Acupuncture for Animals

Can Acupuncture Be Used in the Veterinary Care of Animals?

I am often asked whether acupuncture can be utilized in the medical care of animals. The answer is that, yes, acupuncture can be, and often is, incorporated into veterinary care. Veterinary acupuncturists are well trained both in the medical care of animals and in the practice of acupuncture. Practitioners of veterinary acupuncture must be licensed veterinarians and have received formal training in acupuncture. They will employ various methods of achieving acupuncture benefit in animals. When possible they will achieve the therapeutic effect through the use of acupuncture needles inserted into strategic points in the body, but when necessary, due to the inability or unwillingness of the animal to remain still during the treatment, acupuncture will be performed by employing the use of lasers to trigger the desired response in the acupuncture points.

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that was developed in China at least 3,000 years ago, and may date back as many as 5,000 years. A word made up of the roots “acus” meaning needle, and “puncture” meaning the piercing of the skin, acupuncture literally translates to “puncture with needles.” By placing hair-fine needles into the skin at strategic points in the body known as “acupuncture points,” acupuncture can help to promote healing, alleviate pain, calm spasms and ticking, bolster the immune system, and generally encourage good health in myriad ways.