Acupuncture Overview

Similar to human usage, acupuncture is gaining popularity in treating dogs.

According to Wikipedia, Veterinary acupuncture is the practice of performing acupuncture on animals.

Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia:

Acupuncture may be defined as the insertion of needles into specific points on the body to cause a desired healing effect. This technique has been used in veterinary practice in China, in a very limited form, to treat certain ailments. The Chinese also use acupuncture as preventive medicine against such problems as founder and colic in horses.

The major emergence of Veterinary Acupuncture onto the medical scene did not actually take place until the early 1970’s. Oddly enough, this did not occur in China, but in the United States. Veterinary Acupuncture was introduced into the United States in 1971, by members of the National Acupuncture Associations research team: Dr. Gene Bruno and Dr. John Ottaviano. In the process of treating thousands of small animals and several hundred horses, Bruno and Ottaviano trained Veterinarians who later founded the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS).[1]

Veterinary Acupuncture is used all over the world, either by itself or in conjunction with Western medicine, to treat a wide variety of maladies in every species of domestic and exotic animals. Modern veterinary acupuncturists use solid needles, hypodermic needles, bleeding needles, electricity, heat, massage and low power lasers to stimulate acupuncture points. Acupuncture is not a cure-all, but can work very well when it is indicated.

Acupuncture is indicated mainly for functional problems such as those that involve paralysis, noninfectious inflammation (such as allergies), and pain. For small animals, the following are some of the general conditions that are treated with acupuncture:

• Musculoskeletal problems, such as arthritis or vertebral disc pathology, and hip dysplasia • Skin problems, such as lick granuloma • Respiratory problems, such as feline asthma • Gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea • Selected reproductive problems

For large animals, acupuncture is again commonly used for functional problems. Some of the general conditions where it might be applied are the following:

• Musculoskeletal problems, such as sore backs or downer cow syndrome • Nervous system problems, such as facial nerve paralysis • Skin problems, such as allergic dermatitis • Respiratory problems, such as heaves (emphesema) and “Bleeders” • Gastrointestinal problems, such as nonsurgical colic • Selected reproductive disorders

In addition, regular acupuncture treatment can treat minor sports injuries as they occur and help to keep muscles and tendons resistant to injury. World-class professional and amateur athletes often use acupuncture as a routine part of their training. Acupuncture is used on many animals involved athletic endeavors, such as racing, jumping, or showing.