From high-end furniture and beauty products to luxury travel, pet owners go to great lengths to pamper their furry friends.
That's also true when it comes to medical care, including the one in three pet owners who spend more on their animal than their own health needs.
So, it's no surprise that many pet parents are turning to acupuncture to manage their pets' pain, per The Wall Street Journal.
Moving the needle
While the medical community remains at odds over acupuncture — including the human variety — many veterinarians are increasingly seeing potential benefits to the practice alongside conventional medical treatments.
Dr. Kristen Miller began her career as a conventional veterinarian, but launched a mobile acupuncture business a decade ago.
She was convinced to make the leap after witnessing the mobility and vitality return to her arthritic golden retriever after weekly acupuncture sessions when medications stopped working.
- Dr. Miller enrolled in Chi University, which trains vets in traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture.
- She now charges $300 to $500 for house calls and has a waitlist.
- She's found that treats and home visits help calm and distract the animals.
And she's not alone:
- An estimated 4k-5k of the ~127k US veterinarians are certified to perform acupuncture, according to the American Board of Veterinary Acupuncture.
- ~80% work with small animals, 10%-20% with horses, and a small percentage with farm animals, exotics, and zoo animals.
Many critics, however, argue that the effectiveness of acupuncture on pets is largely anecdotal and lacks sufficient scientific support.
While some studies have found no significant difference in the use of acupuncture for pain relief in pets, others find the treatment can be effective at managing pain, along with reducing inflammation and improving circulation, cognitive awareness, and quality of life.
And hey, if owners can convince typical vet-wary pets to sit still for a barrage of needles and potential pain relief, that seems like a worthwhile effort.
