Acupuncture in Dogs - Medical Uses and Benefits

Nowadays, it's becoming more and more common to turn to alternative therapies alongside conventional medicine, especially when there are chronic health problems, or when Western medicine doesn't offer a solution.

That said, before turning to these therapies as a last resort, we should start integrating both approaches. One of the alternative therapies increasingly used in dogs in recent years is acupuncture.

We've all heard of this technique, but does it really work in dogs, or is it just a myth? Below, we'll introduce the world of acupuncture in a simple way, to understand how it works and what its effects are on dogs.

What is acupuncture?

Veterinary acupuncture is one of the oldest disciplines in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (a cornerstone of it). The term comes from the Latin acus (needle) and pungere (to puncture). It's based on managing energy (Qi) by inserting thin, sterile, disposable needles to stimulate specific points on the body called acupoints.

Acupuncture holds that when there's a balance of energy in the body, there's health. The moment a condition develops, traditional Chinese medicine holds that it's because there's been a blockage or disruption in the proper flow of energy, which needs to be corrected.

Although all this may sound far-fetched, acupuncture is a technique over 2,000 years old. In the 1970s, vets could only learn acupuncture by traveling to China to be trained there. After the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) was founded in 1974, international courses were established, and using acupuncture on animals became more and more accessible.

How does acupuncture work in dogs?

Acupuncture includes several methods: dry needling (explained above), hemoacupuncture (bleeding at the acupoint), pneumoacupuncture (injecting air at the acupoint), laser acupuncture, aquapuncture (injecting fluid), and electroacupuncture (electrical stimulation).

The flow of energy, or Qi, can be regulated in several ways, one being through the meridians. These are energy channels defined by a set of several external acupoints, which, when stimulated (with a needle), produce a response at a distance. This stimulus typically alters the function of the organ the treatment is targeting.

So, generally speaking, each meridian is linked to an organ (heart, lung, kidney, spleen, stomach, intestine...), and these channels connect the acupuncture points on the body's surface to their corresponding internal organs. There are 12 pairs of symmetrical, bilateral meridians and 2 individual ones along the midline, for a total of 14.

So, by inserting needles at acupuncture points (acupoints), we can correct energy imbalances in different organs.

Levels of action

It mainly acts on three levels:

1. Blood vessels: when the needle is inserted, there's first vasoconstriction lasting 15-30 seconds, followed by longer-lasting vasodilation, which can last anywhere from 2 minutes to 2 weeks. This is seen through increased local circulation and redness at the insertion point.
2. Muscles: causes local muscle contraction at the needle site. Tissue relaxation and relief of muscle spasms follow, making it useful for muscle atrophy.
3. Nervous system: very effective for nerve-related paralysis. The wave used in electroacupuncture is pain-relieving at every frequency, but through different pathways.

Low frequencies produce delayed, long-lasting pain relief, while high frequencies produce the opposite.

What applications does acupuncture have in dogs?

Acupuncture is a technique used to improve the symptoms of many conditions:

• Pain relief: it's been shown that inserting needles at acupoints has a range of beneficial effects on dogs' bodies. Needle insertion activates pain-inhibiting structures, showing that acupuncture works mainly through a central pathway in controlling pain relief.
• Stimulating the immune system: it stimulates the body's natural defenses against disease (increasing T lymphocytes).
• Musculoskeletal diseases: arthritis, osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, post-surgical rehabilitation, slipped discs, radial nerve paralysis, ligament and tendon problems, femoral paralysis, joint and bone pain, limping, athletic performance...
• Neurological diseases: intervertebral disc disease, paralysis, epilepsy, degenerative myelopathies, and so on.
• Metabolic diseases: diabetes, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, Cushing's disease, and so on.
• Skin diseases: allergies, ear infections, wounds that won't heal, itching, and so on.
• Gastrointestinal diseases: inflammatory disease, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, megacolon, loss of appetite, colic, and so on.
• Respiratory diseases: asthma, dyspnea, rhinitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, coughing, nasal discharge, congestion, and so on.
• Kidney diseases: kidney failure and stones, urinary incontinence, urologic syndrome, and so on.
• Behavioral issues: anxiety, depression, phobias, aggression, and so on.
• Rehabilitation: after surgeries, trauma, and accidents.

Is this a painful treatment for dogs?

The needles used in acupuncture are extremely thin, so dogs barely feel them being inserted into the skin.

It's more common for there to be a reaction after the needle is inserted, since a tingling sensation is felt in the area, caused by energy conduction through the meridians. This sensation isn't painful, but since it's a new stimulus for the animal, it can feel a bit odd at first.

Patients usually relax during sessions. After a few minutes, dogs tend to experience a feeling of comfort and relaxation, making the acupuncture session a pleasant experience for our pet.

What's more, it's compatible with treatments used in conventional medicine, so we can say acupuncture can be used as a complementary technique in treating any disease. The key here isn't choosing one therapy over the other, but integrating both to get greater benefit.