Animal Acupuncture

Animal Acupuncture at Home

You may have heard of acupuncture and perhaps even tried it yourself, but did you know it can benefit your pets too? Acupuncture has been practised for thousands of years in many Eastern cultures. It involves placing very fine needles into specific points on the body to relieve pain, support recovery, and enhance overall wellbeing. Over recent decades, Western veterinary understanding has grown significantly, and acupuncture is now widely accepted as a safe and effective complementary therapy for pets.

Who Can Benefit & What Conditions Can Be Helped

Whilst acupuncture can be used for a number of conditions, here at Faithful Farewell our acupuncture sessions are aimed at supporting those pets who are reaching their golden years. We commonly treat arthritis or joint stiffness, muscle tension and soreness as well as age related mobility changes. 

Acupuncture is a complementary therapy, similar to hydrotherapy or physiotherapy. In a small number of patients the effects of acupuncture will remove the need for prescription medications, however it is intended to support medications, not replace them. 

Availability is very limited to allow us to provide a highly personalised service, and is only offered to those pets within the shaded area. 

 

Does it Hurt?

In line with our ethos, acupuncture is extremely gentle. Most dogs and cats tolerate treatment very well and show little or no distress. The needles are very fine and placed into points that are generally not painful. Many pets become relaxed and sleepy during and after treatment, so it’s a good idea to let them rest afterwards.

What to Expect During Sessions

Initial session: typically lasts 1 hour and includes a general examination, discussion of your pet’s history, and a placement of a small number of needles to assess your pet's response. During this session we will also discuss general pain management strategies and review your pet's current pain medications to see if they can be improved. Please note we do not stock medications, we can provide prescriptions but encourage long term supply to be via your regular vets.

 

Ongoing sessions: these typically last 20–30 minutes and provide more targeted treatment based on your pet’s response during the initial session.

 

Frequency: Initially acupuncture sessions are held weekly. After 4 weeks we assess how well your pet has responded. From there the interval between sessions can be gradually increased, with most pets settling on a monthly schedule. 

Expected Response

Every pet responds differently to acupuncture. Some show noticeable improvement within a few days, while others may require several treatments before a benefit becomes apparent.

 

Early improvements may not last until the next session, but as treatment progresses, some pets are able to have longer intervals between appointments as the effects become longer-lasting.

 

Initial sessions are deliberately taken slowly to reduce the likelihood of soreness or excessive sleepiness afterwards. Despite this, some pets can be particularly sensitive and may be a little stiff or uncomfortable following treatment. If this happens, we can adjust our approach and needle placement at future sessions.

Not every pet will respond to acupuncture. If we have seen no improvement after four sessions, we will discuss whether continuing treatment is likely to be worthwhile.

Pricing

Home Visit - Initial Session: £150

Home Visit - Ongoing Session: £85

Add on to an End of Life Consultation: £30

Animal Acupuncture is a trading name of Faithful Farewell Ltd