Acupuncture at Zazzles: Holistic Treatments for Cats with Dr. Karyn

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn, read my bio to learn more about me and meet my five delightful cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda and Zazzles.

Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, dating back to at least 300 BCE, when the Chinese emperor Yellow Di wrote a text known as the Yellow Emperor’s Internal Canon, but it may have existed earlier.¹ The 5,300-year-old mummy of a man found in the Italian Alps showed tattoo marks and corresponding bone marks that archaeologists believe may have been used as markers for acupuncture treatment, meaning acupuncture may not just be ancient, but may have multiple origins.

Until recently, most treatments in Traditional Chinese Medicine were viewed as outdated and outdated by the modern medical community and were subject to ridicule. So what has changed?

Aside from thousands, maybe millions, of success stories, a greater understanding of how acupuncture actually works has helped this non-invasive treatment gain acceptance into mainstream medicine.

Acupuncture Basics

Simply put, traditional acupuncture uses “dry” needles placed at specific points along meridians to manipulate and unblock “chi” (pronounced “chee”) – the body’s life force energy. These meridians Although meridians correlate with different parts of the body, not all points along the meridians affect those body parts.

We now realize that meridians may actually be related to tissue differentiation during embryonic development, and that Qi may be another way of describing neural pathways, tissue planes, and energy transfer. From here, it becomes easier for the aspiring scientist to understand how this “alternative” therapy actually works.

Introducing Holistic Treatments for Pets

After attending a course in veterinary acupuncture I became fascinated with using this technique in practice. Most of my acupuncture patients have been dogs, but acupuncture in cats is more likely to be successful. Cats have been found to respond strongly to acupuncture and there have been promising results using acupuncture to manage feline asthma.

I’ve been using acupuncture at home on Bailey, a Labrador with aging joints. I recently decided to try the treatment on my timid calico cat, Zazzles, and was amazed by the results. When I rescued Zazzles eight years ago, I noticed a fracture in her back leg that hadn’t healed. She’d managed the condition well, but recently she began limping, so I decided it was time to start a pain management plan. As she is a very sensitive cat, I wasn’t sure how she would react to this unusual stimulus, but rather than frightening her, she actually rolled over, purring.

It’s still a little too early to know how effective the treatment is, but at least we know that it won’t hurt to repeat it.

Don’t try this at home!

Of course, acupuncture isn’t something you can do at home for your pet, but you could try acupressure or massage.

As the name suggests, acupressure uses targeted pressure on specific areas like that used in acupuncture to achieve similar results without the needles. It’s a technique that just about anyone can use to relieve tension, ease pain, and calm your pet at home. Plus, if you have a cat with asthma or other respiratory issues, there are some pressure points you can try.

Giving a cat a massage is very easy and not much different from petting it normally. The main thing you need to be aware of is to apply firm pressure with the palms of your hands on either side of the spine, focusing on the neck and shoulders. The only time you’re likely to run into trouble is when you try to stop the massage.

If you think your cat could benefit from acupuncture, talk to your vet. Not all vets or animal hospitals offer this service, so you may have to shop around. But rest assured, far from being stressful, acupuncture is actually very relaxing for most cats.