At Pets Aloud Veterinary we offer a variety of pet alternative medicine and holistic health treatments in addition to our regular veterinary services. It’s part of our commitment to natural treatment solutions and non-invasive procedures that work without the use of risky surgery or dangerous pain medications whenever possible and appropriate. One of the most effective of these is acupuncture for cats and dogs. Acupuncture is a centuries-old form of traditional Chinese medicine that has been proven to be very effective in the treatment of chronic pain and many other physical conditions and disorders, as well as in the general promotion of good health and wellness. It has been used in treating ailments in both humans and animals for thousands of years and now pet acupuncture is available for your pet through a trained and qualified veterinarian in Mahwah.
What Is Pet Acupuncture?
Acupuncture originated in China circa 150 BC and then slowly spread to the surrounding regions and eventually to the rest of the world and the West. It is based on the philosophy of a life force or physical energy, called qi or chi, that works in all living things.
This energy force travels throughout the physical body through pathways, commonly called meridians by acupuncture practitioners, and when it becomes unbalanced or interrupted in its flow in some way, usually due to injury or disease, physical and mental illness can often be the result.
Acupuncture is the technique of stimulating key junction points located along the chi meridians by gently inserting long thin needles under the skin. This can alter and influence the flow of the life energies to correct imbalances. It has been used for treating both humans and animals all over the world with great success. Focused therapeutic massage of key meridian points along the body is sometimes practiced as an alternative to using acupuncture needles.
Conditions Commonly Treated With Pet Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for a variety of health conditions and chronic disorders in pets, including but not limited to the following:
- Pain management – Many of the treatments that are commonly used to manage chronic and severe pain in pets caused by recovery from injury or surgery or other painful conditions like arthritis can also have unwanted side effects. Acupuncture is often used in combination with other medical treatments as a way to alleviate pain, discomfort, and suffering without unpleasant side effects.
- Dermatological disorders – Animal acupuncture treatment can be utilized to increase the circulation of blood and oxygen to the skin, which can be very helpful in the treatment of allergic dermatitis and granulomas, and also help to reduce the pain, itching, and scratching usually associated with skin disorders in pets and aid in the promotion of healing.
- Gastrointestinal problems – Animal acupuncture therapy can be used to stimulate and increase digestive secretions in the stomach and bowels, which helps to maintain proper gut health and to lessen the nausea, diarrhea, and discomfort associated with some common gastrointestinal disorders.
- Respiratory disorders – The symptoms of allergies, asthma, bronchitis, and other breathing problems can often be alleviated by the immune system boosting, blood and oxygen improving, and anti-inflammatory properties of veterinary acupuncture.
- Musculoskeletal conditions – The pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility associated with arthritis, joint injuries, nerve disorders, and hip dysplasia can be largely reduced through the use of therapeutic pet recovery acupuncture in combination with other medical treatments.
The Benefits Of Animal Acupuncture Therapy
Cats and dogs who are experiencing pain and stiffness from injury or surgery or are suffering from poor health in general due to age or disorders, as well as those who are being treated for specific medical conditions, can enjoy many positive health-promoting benefits from veterinary alternative therapy like acupuncture. It can help to increase and strengthen blood circulation, which delivers oxygen and necessary nutrients to the muscles and tissues of the body to aid in cell rejuvenation and healing.
This also helps to remove the metabolic waste material from the body, relaxes the muscles, reduces swelling and inflammation, and alleviates pain and discomfort. And animal acupuncture therapy is effective without any of the bad side effects that pets often experience from other treatments and medications.
What Happens During A Pet Acupuncture Session?
When your pet arrives at Pets Aloud Veterinary for their canine acupuncture or feline acupuncture session, they’ll be taken into an examination room and made comfortable on a padded table. Most pets will tolerate the animal acupuncture therapy sessions quite well, staying calm and relaxed and even becoming sleepy. But individual cats and dogs react in their own ways according to their unique personalities, so sometimes they need to be gently restrained by a veterinary technician for the first few sessions until they get used to it. Then the veterinary acupuncture therapist will gently insert long and very thin needles just under the surface of the skin, concentrating on key meridian points in your pet’s body such as specific muscles, tendons, nerve fiber clusters, and fascia. This has the effect of stimulating special neurotransmitters and synapses in the brain and altering the way your pet perceives pain, making them less receptive to the impulses, and thus reducing the sensation. Some animals refuse to stay calm and sit quietly for the pet acupuncture sessions, and in those situations, deep therapeutic massage of the key meridian points, a technique known as veterinary acupressure, can often be a calming and effective alternative to the traditional pet acupuncture device. Sessions will normally last for about 30 minutes to an hour. With the types of cases that we typically treat with veterinary alternative therapy at Pets Aloud Veterinary, multiple pet acupuncture sessions are required to successfully alleviate most conditions, to be determined by your veterinarian’s diagnosis, but often significant improvement of a pet’s symptoms can be achieved in just three or four pet recovery acupuncture sessions.
The use of canine acupuncture and feline acupuncture to treat painful medical conditions has been shown to be effective in numerous studies over the years, as well as through practical experience. It’s a popular form of veterinary alternative therapy that doesn’t rely on invasive solutions like surgery or dangerous pain medications. There are no known side effects from animal acupuncture treatment.
Acupuncture for cats and dogs isn’t the best solution for every pet, and it may not be appropriate for older pets or those with certain types of serious injuries or illnesses. But if you think your pet might benefit from veterinary acupuncture, schedule an appointment with Pets Aloud Veterinary in Mahwah, NJ, our online form and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible.
