column PET CARE
Acupuncture for all creatures
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Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points just under the surface of the skin, which results in therapeutic effects. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, tonifying or sedating acupuncture points moves Qi (life force) or Blood (fluids), and the goal is to return the body to balance. Acupuncture points are arranged in paired channels, which are connected to an internal organ.
Acupuncture works via multiple mechanisms and affects multiple systems. Analgesic mechanisms of acupuncture have been studied extensively, and the physiological mechanisms identified include spinal gating and descending inhibition. Acupuncture also has multiple anti-inflammatory effects, although all the underlying mechanisms from a conventional perspective are unclear.
Rabbits and smaller pets
Acupuncture can be used to treat smaller pets, where we have fewer pharmacological options. Rabbit sessions require a quiet environment with muted light. We treat rabbits on a floor mat and give them time in their cage in the room before any handling. Acupuncture can be used for painful backs or joints, head tilt (vestibular disease) and gastrointestinal stasis. Rabbits are prey animals, and in a clinical setting they may freeze or bolt. I calm them with slow massage as I examine them, and massage the point before needling, so they are less likely to startle. Bush or Bach flower essences can be used for calming before and during treatments.