Acupuncture for animals

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Veterinary acupuncture and acutherapy are now considered an integral part of veterinary medicine. According to experts, acupuncture works in humans, horses, dogs, cats and other mammals because all our bodies share similar features.

1 Why should I be aware of this?
2 All about acupuncture for animals
- 2.1 Acupuncture in the West
- 2.2 Methods of treatment
3 What can I do?
4 90 degrees
5 Unlearn
6 References:
7 Source
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Why should I be aware of this?

Acupuncture is used for a variety of applications, ranging from sedation to arthritis pain management to treatment of deaf animals.
Often acupuncture is used adjunctly with medication, surgery, or post-operative treatments.

All about acupuncture for animals

Animal acupuncture is nearly as old as human acupuncture. The Chinese discovered that animals have similar meridians and reflex-points to humans. These meridians, or the fields in which Qi energy flows, are connected with internal organs, muscular and joint structures, and the nervous system. Acupuncture points, which lie on the meridians, are areas of the skin at which the flow of Qi can be affected. When an animal is unhealthy, there is an imbalance or interference with Qi flow. The acupuncturist manipulates the animal’s Qi by stimulating specific acupuncture points, which alleviates the blockage or imbalance.

Horses were among the earliest animals treated through acupuncture because of their immense utility as transport and during war.

Acupuncture in the West

Acupuncture begin to be recognized in the west as a legitimate healing modality following the experiments with treatment of cattle and horses by Oswald Kothbauer in Austria and Erwin Westermayer in Germany. During the last three decades there has been growing popularity of small animal (pet) and equine acupuncture all over the world. There are now practitioners in nearly every country using basic needling techniques to sophisticated laser gadgetry to stimulate acupoints to treat pets and horses.

Methods of treatment

Practice of acupuncture with Helium-Neon lasers instead of needles has been taken up by some veterinarians to avoid discomfort to animals because of insertion of needles. This also prevents possibilities of infections.
Electro-acupuncture is used to help in some specific procedures. It’s used as an alternative when needles or lasers do not seem to be working.
Aquapuncture is another variation on acupuncture, which is the injection of a liquid into the main acupuncture points. Some veterinarians have found that the effect lasts longer then the insertion of needles. The liquids used in this technique are usually homeopathic in nature and it takes less time to perform then acupuncture.

What can I do?

Choose an experienced, licensed veterinarian who has completed at least 120 hours of formal training in animal acupuncture.
Be prepared that the acupuncturist will give your animal a thorough examination before developing a treatment plan. He is likely to ask about your animal's behavior, eating habits, water intake, elimination frequency, medical history, and of course, all changes in behavior and habits.
Ask specifically what the treatments will involve, along with benefits and risks.
Ask how long the needles will remain inserted. For some treatments, it may be just 30 seconds; for others, it may be as long as 30 minutes. Treatment intervals can vary quite a bit - for example, one to four sessions a week for four to six weeks. Often, initial treatments are given at greater frequency, and then treatments taper off as improvements become evident
Stay with your pet during the entire treatment.
Be aware that, when a good specialist performs acupuncture, the animal appears calm and not in any pain.
Your pet’s condition may worsen for a day or two after the treatment. Be prepared as such temporary effects can result from the physiological changes occurring in the animal's body.
If not results are visible even after several visits the treatments may not be working. This is an indication that it is time to move on to some other form of treatment.

90 degrees

Experts point out that animals have been treated with acupuncture therapy from the very beginning. In fact, Chinese records that go back thousands of years describe the use of healing needles on horses and other livestock. ^[1]

Unlearn

One common myth shared by many is the belief that patients must "believe" in acupuncture for it to work. Therefore, its use on animals is ruled out. But, according to practitioners, it doesn't require any higher brain processes to function. It simply works because of what it stimulates physiologically in the body when you insert a needle into these points that have been studied for thousands of years. ^[1]

References:

Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
Veterinary Acupuncture
Veterinary Acupuncture

Source

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Discovery Health

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[Pilgrims for Peace: One Couples Incredible Journey]