Veterinary acupuncture has been practiced in China for at least 2,000 years. Interest and activity spread to other Asian countries such as Japan and Korea about 1,500 years ago. During the past 25 to 30 years there has been tremendous growth and development of acupuncture in animals in Europe and the United States.
Acupuncture has been used to treat diseases in horses, cattle, dogs, cats, and birds and many clinical studies have documented the benefits provided from veterinary acupuncture. Different acupoints and different methods of stimulation can be employed to treat specific diseases. With the increasing amount of clinical trials and research being performed using veterinary acupuncture therapy, we have a better understanding of acupuncture’s mechanism of action. Also, our animal patients greatly benefit from this recent understanding and application.
Acupuncture can be used to treat a variety of diseases including:
- Pain
- Geriatric diseases
- Exercise-related diseases
For more information on acupuncture and its use in animals, please read our Frequently Asked Questions and our Acupuncture in Animals article.
