What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) technique that uses rounded needles (instead of sharp like vaccine or blood collection needles) to stimulate points to provide pain relief, move energy, release muscle pain, stimulate internal organs, and improve nerve conduction. The goal overall is to balance any areas of imbalance in the body.
What conditions can acupuncture help?
Acupuncture is helpful for many conditions and works best in the case of Neurologic issues, orthopedic issues, non-healing wounds, and geriatric disorders. Acupuncture is also beneficial for heart disease, cancer, chronic kidney disease, anxiety, skin issues, and seizures.
Does acupuncture really work?
Modern research shows acupoints are in areas with a high density of free nerve endings, mast cells, arterioles, and lymphatic vessels. Studies demonstrated that acupuncture in IVDD (disc disease) patients showed improvements on par or even better than surgery alone for disc disease. The results we have seen are remarkable. However, it can help many pets feel less pain and have more energy.
Can acupuncture make things worse or harm the pet?
Acupuncture is very safe when administered by a medical professional, and there are significantly few side effects related as things will either improve or not change.
How long until I see results, and how often should we come?
In some cases, you will see improvement after 24 hours, but most require a minimum of 3-6 treatments for notable improvement. Treatment frequency depends on the issue. Recommended visits are once or twice weekly initially. Visiting only 2-4 weeks, you can still see progress, but it will be slower.
My pet will not like acupuncture; won't it hurt?
You may be surprised how many pets (cats and dogs) will tolerate acupuncture, up to 95% of all animals. The needles are much smaller (as thin as hair) and more rounded at the tip than hypodermic needles. They push tissues aside instead of cutting. Your pet should notice some stimulation, but it is not painful. We go slow with "permission points" in accepted, not sensitive areas and help calm the pet down. After getting used to the treatment and knowing it doesn't hurt, they are often excited about continued sessions.
How should I prepare for the appointment, and what should I expect?
Try to keep your pet calm before the appointment, and be sure to feed he/she 30 minutes before arrival if needed. Only one pet parent for the appointment; please do not bring children. Please plan to be present the entire appointment as you will sit with your pet. Once the needles are in, your pet may be sleepy after the appointment. Let them rest and allow access to water. Some may feel more energetic or have an increased appetite. Full effects take 1-3 days, and you will not notice an immediate change.
How do I get started?
Call us to schedule an appointment today. The initial consultation is 1.5 hours and includes the first needling session. We will perform a TCVM exam history (which provides different information from the western exam), discuss if it's right for your pet, and formulate a plan. After that, each visit is 30-40 minutes. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us for pricing information.