Acupuncture For Pets uses an Integrative Veterinary Medicine approach which incorporates into Western veterinary medicine, the full theory and principles of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), not a "westernized" limited version of it. This integrated dual modality approach gives the client the benefit of two distinct diagnostic methodologies, and enables the veterinarian to expand the treatment options available to the patient beyond just drugs and surgery. 

TCVM's drug-free approach means that the serious side effects and hazards of a pharmaceutical approach are eliminated. TCVM is virtually PAIN FREE, and has been proven effective both in the laboratory and in the field (just ask any successful race horse trainer or our patient, "Judy" the Shrine Circus elephant)!

PROVEN Safe • PROVEN Effective • Pain-free • Drug-Free

What is Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (or TCVM) developed over thousands of years and through observation of millions of cases. TCVM is a holistic approach to health which views the patient as an organism with interrelated energetic parts rather than breaking the individual down into separate systems and symptoms. Holistic Medicine is an approach that considers the animal as a whole...body, mind, spirit, diet and environment... and uses herbs, diet, exercise, massage, and a treatment technique known as acupuncture to restore health. 

 What is Veterinary Acupuncture?

Veterinary Acupuncture is the central diagnostic and treatment therapy of a whole system of TCVM, which includes Diet Therapies, Chinese Herbal compounds and combinations, and other techniques. Acupuncture stimulates and uses a system of points and connecting energy train tracks called ‘meridians’ organized by the Chinese. Disease arises from a problem in the flow of energy, known as ‘qi’ which stops flowing along the track or meridian. Using acupressure, acupuncture needles, moxibustion, liquid or ‘wet’ acupuncture, or electro-acupuncture, energy and blood flow are manipulated.

For example there is a point called Stomach 36, located just below the stifle (knee) and slightly on the outside of the leg, in the dog and cat. This point relieves nausea and vomiting, and has been shown in research to increase the number of circulating white blood cells in the body, thereby improving immunity. Acupuncture adjusts the energy and blood flow, leading it to areas where it is needed and moving it from areas where it is stuck or blocked.  In this way, acupuncture restores the harmonious balance of the body, speeds healing, and reduces pain.

 Is all Veterinary Acupuncture the Same?

Some US Acupuncture programs use a ‘westernized’ version of TCVM which attempts to recast the Chinese system in terms of western medicine. Dr Rainey is certified by the Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine which is the only program in the US certified by the Chi Institute and China National Society of TCVM, China, and endorsed by the South China Agricultural University College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Dr. Rainey has learned from the Master, Dr. Shen Huisheng Xie, DVM, PhD. Dr. Xie (pronounced “shay”) received his DVM at the Sichuan College of Veterinary Medicine in China in 1983 and a Master of Science in Veterinary Acupuncture in 1988. In 1999, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida for his investigation of the mechanisms of pain control in horses by using acupuncture. Today, Dr. Xie is the Director of the Veterinary Acupuncture Internship Program at the Veterinary Medical Center of the University of Florida.

 Why Veterinary Acupuncture for my Pets?

Acupuncture bridges a gap between medicine and surgery. In China, it is often used as the primary treatment before conventional medicines and surgery. In small animals, including exotics, and large animals, acupuncture is most commonly used for: musculoskeletal problems (e.g. arthritis), skin problems, nervous disorders, reproductive disorders, respiratory problems, poor immunity and internal medicine problems such as heart (cardiac) and kidney (renal) disease, etc. Acupuncture is now known to affect all major physiologic systems including the musculoskeletal, hormonal, and cardiovascular systems.

Acupuncture increases circulation, causes a release of many neurotransmitters and neurohormones (some of which are endorphins, the “natural pain-killing” hormones), relieves muscle spasms, stimulates nerves, and stimulates the body’s defense system, among many other beneficial effects. Acupuncture is not a “one-time fix”, nor is it a cure-all. It is not uncommon for owners to observe improvement in their pet’s condition after the first acupuncture treatment. Depending upon the severity of the disease, some pets may not show any signs of improvement until the sixth or eighth treatment. Effectiveness should not be assessed until after three to four treatments.