Pioneer Veterinary Services has two certified veterinary acupuncture practitioners providing acupuncture for dogs, cats, horses, cattle and other species.
What is Veterinary Acupuncture?
Veterinary acupuncture involves the placement of very fine, sterile needles at specific points on the body. These points are selected based on your animal’s condition, examination findings and treatment goals.
Acupuncture stimulates sensory nerves and other physiologic pathways involved in pain modulation and neuromuscular function. Most animals tolerate treatment very well, and many become relaxed during their appointment.
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When Might We Recommend Acupuncture?
Acupuncture may be considered as part of a treatment plan for:
- Osteoarthritis and chronic pain
- Back or neck discomfort
- Muscle soreness, tension or spasm
- Soft-tissue and musculoskeletal injuries
- Rehabilitation following injury or surgery
- Certain neurologic and mobility conditions
- Performance and working-animal musculoskeletal concerns
- Additional support as part of a multimodal pain-management plan
What to Expect at Your Appointment
If we are seeing your animal for acupuncture for the first time, the appointment will begin with an evaluation. We will review their history, assess their current condition and discuss your goals before developing an individualized treatment plan.
Depending on your animal’s needs, treatment may include acupuncture alone or acupuncture combined with therapeutic laser therapy. When both therapies are used, we will typically perform laser therapy first, followed by placement of the acupuncture needles.
The acupuncture needles are placed at selected points and remain in place for a period of time while your animal rests.
When appropriate, we may also use electroacupuncture, where a gentle electrical current is applied between selected acupuncture needles to provide additional stimulation. This may be useful for certain pain, musculoskeletal or neurologic conditions.
Appointments generally take 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the patient, condition and therapies being performed. Initial appointments are typically longer because they include an evaluation and development of the treatment plan.
Once a plan has been established, follow-up appointments are often shorter and more focused unless there has been a change in your animal’s condition or response to treatment.
The number and frequency of treatments will vary. Some animals may benefit from a series of treatments initially, while others may benefit from periodic treatment as part of longer-term management. We will recommend a plan based on your animal’s condition, response and treatment goals.
Is Acupuncture Right for My Animal?
Acupuncture isn’t appropriate or necessary for every patient. Our goal is to determine when it may provide meaningful benefit as part of your animal’s overall veterinary care.
If you are interested in acupuncture for your animal, contact Pioneer Veterinary Services to discuss whether an acupuncture assessment may be appropriate.