Everything you need to know for your first appointment
Before your appointment
Laura offers a free of charge telephone consultation prior to meeting you and your animal, to discuss whether they are a candidate for acupuncture. If you would like to go ahead, Laura will book you in when is convenient for you.
As a guide, most animals will need a course of four, once weekly sessions before it can be determined whether or not they are an acupuncture responder. If you book four sessions at once, you will receive a 10% discount.
Please contact your usual veterinary surgery and ask for your animal’s medical history, including any relevant x-ray images and blood test results, to be sent to laura@lmveterinaryacupuncture.co.uk. There is no formal referral form but your vet is welcome to contact Laura directly to discuss the case.
During the Appointment
Prepare an area for the acupuncture to be performed.
For horses we recommend this is on a yard or clean stable or wash area, without shavings or straw on the floor so that needles are not lost.
For dogs and cats we recommend choosing a room they like spending time in, but not their favourite room, and selecting a mat or bed which is kept specifically for their acupuncture sessions, to indicate to them when they are receiving a session as many come to associate this with endorphin release and settle well.
For rabbits, we recommend a space on the floor again in an area without lots of straw to prevent needles being lost.
Prepare your animal for acupuncture
They should be clean, and warm. Groom horses prior to Laura’s arrival to promote blood flow to the muscles, helping warm them. It is a far more pleasant sensation being needled into a warm muscle than a cold one!
Keep treats on standby
A snack which can be enjoyed with minimal movement may be helpful for fidgety animals. Consider stocking up on a lick for horses, and pastes that can be used for lick mats for dogs and cats. Have fresh leaves available for rabbits.
After your appointment
Laura will prepare your acupuncture report, and send yourself and your usual veterinary practice an electronic copy via email.
Immediately after treatment animals may be sleepier than usual, not show any response, or may be euphoric. Sleepiness and euphoria tend to indicate strong acupuncture responders, while lots of animals show no response, whether or not they respond to acupuncture as a treatment. We do not recommend any changes in management, except that horses are not ridden for a day after treatment.
Responses to treatment are:
Animal is stiffer/more uncomfortable
Although concerning as an owner, this is generally a sign of a good responder, and means that the dose of acupuncture was too high. Just let Laura know so she can adjust the dose for next time.
Animal is improved
You may see an improvement within three days of treatment, although this may not last for the entire period between treatments initially. We hope that over the course of the first four treatments, the length of this response will become longer.
No response
It is thought that 80% of animals and people respond to acupuncture, but some may not. We advise a full four sessions before deciding whether or not your animal is a responder, remembering that with particularly chronic conditions, the pain signalling is harder to modulate.