Education Health Veterinary Acupuncture

Veterinary Acupuncture

By Lee Pickett, V.M.D.

Overview

Acupuncture is a therapeutic technique used in the practice of Traditional Chinese

Medicine (TCM). Other TCM therapies include electroacupuncture, moxibustion,
aquapuncture and gold bead implants.
Acupuncture denotes the introduction of needles into specific locations – "points" –

on the surface of the body, while electroacupuncture involves the flow of a small
current of electricity through some of the needles.
Moxibustion is the warming of a point by burning the herb mugwort (Artemis

vulgaris) above the surface of the skin.
Aquapuncture refers to the injection of a sterile substance into an acupuncture

point. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s position on acupuncture is as
follows:
Veterinary acupuncture and acutherapy involve the examination and stimulation

of specific points on the body of nonhuman animals by use of acupuncture
needles, moxibustion, injections, low-level lasers, magnets, and a variety of other
techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of numerous conditions in animals.
Veterinary acupuncture and acutherapy are now considered an integral part of
veterinary medicine. These techniques should be regarded as surgical and/or
medical procedures under state veterinary practice acts. It is recommended that
educational programs be undertaken by veterinarians before they are considered
competent to practice veterinary acupuncture.
Pennsylvania law requires that acupuncture be performed on animals only by a licensed

veterinarian. This law protects pets from the possibility of being treated by someone
who may not recognize an underlying medical problem which could be better treated
using Western medical therapies. Most veterinarians who practice acupuncture have
completed a comprehensive training and certification program given by the
International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.
Disorders Treated by Acupuncture
The ideal use of acupuncture and TCM is in conjunction with Western medicine. Western
medicine focuses on treatment of the external cause of the problem (e.g., by
combatting the invading bacteria with an antibiotic), while TCM focuses on the
internal problem (e.g., fortifying the immune system which could not defend the
body from the bacteria).
Acupuncture can therefore be used as an adjunct to conventional medical

treatment of most disorders. The most common such uses in dogs and cats are in
the management of pain and weakness associated with hip dysplasia,
degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis), spondylosis, rheumatoid arthritis,
intervertebral disc disease, cauda equina syndrome and traumatic nerve injuries;
in epilepsy if medications alone are unable to control seizures; in allergic skin
disease and lick granulomas; in diseases in which the immune system requires
stimulation; and to resuscitate patients suffering from cardiopulmonary arrest and
shock.
How Acupuncture Works
Some but not all of the actions of acupuncture can be explained in terms familiar
to conventional Western medicine and science. Acupuncture is thought to exert its
pain-relieving effects by releasing brain chemicals such as endorphins and by
blocking transmission of pain signals up the spinal cord to the brain. Function is
thought to be enhanced through increased blood circulation to the area needled.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, disease is thought to be due to an imbalance of yin

and yang (i.e., loss of homeostasis) as well as abnormal flow of Qi (loosely translated to
mean energy) and Blood. The objective of therapy is to restore balance and enhance
the flow of Qi and Blood by stimulating acupuncture points at various locations on
the body.
Precautions
Before acupuncture treatment is begun, a conventional Western workup is done to

determine whether other therapies would be more appropriate or even whether
acupuncture is contraindicated. For example, it is essential to differentiate joint pain
due to osteoarthritis (a chronic degenerative disorder for which acupuncture is
useful) from septic arthritis (a joint infection for which other treatment is more
appropriate).
Adverse reactions from acupuncture are rare if the correct points, depths of needle
insertion, needling techniques and retention times are used. The possibility of
infection (though extremely low) is minimized by using sterile needles and
needling only uninfected skin. Bleeding occurs only rarely; when it does, the few
drops released from the acupuncture point are a positive sign.
For a day or so after an acupuncture treatment, the patient may experience

drowsiness, weakness or mildly increased pain. These transient effects are generally
considered good prognostic signs, but treatments should not be scheduled for the
day before competition or heavy exercise (e.g., obedience trials, hunting, etc.)
Corticosteroids (particularly at high doses) may block some of the effects of

acupuncture.
Some acupuncture points are not used during pregnancy because they may
stimulate premature delivery.
Other potential adverse reactions include hives and increased growth rate of
established tumors when the immediate area is treated.
Techniques and Treatment Schedules
Treatments consist of one or more of the following techniques, depending on the

pet’s specific problem: 1) inserting sterile acupuncture needles into the skin at
various locations; 2) attaching an electroacupuncture unit to some of the needles
to provide a small, non-painful electrical current; or 3) heating the acupuncture
point by burning the herb "mugwort" (which smells like incense) above the point.
Most dogs don’t mind treatments, although not all cats tolerate them well. Animals that
do not like acupuncture treatments are not treated. The owner remains with the pet
throughout the treatment.
A typical treatment schedule is two treatments per week for the first two weeks,
followed by one treatment per week for one month. Thereafter, treatments are
gradually stretched out to a schedule that meets the pet’s needs, typically one
treatment every one to three months. Some improvement is usually noted by about
the fourth treatment; if no improvement is seen by the sixth treatment, additional
treatments are unlikely to prove beneficial. Acute episodes (such as
musculoskeletal injury) require only short-term therapy, but chronic problems may
require life-long therapy.
Suggested Reading
Altman, Sheldon. Acupuncture Therapy in Small Animal Practice. Textbook of

Veterinary Internal Medicine, Third Edition, Edited by Stephen J. Ettinger, 1989,
pp. 484-498.
Beinfield, Harriet, and Efrem Korngold. Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese
Medicine. Ballantine Books, New York, 1991.
Kendall, D.E. A Scientific Model for Acupuncture, Part I. American Journal of

Acupuncture 17(3):251-268.
Kendall, D.E. A Scientific Model for Acupuncture, Part II. American Journal of
Acupuncture 17(4):343-360.
Schoen, Allen M. Veterinary Acupuncture: Ancient Art to Modern Medicine. American

Veterinary Publications, Inc., California, 1994.
Schwartz, Cheryl. Four Paws, Five Directions. Celestial Arts Publishing, California,
1996.

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Veterinary Acupuncture

By Lee Pickett, V.M.D.

Acupuncture is a therapeutic technique used in the practice of Traditional Chinese

Acupuncture denotes the introduction of needles into specific locations – "points" –

Moxibustion is the warming of a point by burning the herb mugwort (Artemis

Aquapuncture refers to the injection of a sterile substance into an acupuncture

Veterinary acupuncture and acutherapy involve the examination and stimulation

Pennsylvania law requires that acupuncture be performed on animals only by a licensed

Disorders Treated by Acupuncture

Acupuncture can therefore be used as an adjunct to conventional medical

How Acupuncture Works

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, disease is thought to be due to an imbalance of yin

Before acupuncture treatment is begun, a conventional Western workup is done to

For a day or so after an acupuncture treatment, the patient may experience

Corticosteroids (particularly at high doses) may block some of the effects of

Techniques and Treatment Schedules

Treatments consist of one or more of the following techniques, depending on the

Altman, Sheldon. Acupuncture Therapy in Small Animal Practice. Textbook of

Kendall, D.E. A Scientific Model for Acupuncture, Part I. American Journal of

Schoen, Allen M. Veterinary Acupuncture: Ancient Art to Modern Medicine. American

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