Pet Acupuncture

What is Acupuncture and how can it help my pet?

Acupuncture is a Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine practice helpful for systemic inflammation and pain. It has no side effects and can be used safely in patients with multiple diseases, including arthritis, heart disease, kidney disease, or neurologic disorders. Acupuncture has been practiced on animals for thousands of years, and the acupuncture points documented on dogs, cats, and horses are an accumulation of that knowledge. More recently, scientists have found that acupuncture increases blood flow to affected areas, decreases inflammatory mediators, and increases the body’s supply of endogenous opioids that respond to pain.

In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, acupuncture points lie along meridians. Meridians are channels of energy, or “chi,” in the body that govern different organs, such as the liver, kidney, bladder, and heart. There are also “master points” that govern areas of the body, such as the head, cranial abdomen, or hind limbs.

Each patient receives an individualized treatment plan tailored to their condition(s) and temperament. Most treatment plans involve 10 to 25 points along the meridians. Patients are typically given high value treats during the appointment to help them keep still for needle placement. Needles are retained in the body for about 15 minutes before being removed. If the patient will not sit still enough to retain the needles for the full 15 minutes, they still receive a benefit from the stimulation of the needle’s initial entry. Sometimes, B12 is injected at certain acupuncture points for additional stimulation.

Acupuncturists generally recommend allowing at least 3 sessions before trying to assess whether the treatments are achieving the desired effect.
Please call us at 860-349-9107 if you want to learn more or schedule an introductory consultation with Dr. Carey.