You'd be amazed how well these kitties can tolerate acupuncture. We use very tiny needles. We go very slow and methodical with them. If they show any discomfort with a needle placement, we'll remove it, go to another area, and then come back to that spot. They're usually pretty good about it.

What percentage of cats experience an improvement in symptoms after receiving acupuncture treatments?

It depends on what disease you're treating. But I would say for kidney disease and lumbosacral or back arthritis, it’s a good 50%.

I'd say yes and no. For the most part, the vaccines are very effective, and probably if your animal was around an unvaccinated and even sick other cat, chances are they would be okay. But vaccines aren't 100%. Not everyone’s immunity is not the same. So I'd say, why take that risk? Ideally, I would just have your cat associate with other vaccinated cats when appropriate, if possible.

No risks at all. As I said, the one thing is perhaps it may not be as effective as you'd hoped. But overall, dogs handle it great. A lot of our patients are regulars for it.

There are really no side effects. I guess the one downside is not all dogs respond the same. You may have some expectations that it's going to work this miracle, and it maybe just gives a moderate effect.

It's very effective. There are specific diseases that we see acupuncture make a tremendous change in how the dog functions and moves. And it can sometimes help reduce the need for some of the other medications that they're on, which would be great for them long-term.

They're usually pretty tired. It's not so much that the needles themselves wipe the dog out. It's that wonderful serotonin release that makes them very relaxed. If you've ever personally had acupuncture, you know it's almost like a massage. It feels terrific, and you just want to go home and take a nap. I tell owners to expect a nice, sleepy pet the rest of the day.

We typically see the maximum effects of the serotonin release and pain reduction at day three post acupuncture treatment. The treatment can last anywhere from one to four weeks. It's dependent on the dog and what their disease is.