Veterinary acupuncture involves inserting a small needle or injecting a small amount of saline or other solution such as vitamin B12 into very specific points on the body to correct imbalances and control pain. Acupuncture dates back thousands of years, and has become widely accepted around the world as an alternative treatment to more conventional Western medicine. Many scientific studies have proven the efficacy of this modality in treating a variety of conditions in both people and animals such as osteoarthritis, managing side effects of chemotherapy, and respiratory disorders.

At Lakeside Mobile Veterinary Services, Dr. Laura uses a an integrative approach with both her conventional veterinary medical background and a Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis to determine the route of the issue with each animal she sees. Acupuncture not only helps with the management of pain, it is also effective in managing and treating many diseases our animals face – such as kidney disease, seizures and neurological diseases, heart disease, respiratory disease, gastrointestinal issues, liver disease, skin issues, and cancer.

The frequency of treatment varies with each condition. Issues such as intervertebral disc disease and some neurological conditions require more frequent treatment than other more chronic medical concerns, sometimes multiple times per week. It is generally recommended to start treating other issues once weekly, and once improvement is noted, stretching out the subsequent treatments so that animals may go as long as possible in between treatments without symptoms. This could mean once a month or even a few treatments per year.

Interested in learning more? Call or text us to get in touch to book your pet’s initial in home integrative consultation