Acupuncture: Help for the whole system

As the days get shorter and the nights get colder our older pets start to look a little older sometimes as the weather brings out all the normal aches and pains that come with age.

It can be hard when thinking of ways to help them that will allow your pet to live better without potentially harmful side effects of many medications

Understanding Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one the first forms of medicinal treatment developed in China to treat both disease and illness. It works by tapping into the body’s nervous system eliciting specific responses from the brain resulting in clinical improvement of the condition being treated. As with many forms of medicine, acupuncture was first developed for humans and livestock species such as cattle, pigs, and horses that were needed for human survival. It was not until much later that acupuncture was developed for our companion animals such as dogs and cats.

What Can Acupuncture Be Used For:

• Acupuncture relies on the body’s ability to help heal itself making it an effective tool treating a wide variety of ailments most commonly including:
  • Arthritis/Pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • IVDD
  • EPM
  • Anxiety

How Does Acupuncture Work?

A simple way to think about acupuncture points are areas on the body where your nervous system is closer to the surface and can be influenced using different methods of pressure/sensation.

• Dry Needling: This is the most basic form of acupuncture in which solid needles are placed through the skin and into specific areas that have been shown to directly affect the nervous system. These stimulations trigger specific responses in the brain altering the release of hormones throughout the body eliciting the desired effects.
• Electroacupuncture: This is when electrodes are attached to the dry needles already placed in acupuncture points. Specific points are joined together in different ways to elicit different responses or to amplify the response of a specific point. This is used a lot to help reestablish connections within the body that are blocked by a large amount of stagnation due to various injuries. Different frequencies used along the points are also used to further define and specify the exact response the acupuncturist is looking to elicit in the body
• Aquapuncture: This involves the use of hollow needles to allow the acupuncturist to inject substances over individual acupuncture points. These acupuncture points will continually be stimulated until the body absorbs the substance. The most common substances injected include diluted B12 and sterile saline. However, any liquid substance can be placed over direct points to accentuate the affects. For example, a joint supplement called Adequan can be injected over different blood/Qi points to accentuate the desired affects of the joint supplement itself by involving the own bodies nervous system in transporting the drug where it needs to go.
• Beading: This involves implantation of a bead, marble, or stitch over an acupuncture point to extend the affects of the specific point. This is most done for treating chronic conditions or anxiety. This is the method used when people go to get an ear piercing to help with anxiety or migraines. The individual can rub/stimulate the piercing when they are having trouble and it will be able to stimulate the nervous system appropriately for them to help.


The Role of Acupuncture in Western Medicine

While acupuncture can be used as a sole treatment method for many conditions, in my experience it works best when used in conjunction with other medications/drugs. Healing works best when we use all our tools together to bring the body the help it needs. Our drugs are more effective when administered into a healthy nervous/transport system. At Carrollton Animal Hospital we use a completely integrated approach using acupuncture as another treatment method available to help our patients.

When to Seek an Acupuncturist

It is important to try and specifically seek out an acupuncturist when you have limited options with western medicine and anytime the nervous system itself is directly involved. You will see the greatest return on investment when seeking acupuncture to treat conditions in which you want to bring strength back into a system. For example, if your dog gets IVDD and loses the ability to effectively move one or more legs acupuncture is your best prognosis without surgery. Acupuncture will directly stimulate the body the reestablish lost connections giving your pet their best chance at a normal life after injury.

Our Commitment to You

At Carrollton Animal Hospital, we provide complete integrative medicinal care including acupuncture. If we do not think acupuncture will work for your pet, we will tell you so.

Resources for Pet Owners

To further your understanding of acupuncture I recommend checking out the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncturists website (AAVA).

In Conclusion

As we spend more time at home this holiday season, we may notice some of our animals having some difficulty. If you think your pet may benefit from some acupuncture to get their body back in balance, do not hesitate to give us a call.