New Clients

 What to expect:

• Acupuncture works by helping the body get back into its own natural balance. Homeostasis is the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes. Sometimes the benefits are noticed early in the treatment. More often it takes a series of visits to build up an appropriate “dose” of acupuncture before we can really assess the beneficial effects.

• On your first visit I will ask about your pet’s history and medical condition, perform a myofascial exam, and formulate a treatment plan. Since every patient is different, each treatment will be specifically tailored to your pet’s needs on each visit.

• Some pets are very sensitive and respond to a small amount of treatment. I will start with a modest treatment the first day so we can assess your pet’s response. For subsequent visits I will likely add to the treatment, using a combination of needle acupuncture, laser acupuncture, low level laser therapy and massage.

• A common recommendation will be to have a series of 4 weekly visits. Some more acute conditions may do best with more frequent initial treatments. The initial visit will be 60-90 minutes. Each subsequent visit will last about an hour, sometimes less. This gives us a good chance to assess for beneficial response to treatment. Then we gradually increase the time between visits and continue to assess response. Many chronic conditions, such as osteoarthritis, do well with monthly visits.

• During and after treatment you are encouraged to watch for your pet’s responses. Many pets become very relaxed during the treatment. Some relax and then get very animated! Some never seem to relax but then sleep deeply once back at home. Some get a drippy nose!! It is actually quite fascinating to see all the ways our pets respond to this form of therapy!