Pet Acupuncture: Veterinary Acupuncture for Birds, Cats, Dogs, Rabbits, Horses and Exotic Animals

Pet Acupuncture Breakthroughs, Research, Practioners and Articles.

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine recently became the first veterinary college to designate a full-time faculty member exclusively focused on alternative treatment methods: Dr. Huisheng Xie.

Dr. Xie is a professor of neuroscience at Tuskegee University in Alabama and former president of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.

Definition: Veterinary Acupuncture (Pet Acupuncture)

Pet Acupuncture is recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association as "the examination and stimulation of specific points of the body of non-human animals by use of acupuncture needles, injections, low-level lasers, magnets and a variety of other techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of numerous conditions in animals."

The policy goes on to state, "Veterinary acupuncture and acutherapy are now considered an integral part of veterinary medicine."

Common Treatable Conditions for Pet Acupuncture

Veterinary Acupuncture is most effective on functional problems such as noninfectious inflammation, pain, and paralysis. Musculoskeletal problems such as arthritis, respiratory problems such as asthma, gastrointestinal distress, and some reproductive problems can be helped by acupuncture.

Eligibility for Pet Acupuncture

All animals are eligible to receive acupuncture, although most professionals focus only on specific animals such as cats and dogs or horses and livestock. If you have an uncommon pet you may need to search for an appropriately trained veterinarian.

We are adding information on a constant basis -- so please visit often for updates on pet therapy acupuncture.

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Recommended Books: Pet Acupuncture, Pet Acupressure, Pet Shiatsu and Pet Miracle Books

Pet Acupuncture: The Nature of Animal Healing: The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat by Martin Goldstein, D.V.M.

Veterinary Acupuncture by Alan M. Klide & Shiu H. Kung

Veterinary Acupuncture: Ancient Art to Modern Medicine by Allen M. Schoen

Acupuncture for Birds

Chronic infections - "bumblefoot”, sinusitis, feather folliculitis

Reproductive problems - egg binding, chronic yolk sac infections, prolapsing cloaca

Locomotor problems - paresis / “wing droop”, tendon injuries, wing and leg stiffness

Click here for a brief introduction to Avian Acupuncture.

Kogi's Story: Stuck for a Cure

From Parrot Chronicles

The breeder who raised Candice Basham’s 3-year-old African grey parrot, Kogi, called him "Mr. Cool" because nothing bothered the bird. All that changed after a series of illnesses and an earthquake turned Kogi into a nervous feather plucker.

On the way home after each vet visit, Kogi would tear out his chest feathers.

"He always seemed at a heightened state of anxiety," recalls Basham. "He would scream when I didn’t come home at a certain time. There was a constant demand for attention."

Cure works for owner, too Years before while visiting China, Basham, a technical writer in northern California’s Silicon Valley, had experimented with a Kogi Kogi, an African grey, plucked his neck and wing feathers before owner Candice Basham cured him with a form of acupuncture for birds called aquapuncture, a form of acupuncture that cured her of carpal tunnel syndrome and relieved joint pain in a knee.

After reading up on acupuncture for birds, including David McCluggage’s Holistic Care for Birds: A Manual of Wellness and Healing, she decided to try it with Kogi.

In March, Basham took Kogi to see a vet who practices a form of acupuncture on his psittacine patients called aquapuncture.

Because birds won’t allow acupuncture needles to remain inserted at pressure points, Dr. Chris Sanders of Portola Valley, Calif., uses a thin hypodermic needle to inject a small amount of Vitamin B complex beneath the skin.

The solution, instead of an inserted needle, applies the needed pressure, then dissolves harmlessly.

Back to his old self: While a vet technician restrained Kogi in a towel, Sanders first applied the needle to the top of Kogi’s head.

The bird yelped, then his eyelids began to droop and he seemed "zoned out," recalls Basham. Sanders injected solution into half a dozen more "stress and anxiety" locations under Kogi’s wings and on his legs.

From the first treatment, Kogi relaxed and "didn’t care where I was," says Basham, laughing. The bird got two more aquapuncture treatments, a week apart each time.

Kogi has his old laid-back personality back--and that, happily, includes no more feather picking.

"Some vets say that after a year, picking becomes a habit that can’t be broken," says Basham, while Kogi whistles and gurgles in the background of a telephone conversation. "I happen to disagree."

Acupuncture for Cats

Pet Acupuncture for Cats: A Sticky Subject Sponsored Cat Breeding Info Websites


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This article provides an excellent overview of the general benefits and costs of pet acupuncture -- and specifically acupuncture for cats. It appears on JeanesHolistics.Com

Reprinted from: CAT FANCY, June 1999

When cat owners think of alternative or complementary therapies, acupuncture is by far the most common modality that comes to mind. This could be because it is probably our oldest form of therapy, having been used in Eastern medicine for 5000-10,000 years or more. It could also be that this is the therapy that has received the most press of all of our complementary therapies.

Can acupuncture help your cat? Is it a therapy you should consider?

I should begin by saying that while most pet owners contact me about acupuncture, I really don't use it as much as I thought I would. It's not that acupuncture may not be effective in some cats, it's just that there are often easier therapies to use. Here's why.

First, we must have a cooperative patient. While many dogs will sit still for the acupuncture treatment, a number of cats don't seem to want to be too cooperative for me. Acupuncture is given in sessions, with each session lasting about 15-20 minutes when traditional needle therapy is used (about 5 minutes of time if I use my hand held electrostimulator unit.) And acupuncture usually doesn't just work in one quick and easy section, but rather requires a number of sessions (usually 2 per week for 4 weeks to assess its effectiveness.) For many owners, their cats just don't like going to the doctor that much to allow us to properly judge the effectiveness of acupuncture.

Cost is another issue, with each session costing between $25 -$40 dollars. For a minimum of 8 sessions, this can add up pretty quickly.

Finally, the biggest impediment to using acupuncture is the number of sessions involved in the initial treatment and evaluation. Many clients can't realistically travel a great distance twice weekly for the treatments. For these owners, other complementary therapies (herbs, nutrition, glandulars, etc.) are more appealing.

Still, for those owners willing to try acupuncture, it can be effective. Depending upon the condition, it is as effective as many conventional therapies (and occasionally more effective in those special instances when conventional therapies have failed to produce the desired results, or when there is no effective conventional therapy that can be offered to the owners.)

Here are some of the most common questions I am asked regarding acupuncture.

1. What Is Acupuncture?

In its purest sense, acupuncture involves the placement of tiny needles into various parts of a pet's body. These needles stimulate acupuncture points which can effect a resolution of the clinical signs.

2. How Does Acupuncture Work?

The acupuncturist places tiny needles at various points on the pet's body. These points are chosen based on diagnostic tests and/or traditional recipes. These acupuncture points correspond to areas of the body which contain nerves and blood vessels. By stimulating these points, it is presumed that acupuncture stimulates the release of various chemicals in the body. These chemicals, through inhibition of pain, stimulation of the immune system, and alterations in blood vessels, cause a decrease the clinical signs.

3. How Does Acupuncture Compare With Conventional Therapies?

This of course depends upon the disease. As a rule, acupuncture compares quite favorably with traditional therapies. In some cases, acupuncture may be preferred when the alternative therapy is ineffective or potentially harmful (such as long-term therapy for pain relief with drugs like corticosteroids). Other times, acupuncture may be used when an owner cannot afford traditional therapy (such as back surgery for intervertebral disk disease). It is ideal if a discussion of both acupuncture and conventional therapies occurs to allow the owner to make the best decision for his pet.

4. Are There Any Side Effects With Acupuncture?

There can be but they are rare. Accidental puncture of a vital organ can occur. Infection can occur at the site of needle insertion. Occasionally, the needle can break and surgery may be needed to remove it. Some pets require sedation in order to allow insertion of the acupuncture needles. In some animals, signs may worsen for a few days before they improve.

5. Is Acupuncture Painful?

Usually not. Occasionally, the animal will experience some sensation as the needle passes through the skin. Once in place, most animals will relax and some may become sleepy. Fractious animals may require mild sedation. Due to their nature, cats are often more challenging to treat with acupuncture than dogs.

6. For What Conditions Can Acupuncture Be Used?

Acupuncture can be used for a variety of pet problems, but is most often thought of as a treatment for problems involving pain and inflammation. Conditions including arthritis, disk disease, chronic gastrointestinal disease, and skin problems such as allergies may be helped by acupuncture. Some doctors use acupuncture to strengthen the pet's immune system. Acupuncture is usually not a cure-all, but rather an alternative to drug or surgical therapy. Owners should consider acupuncture when other therapies are not available or for which side effects (chronic drug therapy) or risks (surgery) are too great.

7. How Many Treatments Are Needed?

This varies from pet to pet. Usually, owners are asked to commit to 8 treatments (2-3/wk) to assess if acupuncture will work. On average, treatments last about 15-30 minutes. If the pet improves, acupuncture is done "as needed" to control the pet's signs.

While acupuncture can be effective, like any therapy it is not always effective. I remember a particularly frustrating case that I saw as a third opinion. A sweet male Persian had recently had spinal surgery for an extremely bad case of disk disease where the disk in between the bones of the back had ruptured causing severe paralysis of the rear limbs. Despite a very poor prognosis, the owner attempted surgical therapy for his pet. As predicted, the cat was still paralyzed following surgery. I saw the cat several months after surgery. The cat was on painful but could only occasionally bear weight on his rear legs. Due to the location of the spinal cord trauma from the disk, the cat was unable to urinate and his owner had to express his bladder several times each day.

Due to the chronic nature of the problem, I was not hopeful that acupuncture could help this cat, but still his owner wanted to try everything we could. We used electroacupuncture twice weekly for 4 weeks and saw only minimal and temporary improvement. Even with the addition of antioxidant therapy and herbal formulas the cat still could not walk. Simply too much damage had occurred to the cord and no therapy could make this cat ever walk again. Still he was not in pain and seemed quite content, and his owner was happy to have him around.

While this story did not have a cure, it still had a happy ending. Acupuncture gave us only temporary and short-lived improvement, but the cat's owner was happy we tried everything to help his cat. And sometimes even with "treatment failure," we don't really fail. As long as we try our best using any treatment at our disposal and the pet and owner are content with the outcome, we can still be satisfied with our result. Had we seen this cat sooner, who knows? Acupuncture is a viable option for most diseases if the owners are willing to make the time commitment necessary to allow this modality to work. I encourage owners to consider acupuncture as an alternative to more conventional treatments such as chronic drug therapy that may have potentially serious side effects.

Pet Acupuncture Practioners

The U.S. branch of the IVAS offers a searchable database of pet acupuncture practitioners, as well as more information and answers to common questions about acupuncture for pets.

International Veterinary Acupuncture Society

The following doctors, for example, practice pet acupuncture near the Annapolis, Maryland area:

Teresa Fulp, DVM South Arundel Vet. Hospital, Edgewater, MD

Cynthia Dahle, DVM Bay Area Veterinary Hospital, Stevensville, Maryland.

Maureen Walsh, RN Traditional Acupuncture Associates, Crofton, MD

Alison Key, DVM Highway Veterinary Hospital, Bowie, MD

James Heilbron, DVM Academy Animal Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.

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