Pass the Needles, Please: What to Expect at Your Dog’s First Acupuncture Appointment

Everything goes better with a little whipped cream, even needles. photo: Dr. Lisa Franzetta

When I first met Ed, a 13-year-old Corgi mix, his mom assured me that the way to his heart was through his favorite treat, whipped cream. This wasn’t Ed’s everyday treat, of course, but the kind you might reserve for a special occasion…like a first visit to the acupuncturist.

As an animal acupuncturist, I’m often asked how I get dogs to sit still during their appointments. The answer depends on the dog, of course. And in Ed’s case, this included a nicely chilled can of Reddi-Wip.

As most folks know by now, acupuncture - one of the primary treatment modalities in Chinese medicine - involves the insertion of hair-thin needles at strategic points on the body to achieve a healing effect. As with humans, there are many canine conditions that may benefit from acupuncture, including arthritis, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), injury recovery, digestive disorders, and the side effects of cancer treatment, to name a few.

In Chinese medicine, disease is described as resulting from imbalanced energy in the body. Acupuncture works by balancing the body’s energy, supporting circulation, and assisting the body’s healing process. In Western terms, acupuncture stimulates nerves, muscles, and connective tissue; increases blood circulation; relieves muscle spasms; stimulates the release of neurotransmitters such as endorphins that aid in pain control; stimulates the production of cortisol, which helps control inflammation; and modulates pain-stimulating pathways in the nervous system. No wonder this treatment is increasingly popular with Western dogs and humans alike.

So what can you expect at your dog’s first acupuncture appointment? Depending on your practitioner, there are many different ways a treatment can look, but here are a few general guidelines.

First, your practitioner is going to ask plenty of questions about your dog and their history. Because healing in Chinese medicine takes a whole-body approach, we‘ll want to know about things like their digestion and their temperament, even if we’re focusing on an arthritic leg. That’s because your animal’s overall constitution will be relevant to our treatment strategy. This is one of the hallmarks of a holistic, Chinese medicine approach.

The room will be set up to ensure comfort for you and your dog. At the veterinary office where I practice, I have a cushioned mat on the floor, a comfy padded bench, pillows, and relaxing music playing in the background. You might sit down on the floor with your pup, or even hold a smaller dog on your lap, depending on what’s comfortable for everyone. For example, when Ed comes for his regular appointments, which have supported his recovery after spinal surgery, he snuggles down on the floor mat with his mom, dad, me, and his beloved licky mat.

The length and style of treatments may vary. I typically begin a treatment with bodywork to help a dog relax and prepare for the acupuncture needles. Some dogs naturally relax in this setting; for others, I might provide something distracting for them to focus on, like peanut butter or other special treats appropriate for their individual diet. Depending on your dog, you might be asked to help keep their head end occupied. Ed remains very happy while his needles are inserted, as his mom judiciously dispenses squirts from the whipped cream can.

Your dog’s acupuncturist will work with whatever position your animal is comfortable in, often encouraging them to lie down and relax, and treating points that are accessible based on that position. In dogs as well as humans, there are powerful points located along the back, which makes sense from an anatomical perspective, since that’s where the nerves come in and out of our spinal cords, relaying information to and from the brain to the rest of the body. This means that, regardless of where the pain or problem is located, we will also often insert needle points along your dog’s back.

The number of needles used will vary, from a few to a dozen or more. Depending on your dog’s case, we may let them rest with their needles in, anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. If they move around a little during this time, that’s okay.

Lastly, before you leave, you’ll receive a treatment plan for your dog. Acupuncture is medicine - not a magic wand - and in most cases, your dog’s condition isn’t going to resolve after just one treatment. The benefit of acupuncture is cumulative, and treatment plans for chronic conditions will usually include six to eight acupuncture sessions. This means you can expect once-a-week treatments for six to eight weeks to show real improvement, especially for long-term conditions that have been developing over a period of months or even years.

At his most recent appointment, Ed’s parents reported that he’d been feeling so well lately that he decided to chase after the mailman. Luckily for everyone, because Ed’s such a sweet old pup, he had no idea what to do once he caught up with him.

I wouldn’t go so far as to tell the mailman to blame it on the acupuncturist. But I'm glad to know that Ed is joyfully bounding through his neighborhood once again - with a little help from Chinese medicine.