Acupuncture for Pets

Dr. Cerny is certified in our acupuncture for pets program. He received his training and advanced training through the CHI Institute.

Acupuncture dates back thousands of years and has been shown to help with many conditions. With the use of tiny needles, the body’s acupuncture points can be stimulated to help move and balance energy throughout the body to aid in healing.

Diet and herbal treatments are often used along with acupuncture for pets to help balance and restore health.

What Conditions Can Benefit From Acupuncture?

  • Pain (back pain, hip pain, leg pain, general pain)
  • Intervertebral disc disease
  • Anxiety
  • Dermatitis / Skin Allergies / Itching
  • Seizures / Epilepsy
  • Kidney disease
  • Liver disease
  • Heart Disease
  • Urinary incontinence / leakage
  • Gastrointestinal disease (ie vomiting, diarrhea, colitis)
  • Preventative care to help prevent or delay diseases from developing

Acupuncture helps far more conditions than listed, but it is most effective when used as a preventative.

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Examples of Acupuncture for Pets Used on Specific Conditions

Acupuncture for Urine Leakage

Urine dribbling or leakage is common in older dogs, especially female dogs and is commonly treated with prescription medications such as Proin or Incurin. Proin is generally safe in most dogs at recommended dosages. Incurin is a synthetic hormone and more health risks are possible with this medication.

Urine dribbling is commonly caused by loss of control of the bladder sphincter, but it is important to rule out other causes such as urinary tract infection, bladder stones, bladder cancer, etc.

Acupuncture can be very effective in treating urine dribbling / leakage once more serious causes have been ruled out. Tiny needles are placed in specific acupuncture points which help balance the body’s energy and give strength back to the bladder. The goal is to help resolve the urinary leakage and hopefully reduce the amount of prescription medications or get off them all together. Maintenance acupuncture is often required either monthly or as needed.

Acupuncture for Chronic Kidney Failure

In older pets who have chronic kidney disease or kidney failure the first signs (decreased appetite, lethargy, vomiting) occur late in the disease and early intervention is often not an option. Supportive care for the kidneys (Fluids given either intravenous or subcutaneous and special kidney diets are the mainstay of therapy). These therapies typically have to continue for the rest of the pet’s life.

Acupuncture places needles in specific points that can help the kidneys function better and a lot of pets show marked improvement in their kidney values and quality of life. Acupuncture does not work in every single case but it always amazes me how many pets really respond great to the therapy.

Acupuncture for Arthritis

A great surgeon by the name of Henry Bigelow said “Death is nothing, but pain is a very serious matter”. Dogs are great at hiding pain and often it is ignored until the day they are struggling to stand. Think of pain like a boulder on the top of a hill. The best time to stop it is when it first starts to roll. Once it gains momentum it takes an incredible amount of force to stop it. Pain is similar, the longer it goes the more it takes to control it.

Acupuncture and Chiropractic are more beneficial early on, before the pain has got momentum. We have great success helping relieving pain in dogs and cats and maintaining mobility, especially if treated early. If your dog or cat is showing stiffness, slowness getting up or moving abnormally get them in to determine the cause and get them help.