reduce the risk of disease. Happier pets and fewer vet bills! Click here to get your guide!
2. Join our FREE Facebook Natural Pet Parent Community group for more natural health guidance.
You’ll join a group of amazing, like-minded pet parents who are supportive and engage actively to help pets achieve optimal health. Dr. Katie also goes live every week for a private Q&A with the group as an added bonus. Join by clicking here!
*Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian or doctor. The information contained in thenaturalpetdoctor.com is strictly for educational purposes. Therefore, if you wish to apply ideas contained in thenaturalpetdoctor.com, you are taking full responsibility for your actions. Please consult your veterinarian for medical advice for your own pets. Dr. Katie Woodley cannot answer specific questions about your pet’s medical issues or make medical recommendations for your pet without first establishing a veterinarian-client-patient relationship.