A Pinch In Time: Acupuncture For Our Pets

Chinese medicine and holistic treatments are a debatable fix for those suffering from pain and/or pain-related ailments. Some call it a pseudoscience lumping it together with ‘aura cleansing’ and ‘hypnotherapy.’ If humans are skeptical, what are the chances pets can successfully treated by Eastern medicine, particularly acupuncture? Here are some of the reasons.

Most Common Signs of Pain with Pets

For starters, how can one even determine if your dog or cat is suffering from pain? Veterinarian Dr. Michael Petty treats pets with acupuncture. It’s his belief that dogs and cats can suffer pain at any age, and their ‘changes in behavior’ are tell-tale signs they are suffering.

Scribed recently posted an infographic, titled: “Most Common Signs of Pain for Pets" by Clickon Detroit. It visually breaks down the most common signs of pain in your pets, as such:

Common signs of pain in dogs include:

    Decreased social interaction
    Anxious expression
    Submissive behavior
    Refusal to move
    Whimpering
    Howling
    Growling
    Guarding behavior
    Aggression, biting
    Decreased appetite
    Self-mutilation (chewing)
    Changes in posture

Common signs of pain in cats include:

    Reduced activity
    Loss of appetite
    Quiet/loss of curiosity
    Changes in urinary/defecation habits
    Hiding
    Hissing or spitting
    Lack of agility/jumping
    Excessive licking/grooming
    Stiff posture/gait
    Guarding behavior
    Stops grooming/matted fur
    Tail flicking
    Weight loss

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

While it’s a well-recognized condition for our military personnel, recently it’s be found that our dogs can also suffer from PTSD. In fact, it’s estimated about 5 percent of military canines develop this disorder similarly to men and women in the armed services.

However, what’s not widely known is there are conditions in every-day life that can also cause PTSD. For instance, if your dog or cat experiences a natural disaster like our most recent bouts with hurricanes - or if they are abused, neglected, abandoned or lose their human caretakers — they can also develop PTSD.

With both pet masters and their ‘best friends,’ acupuncture treatments have been revealed to provide rapid benefits through faster healing and ear acupuncture has helped many to overcome sleep disorders quicker than traditional medication.

The Procedure

Veterinary acupuncturists insert thin needles into pressure points on the skin to direct the vital life force, Qi (pronounced chee) around the dog or cat’s body. Vets use roughly the same pathways for pets as the ones used in humans. Stimulating these strategic points can fix skin conditions, improve liver and kidney function, relieve arthritis pain, and help solve digestive issues, noted veterinarian Dr. Albert Lynch.

Though acupuncture at the onset can be confusing for pets, Lynch says the animals seem to like it. Holistic treatments are meant to improve quality of life for pets, not stress them out.

Perhaps acupuncture is a new consideration for what ails your dogs and cats? If you’ve had any experience readers, please note below and share with others who are considering these types of medical solutions.