Feline Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been practiced for over 4,000 years. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, including the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies, has been practiced on domestic animals, primarily horses and cows, since the Zhou (Chou) Dynasty (1046-221 B.C.). In 1873, Li Nan-Hui published Hou Shou Ci Zhou (Humane Care of Animals), detailing herbal formulas for various species including cattle, buffalo, pigs, horses, sheep, dogs and cats. In 1972, when president Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China, cultural and scientific information began to be shared between the two countries, bringing acupuncture, as a healing art, to the United States. The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) was then incorporated in 1974, and the first organized veterinary acupuncture course was held in North America in 1975.
Feline Acupuncture Patient
Cats are less likely than dogs to sit still for an acupuncture treatment, due to their independent and highly sensitive personalities. Still, some cats are very willing, and the benefits they receive are significant. Cats who resist needle insertion may respond better to aquapuncture, in which Vitamin B12 is injected into acupuncture points. Urinary tract diseases (renal disease, feline urologic syndrome, urinary tract infections), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), liver and cardiac diseases, asthma, arthritis, post-surgical/post-traumatic conditions and side effects related to cancer are the most common diseases and conditions for which acupuncture is pursued for cats.