Acupuncture for Dogs



It might come as a surprise to some but acupuncture has been used for the treatment of various animal ailments in China for just as long as it has been used for humans. There is evidence that a very early form of it, that resembled blood letting, was used over three thousand years ago. Today, acupuncture is used in the treatment of several conditions in dogs. Veterinarians that have been trained in the use of acupuncture have become common in many countries.

The principles that guide acupuncture hold true for animals as well as humans. Since dogs are mammals and have the same organs as humans, it is not surprising that the flow of vital energy between these organs would work in a similar manner to human beings. The full range of treatment in acupuncture is not available for use on animals because the animals are unable to relate the kind of information that is needed to make a complete analysis of their condition. Despite this, the practitioner will ask the pet's owner a serious of questions that often seem totally unrelated to the complaint. This is being done to make a diagnosis using the principles of Chinese Medicine.

There have been good results reported in the treatment of dermatological conditions, gastrointestinal disorders, chronic respiratory conditions, gynecological disorders, reproductive disorders, and back injuries. Several studies have been done on the use of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic back injuries in dogs and the results have been extremely favorable. Of course, pain relief is another condition that responds very well to acupuncture treatment, but again, it is hard to determine the exact location and type of pain the dog is feeling because of the communication difficulties.

Most dogs react very favorably to the actual treatment. In many cases, the animals are reported to be strangely calm and almost seem to realize that the treatment is doing them good. The normal treatment often takes forty five minutes to an hour and it is not unusual for a dog to lie perfectly still with minimum restraint for this time. There are some dogs that are so excitable by nature that it is impossible to administer the treatments without maximum restraint. This is rarely recommended, however, because there is evidence that the amount of chemical reactions going on in the excited animals would tend to counteract the results of the treatments.

Acupuncture treatment for dogs is similar to the treatment of humans in most ways. It is guided by the same underlying principle of treating the whole animal rather than a specific ailment. It needs as complete an understanding of the emotional and spiritual well being of the animal and it attempts to restore harmony to the natural order within it. Also, the treatments are generally combined with herbal treatments and can be done as a sole method of treatment or can be done in coordination with a more Western approach to veterinarian medicine.