Five Things to Know About Veterinary Acupuncture

Acupuncture for pets is a great addition to our services here at Jenison Animal Hospital. Adding this holistic pet healthy option can open a lot of doors! Learn all about acupuncture for pets and how they can benefit.

What Is Acupuncture for Pets Anyways?

Acupuncture originated in China thousands of years ago, and has been long used to manage and treat a variety of conditions in people.

Traditional Chinese acupuncture is based on correcting the flow of chi (qi) energy through the body. It is thought that qi flows along predetermined pathways that, when disrupted, cause problems in the body. 

An acupuncture treatment consists of the strategic placement of needles to stimulate blood flow along a particular pathway of energy in order to correct the qi. 

There is some evidence that needle placement can stimulate neural-hormonal pathways. The resulting release of hormones can have effects like pain relief and decreased inflammation. 

Top Five Things to Know

Acupuncture is not as common as some other pet treatment modalities, so it seems that not as many of our pet parents are familiar with its use. Here are our top five things to know:

• Acupuncture has many uses: There are so many applications for acupuncture for pets. From cancer management to seizure disorders to gastrointestinal problems, acupuncture can be used to address almost anything. 
• Most pets enjoy treatments: While a little intimidating to think about, the tiny needles that we use for acupuncture treatments are generally well tolerated by pets, and many even seem to enjoy the pampering.
• Acupuncture can be a great pet pain management tool: Acupuncture can be extremely helpful to aid in management of both chronic and acute pet pain. Be it osteoarthritis, post-surgical discomfort, or even nerve pain, acupuncture can help.
• It doesn’t exist in a vacuum: You don’t have to pick between holistic pet care and traditional approaches. They are often complementary!
• Side effects and contraindications are limited: Overall acupuncture treatments are very safe, and side effects are almost non-existent. Likewise, contraindications are pretty rare. 

Veterinary acupuncture is a fabulous tool and an excellent adjunct to many of our other offerings. If you have questions about how your pet might benefit, don’t hesitate to ask us. We are excited to share!