Veterinary acupuncture has it's origins in ancient China some 3,000 years ago. It is based on scientific observations that pressure, when applied to specific points on a canine's body, will reduce pain (for example, joint pain) and other symptoms, such as allergies,etc.. Through the years, it was discovered that a better effect was produced if these points were penetrated with a thin needle.

When the first veterinary schools were established in European countries, acupuncture was on the curriculum and  widely practiced in both farm and small animals until the beginning of  the 19th century. Western medicine and the development of antibiotics lead to a general disuse of acupuncture in favor of pharmaceutical medications.

It is only recently that veterinarians in America and Europe have returned to the use of acupuncture with considerable success and less adverse efforts than experienced with the use of medications.

Studies have revealed the basic principle of acupuncture (Chinese concept of Yin and Yang in which all things have two opposite aspects, although interdependent). Yin is cold and passive and Yang is hot, moving and bright.

Anthropologists report that in traditional Chinese medicine, disease is an imbalance of Yin and Yang and the goal of acupuncture is to define the exact organ which is causing the imbalance and correct the imbalance by altering the flow of Qi, which is the vital energy.

Conditions which can benefit from acupuncture include:

PON owners are advised to discuss the use of acupuncture with their family veterinarians who may wish to consult with specialists in the area.