What Is Acupuncture For Dogs?
Modern medicine has enhanced the quality and prolonged the lives of both “man and beast.” Although new medical advances are remarkable, many veterinarians are adopting an old treatment style to aid their patients. Using centuries-old acupuncture and acupressure practices may improve standard veterinary therapy and assist the canine community even more.
Acupuncture enhances blood flow, which boosts tissue oxygenation. It also decreases the amount of waste generated and improves the amount of metabolic waste the body can eliminate, providing a systemic benefit.
Acupuncture relaxes muscles where the needle is put and muscles throughout the body, relieving the pain locally and broadly. In addition, acupuncture may reduce the pain medication required to treat these pets by promoting the release of naturally occurring pain-alleviating and anti-inflammatory chemicals.
How It Works?
For dogs who hate needles, massaging trigger points, also known as acupressure, might be a viable alternative. In addition, laser therapy, a noninvasive treatment that employs light to increase blood circulation and repair cells, is an option for pets with many discomforts.
Veterinary acupuncturists are licensed veterinarians who have received additional acupuncture training. Your veterinarian may conduct the sessions at their clinic or recommend you to another practitioner. The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society has a registry of qualified veterinary acupuncturists.
Although the notion of acupuncture for dogs is growing popular, many pet owners don’t know much about it. Always keep an open mind, as acupuncture can give you another option to help your dogs and improve their diseases. Thus, complementing the therapies we provide with Western medicine.
The conditions acupuncture can treat
Acupuncture is frequently used to treat arthritis and joint inflammation in dogs. Acupuncture, for example, may relieve discomfort and enhance joint range of motion in dogs with hip dysplasia or a common degenerative disease. In addition, acupuncture can help dogs with persistent back discomfort and even canines with significant spinal cord disorders.
Acupuncture is also used to treat less significant medical issues. For example, lick granulomas are lesions on the legs of dogs that result from the dog repeatedly licking a spot, causing an irritated sore and exposing superficial nerve endings. Acupuncture may be a valuable adjunct to antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications in treating these lesions.
Although acupuncture can help with pain and inflammation caused by various medical conditions, traditional medicine is the first line of treatment for infections, cancer, and primary organ disease.
Acupuncture can help with cancer-related issues or side effects of cancer treatment (chemotherapy and radiation), such as tissue inflammation, nausea, and decreased appetite.
Acupuncturists in veterinary medicine have treated patients with metabolic diseases associated with impaired organ function. Acupuncture sessions have reduced nausea and increased appetite in dogs with diabetes, kidney or liver failure, pancreatitis, Cushing’s disease, and Addison’s disease. So, even if acupuncture or acupressure cannot cure a condition, they may make it more tolerable.
How Can My Dog Benefit from Acupuncture?
The effectiveness of the therapy will depend on the veterinarian’s ability, the ailment being treated, and the amount and frequency of acupuncture treatments.
The length and frequency of treatments are determined by the patient’s condition and the stimulation technique employed by the veterinary acupuncturist. For example, a modest acute disease, such as a sprain, may only require one therapy, but more severe or persistent illnesses may necessitate many treatments.
How Safe Is It?
Acupuncture should never be used without a proper veterinary medical diagnosis and continued monitoring of the patient’s health by a registered veterinarian. This is crucial since acupuncture has the potential to hide pain or other clinical indicators, thus postponing accurate veterinary medical diagnosis once therapy has begun.
The absence of pain may cause the dog to become more active, prolonging recovery or worsening the initial ailment.
In general, acupuncture can be effectively coupled with most conventional and complementary therapy. Certified Veterinary Acupuncturists have received extensive training, knowledge, and expertise to comprehend the relationships between various treatment types and interpret the patient’s reaction to medicine.
Choosing The Right Vet
In most nations, states, and provinces, veterinary acupuncture is considered a surgical technique that may only be administered to animals by licensed veterinarians.
A vet is an ideal medical professional to help examine an animal’s health condition accurately and then determine if the animal would benefit from acupuncture or whether its illness requires chemical, surgical, or no intervention.
Only a highly qualified veterinarian in League City should practice acupuncture on animals due to the variations in anatomy and the risk of injury if the treatments are performed wrong. A comprehensive post-doctoral educational program in veterinary acupuncture would be required for a veterinarian.