Acupuncture Can Treat That? Relief for Your Dog Beyond Back Pain

Baxter is treated with acupuncture for his frequent seizures. photo: Dr. Lisa Franzetta

When my patient Baxter comes running into my office for his regular acupuncture treatments - tongue hanging out of his toothless mouth, prepared to plant lick-kisses all over my face - I choose to take it as a personal compliment. If he’s like this with all the other ladies/doctors, I don’t want to know. 

Baxter is an 11-year-old rescue Chihuahua mix. And, like the majority of dogs of his age, he experiences some pain and weakness due to osteoarthritis (Baxter’s manifests most notably in his inability to stick a landing when he gleefully jumps off a piece of furniture.)

Acupuncture - the insertion of tiny sterile needles at strategic points on the body - is well-known for its ability to treat musculoskeletal pain in both dogs and humans alike. In fact, modern research tells us that acupuncture stimulates nerves, muscles, and connective tissue. It also increases circulation, relieves muscle spasms, and prompts the release of the body’s natural pain relievers like endorphins and dopamine. 

But when many of my clients first seek out acupuncture to support their dogs, most are  unaware of the many other problems this Chinese medicine can relieve. Because acupuncture modulates inflammation in the body and has such a profound effect on the nervous system, it can offer powerful support to internal veterinary conditions as well. 

Here are a few types of conditions in dogs I commonly treat with acupuncture.

Neurological Conditions

My Chihuahua boyfriend Baxter has seizures, a troubling and often difficult to treat issue affecting many dogs and their families. With every-other-week acupuncture treatments  and support from herbal medicine, Baxter has recently gone several months (and counting!) without a seizure. Based on Baxter’s individual Chinese medicine diagnosis, I treat acupuncture points like Gallbladder 20 at the base of the head, which “dispels Wind” in Chinese medicine-speak, and points like Stomach 40 below his knees, which “transforms Phlegm.”

Acupuncture can be a crucial component in addressing other canine neurological conditions as well, especially paresis (weakness or partial paralysis) that can occur when disc herniation puts pressure on the spinal cord, which is a more serious manifestation of intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). I’ve seen tremendous improvements using acupuncture with dogs regaining their strength and even their ability to walk in some cases.

Dermatological Issues

I once heard a veterinary pharmaceutical company rep say, “Itchy dogs keep vets in business.” While I’d rather there were fewer dogs suffering with dermatitis and less business for me on that front, I understood her gist. Hot spots, itchiness, and skin and ear infections are super common issues that dog guardians often struggle to manage. 

In fact, Baxter is an example of a patient who also suffers from dermatitis along with the other conditions we’re managing with acupuncture treatment. There are typically no quick fixes with chronic dermatological issues but acupuncture and herbal medicine, along with a close look at diet and the elimination of possible allergens, can be an important part of shifting your dog’s skin back to a state of balance. 

Digestive Problems

Whether a dog is suffering from lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or other distressing gastrointestinal symptoms, or has perhaps been diagnosed with a chronic disease like IBD, acupuncture can often play an important role in an integrative approach to healing. For instance, I treat a lovely petite rescue Boxer who has recently been experiencing occasional bouts of diarrhea. Because Chinese medicine always takes a holistic approach to healing - aiming to address symptoms in part by treating their root causes - this dog’s  treatments focus both on calming inflammation (“clearing heat”) and strengthening her digestions (“tonifying the Spleen.”) 

Kidney Support

In Chinese medicine, it is said that kidney energy, or “qi,” declines as we age. In fact, we’ll sometimes see a decline in kidney function in our senior pups, sometimes diagnosed as chronic kidney disease (CKD) or even as renal failure. Acupuncture can help increase blood flow to the kidneys to support their ability to filter waste efficiently, as well as decrease inflammation in the kidneys and throughout the body. 

I advise my clients to keep an eye out for signs of early-stage kidney disease in their dogs' lab work. Especially with older dogs, this is a great time to begin regular acupuncture treatment to help delay or prevent the progression of disease symptoms.

Other Issues

In my work as an animal acupuncturist, I have treated dogs recovering from surgeries; dogs with urinary tract infections; dogs dealing with the side effects of chemotherapy; and dogs with anxiety who experience the calming benefits when acupuncture helps shift the nervous system out of the sympathetic “fight or flight” mode. I even recently treated a lovely senior English Lab who was having near-nightly episodes of bowel incontinence and experienced dramatic improvement after just a couple of treatments to her guardian’s great delight. 

So, by all means, bring your dog with back pain to a qualified animal acupuncturist. But also keep in mind the safe and effective support that a few tiny needles can offer for many other veterinary conditions as well. 

Please note that for any new or undiagnosed concerns, it is important to have a veterinarian examine your dog to identify serious issues and provide emergency care when called for. Most of my patients also receive Western veterinary support along with acupuncture, an integrative approach intended to achieve optimal results for the animal's wellbeing.