What is Animal Acupuncture?
Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years.
Animal acupuncture, on the other hand, has made its way into veterinary medicine in more recent years.
During an acupuncture session, the veterinarian places small needles at specific points on your pet’s body.
Acupuncture promotes the flow of Qi throughout your pet’s body and balances your pet’s Yin and Yang.
Western Medicine has no equivalent to Qi.
In Eastern Medicine, Qi is essential to life and is constantly flowing throughout the body.
It flows on meridians, or pathways, which connect the external surface to the internal organs of the body.
By inserting needles into specific points on the body, we can affect the function of the internal organs and help the body to heal when the disease is present.
Yin and Yang are equal yet opposite forces that occur in nature.
Yin corresponds to night-time, cold, rest and calm. Yang corresponds to daytime, hot, and activity of the body.
There is a constant balance of the forces in the body as well as in nature.
When one force becomes excessive, then the balance is lost. If this occurs in living organisms, this results in disease.
Animal acupuncture promotes energetic balance in your pet by balancing your pet’s Yin and Yang forces.
We often use Eastern Herbs and Food Therapy along with Acupuncture to achieve the best results.
These treatments are sometimes used as the sole treatment of the body but may also be used in conjunction with Western medicine and surgery.
Some common conditions where Eastern Medicine may be used include:
- Disc disease
- Diarrhea
- Asthma
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Heart disease.
Is Animal Acupuncture Safe?
Acupuncture is generally a very safe procedure with few side effects.
Occasionally, lethargy may occur for a day or two after the acupuncture session.
This is due to the physiologic changes taking place in the body.
An acupuncture session’s frequency and duration varies depending on the pet’s condition.
Generally, a mild condition such as a muscle strain may respond with only one short session.
More chronic conditions may require 30 minute sessions 3 to 4 times a week for several weeks, then tapering off after several weeks.