Acupuncture isn’t just for mom and dad anymore. With a desire to find more natural treatments for aches and pains, Fido and Fluffy are getting in on the action too.
Dr. Shelley Skopit of the Park Animal Hospital in Norwalk says acupuncture can help with arthritis, slipped disks, pinched nerves and more.
“So by inserting a needle into various points of the body, we’re actually stimulating the body to release natural chemicals,” Skopit says. Like natural pain relievers.
Sue Strange has brought two of her dogs to Skopit for the treatments.
“It was incredibly, it really was,” she said of the effect it had on her dog, Dudley. “He was engaged, he wanted to play again. He was like being eight years old and he was 13.”
Pet acupuncture isn’t just for dogs, Dr. Skopit treats cats too, but sometimes that’s a bit harder. She says a lot of the time she finds herself using acupuncture as a complementary treatment along with traditional medicine. To find out if this is something that could benefit your pet, make sure to consult your veterinarian. Acupuncture sessions typically last about 15 minutes and cost around $100.