Acupuncture for senior pets

Acupuncture for senior pets

I am a qualified veterinary acupuncturist and have been for the last 7 years. The majority of my acupuncture patients are senior pets. There are many benefits to your pet by treating them with acupuncture. It can significantly improve their quality of life particularly when it comes to controlling their pain associated with arthritis without affecting their other organs.

My oldest patient was a 21 year old cat named Misty (pictured above) who bless her soul would hiss and carry on every single time I placed the acupuncture needles and would then drift off to sleep for the next 20 minutes whilst she waited for her treatment to finish. She was being medicated for high blood pressure and kidney failure so traditional Western Medicine treatments were not an option. Fortunately she responded beautifully to acupuncture as she had quite severe arthritis in her hips. So she was a perfect example of using acupuncture for senior pets.

5 reasons to look into acupuncture for senior pets

1. First do no harm – acupuncture will not harm your pet’s liver, kidneys or gastrointestinal system unlike some medications
2. After a few “loading” treatments they often only need “top ups” every 3-6 months depending on the severity of the condition
3. Western medicine has its limits, acupuncture is something else that can help to improve your pet’s quality of life.
4. Senior pets often have concurrent conditions that can preclude the use of traditional arthritis medications such as anti-inflammatories. By offering acupuncture it gives your pet the opportunity to escape some of their discomfort without further compromising their liver/kidney function
5. Acupuncture does more than just alleviate the symptoms of arthritis, it can be used to stimulate appetite, help relieve urinary incontinence, control nausea, resolve trigger points (muscle knots) and increase your pet’s general vitality.

So, if you haven’t considered acupuncture for your pet, I hope this might change your mind. Acupuncture is not for all pets. Some pets like people don’t tolerate the needles well. Some get too stressed by the vet visit and any benefit from the treatment is lost due to anxiety taking over. This doesn’t mean it’s not worth a try, you’ll know pretty quickly if acupuncture is or isn’t a good option for your pet. Acupuncture for senior pets to me just makes sense.

For more information about acupuncture why not read my previous blog post here.

Original article and pictures take drbelindathevet.com site