What is Acupuncture and How Can It Help My Dog

Acupuncture is a therapeutic process during which a practitioner inserts fine needles into your dog’s body to help control pain and cure chronic ailments

The central concept behind acupuncture–for you or your dog–is the idea of balance. Ancient Chinese medical philosophy teaches that illness is the result of an imbalance of vital energies in the body, and acupuncture restores that balance and allows the body to heal. It does this by guiding chi (or qi), vital energy along certain pathways (commonly called meridians) in the body

Medical researchers can observe changes in electrical activity and increased blood circulation during acupuncture, as well as a decrease in muscle spasms and the release of endorphins and other chemicals in the brain

One stat reported via VIN and WSAVA: In one study on 5 dogs with idiopathic megaesophagus, there was a 70% resolution of regurgitation and increased weight gain

Source: http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2003&PID=6494&O=Generic

There are links to articles relational to the topic here as well as how to find a certified acupuncturist

Source: http://www.caninemegaesophagus.org/ComplimentaryMed_Acupuncture.html

Quote from an ME owner: “Our dog has acupuncture treatments every Monday evening and I can tell you that it absolutely relaxes him and seems to soothe his cough for some reason.”

Acupuncture specific to Megaesophagus
Megaesophagus: Qi Deficiency:
• Acupuncture:
• PC 6 master point for chest+heart, relieves nausea, (+St36),anxieties, promotes sleep, nausea, cardiac disorders
• CV 17 tonifies Qi of chest, epistaxis, respiratory infections, increases lactation, anhidrosis, asthma
• CV 12 all Yang diseases, benefits stomach function of descending, disperses food accumulation, benefits spleen function of transformation and transportation, colic, diarrhea,all digestive disorders
• BL 13 regulates nutritive and defensive Qi, helps heart function, promotes communication between heart and liver, enterospasm, hyperhydrosis, medial splint, heaves, respiratory problems
• BL14 regulates the heart, over exertion, cough, lung congestion, anxiety, heart rhytm and heart circulation problems, nausea and vomiting
• BL15 benefits the heart, stimulates the brain, regulates circulation of Qi and blood, cardiac pain, cough, anxiety, asthma, overexertion, heat in lung, bronchitis, pleuritis, pneumonia, tracheitis, geriatric insomnia
• LI 4 stops pain, removes obstruction from the channel, dispels exterior wind, tonifies Qi, harmonizes descending and ascending, stimulates dispersing function of lung, strong calming and antispasmodic action, anxiety, epistaxis,nasal congestion,stomach and intestinal disorders,tootache, facial swelling, ocular disorders, clears heat,use for febrile disease
• LIV 3 urinary and genital region, all liver and gallbladder disorders, seizures, eye disorders, diarrhea worse w/emotional changes
• LI 10 tonifies Qi, removes obstruction from channel, abdominal pain or distention, diarrhea, shoulder/leg pain,tootache
• ST 36 benefits stomach function of descending, benefits spleen function of transportation/transformation, tibial and fibular pain, stifle pain, patellar luxation, arthritis of tarsal joint, paralysis of tibial and fibular nerves, GI disorders, acetylcholine effects, immunostimulation, fever, anorexia, lethargy
• CV 6 tonifies and regulates Qi,tonifies Yang and original Qi, resolves dampness, loose stools, pale urine, physical weakness, lack of will power
• LI 1 removes obstructions quickly, laminitis, ringbone,sidebone, navicular disease, fever, pharyngitis, all hoof problems
• LU 11 benefits the throat, expels wind, opens the orifices, promotes resuscitation
• ST 45 clears damp heat from the stomach, disperses food accumulation, laminitis, ringbone, colic, stifle problems, sidebone, tendinitis, mania (geriatricrestlessness,sleep/pacing)

Megaesophagus: Blood Deficiency:
• Acupuncture:
• PC 6 (s.above)
• CV 17 (s. above)
• CV 12 (s.above)
• BL 17 influental point for blood, regulates Qi circulation, tonifies blood and pacifies the stomach, low heamoglobin, WBC count, PCV and blood pressure, prolonged clotting time, wasting diseases, fatigue, nonresponsive skin conditions, urticaria, immunostimulatio in viral diseases, also lung, heart and stomach conditions (BL 17’ idigestion, gaseous bowl, dilatation of stomach), pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus
• Bl 18 benefits liver function and patency of flow of Qi, dispels and transforms damp heat from LiverGallbladder, clears mind and brightens the eye, mysositis, tendinitis, desmitis, conjunctivitis, periodic opththalmia, abdominal pain with distention, back soreness, Icterus, indigestion, keratitis, jaundice, hepatitis, mood swings
• LI 4 (s.above)
• LIV 3 (s.above)
• SP 10 eliminates wind, dispels heat and regulates circulation of Qi and blood, pain in stifle, oestrus cycle irregularity, uterine bleeding, allergy, urticaria, toxaemia
• ST 36 (s.above)
• LI 1 (s. above)
• LU 11 (s.above)
• ST 45 (s.above)

Megaesophagus: Blood Stagnation:
• Acupuncture:
• LI 4 (s.above)
• LIV 3 (s.above)
• LIV 14 cools blood,harmonizes liver and stomach,benefits the stomach, promotes smooth flow of Qi,
• PC 6 (s.above)
• CV 17 tonifies Qi of chest,epistaxis,respiratory infections, increases lactation, anhidrosis
• BL 17 (s.above)
• BL18 (s.above)
• SP 10 (s.above)
• CV 12 (s.above)
• GB 21 relaxes sinews, painful obstruction syndrome shoulder and neck, glands
• GV 1 regulates GV and CV, resolves danmp heat, calms the mind, pain in caudal back, constipation, diarrhea, rectal prolapsed, swelling of perineal area, tenesmus, GU problems
• LI 1 (s.above)
• LU 11 (s.above)
• ST 45 (s.above)

Megaoesophagus ( John B. Limehouse,DVM, published in BEVAS/IVAS notes):
– PC 6 master point for chest+heart, relieves nausea, vomiting (+St36),anxieties, promotes sleep, cardiac disorders
– GV 20 reunion of all Yang meridians, convulsions, ear and eye problems, immunostimulation, tranquillization, rectal and uterine prolapse
– GV 14 regulates nutritive and defensive Qi, meeting point with BL,ST, GB, tonifies Yang, cervical problems, Wobbler, th spine and forelimb disorders, rheumatism of loin and back, fever, heat stroke, asthma, cough ,cold, eczema, convulsions
– LI 11 clears heat in virtually every organ and with any fever of internal origin, benefits sinews and joints, regulates nurtritive Qi and blood, resolves dampness, cools blood, expels exterior wind, tonification point,immunostimulation, sore throat, blood circulation, skin disease, atrophy, pain and inflammation in elbow and upper limb disorders, diarrhea, stomach excess issues, constipation (+ St 36)
– BL 20 nourishes blood, benefits spleen function of transformation and transportation, dispels and transforms dampness, benefits spleen function of raising Qi, GI disorders, obstetric disorders, edema, enterospasm, indigestion, constipation, enteritis, dilatation of the guts, diarrhea

– BL 21 benefits stomach function of descending, dipsels and transforms damp, relieves detention of food, GI disorders, abdominal pain, indigestion, enteritis, gastro enteritis overexertion, pain on lat. aspect of stifle and hind leg
– ST 36 benefits stomach function of descending, benefits spleen function of transportation/transformation, tibial and fibular pain, stifle pain, patellar luxation, arthritis of tarsal joint, paralysis of tibial and fibular nerves, GI disorders, acetylcholine, effects, immunostimulation, fever, anorexia, lethargy (Master point for cranial abdomen and digestive system)
– ST 44 clears damp heat from stomach, disperses food accumulation, laminitis, ringbone, colic, stifle, sidebone, tendinitis
– SP 6 benefits kidney function of water metabolism, benefits spleen function of transformation and transportation, benefits liver function of patency flow of Qi, dispels and transforms dampness and damp heat, obsteric, GI and urinary disorders, immunostimulation
– CV 12 all Yang diseases, benefits stomach function of descending, disperses food accumulation, benefits spleen function of transformation and transportation, colic, diarrhea,all digestive disorders – CV 22 stimulates the descending of Lung Qi, cough, asthma, pharyngitis