Hi, I’m Dr. Lauren! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my two adventurous cats, Pancake and Tiller.
I first encountered acupuncture in cats while working as a veterinary technician. One of the vets I worked with in Alaska used the technique on many species, to help with arthritis issues. I was interested, but I didn’t really observe the process until the end. At the veterinary school, we were very fortunate to have the late Dr. Bruce Ferguson, a pioneer in veterinary acupuncture from Chi University in Florida, and I had the privilege of spending time learning from him, in detail.
This led to several externships where I participated in feline acupuncture. I was amazed to see cats sitting on their bed, in a clinic exam room, calmly yielding for an acupuncture session. And their owners sit, sing praises, and how it has improved their cat.
And that’s how I found myself, sitting with an acupuncture needle in my own foot at a veterinary conference a few weeks ago, wondering, can I help patients, too? What are the benefits of acupuncture?
In this article, I’ll look at exactly that about cats, and how it can help your favorite cat feel better (or the cat is fineto play with words!).
- Missed part one? Click here to read the first article in this series!
The Use of Veterinary Acupuncture
Acupuncture has a history of original use with working or production animals—typically animals of higher monetary value to society. So horses are a common acupuncture patient, far from cats and dogs. Today, things have changed, and even pet chickens are known to receive acupuncture.
There are many reports and publications about the use of acupuncture in humans and animals, and you may be surprised at the variety of medical conditions for which acupuncture treatment can complement traditional Western medicine. These include but are not limited to:
- Bone pain
- Chronic skin issues
- Acute respiratory collapse or CPR
- The cat’s hyperesthesia
- Gingivostomatitis
- Rectal prolapse
- Toothache
- Anesthesia
- Osteochondrodysplasia
- Fever
- Cryptorchidism
- Diabetes
- Cancer supplement
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Urinary Incontinence
- Constipation
- Chronic otitis
So, if you sign your cat up for acupuncture, what can you expect?
- Many acupuncture treatments are approximately 20 minutes or more, but can vary. In theory, even stimulating a point for a very short time can have marked benefit
- In general, expect the first visit to be longer, as it will include a history, exam, and planning for treatment. Sun treatment may or may not occur.
- Most acupuncturists recommend weekly treatments, less commonly twice weekly. They rarely occur more often
- Expect to see the full effect of the treatment after one month; don’t worry if you don’t see anything immediately after the first (although some patients will respond very well)
- Many courses of treatment will enter the maintenance phase once the cat is well; this may mean acupuncture every 2-4 weeks, or less.
- Check your country’s laws on who can perform veterinary acupuncture; I usually recommend using one of the professional organizations to find members who are certified or approved to train animals.
In the final article in this series, we’ll take a deeper look at how acupuncture is actually believed to work, in general, and for some specific conditions.
