Veterinary Acupuncture for Dogs and Cats in Laguna Beach

What Is Veterinary Acupuncture?

Veterinary acupuncture involves inserting very fine, sterile needles into selected areas of the body. Its historical roots lie in traditional Chinese medicine, while modern medical discussion also considers sensory nerves, spinal pain processing, muscles and connective tissues.

The sites selected depend on the animal’s examination, diagnosis, symptoms and tolerance. Some appointments involve a small number of needles; others use a broader approach.

Acupuncture can be considered alongside:

• Prescription pain or anti-inflammatory medication
• Appropriate exercise and veterinary rehabilitation
• Nutrition and weight management
• Therapeutic laser treatment
• Home-environment modifications
• Medical treatment for underlying disease
• Orthopedic evaluation or surgery when indicated

Our Holistic and Integrative Veterinary Care page explains how these options fit within whole-pet medicine at ABAC.

Why Veterinary Training and Diagnosis Matter

Dr. Bryan Hayter earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Auburn University, completed an internship at the San Diego Zoo, and undertook veterinary acupuncture training through IVAS.

His training in conventional veterinary medicine is essential to treatment selection. A dog with sudden rear-leg lameness may have a cruciate ligament injury rather than uncomplicated arthritis. A cat with weight loss and poor appetite may have a medical problem requiring laboratory testing or imaging, not merely a need for stimulation.

That distinction is part of responsible integrative medicine: establish what is wrong before deciding which additional therapies may help.

Learn about Dr. Hayter and the ABAC veterinary team .

How May Acupuncture Affect Pain and Mobility?

Acupuncture produces sensory stimulation in skin, connective tissue and sometimes deeper musculoskeletal structures. Researchers have proposed several possible mechanisms, including modulation of nerve signaling, spinal and central pain processing and endogenous pain-modulating systems.

These proposed mechanisms do not prove that acupuncture is effective for every advertised condition. Clinical outcomes must be evaluated separately for each disorder.

What Does the Veterinary Evidence Show?

Published research is heterogeneous: some studies report benefits, while others find no meaningful difference compared with controls. Studies may also be limited by small patient numbers, inconsistent methods or difficulties measuring pain objectively in animals.

The AAHA Pain Management Guidelines discuss acupuncture among nonpharmacologic modalities, while noting important limitations in the evidence.

The Merck Veterinary Manual also provides a professional discussion of veterinary medical acupuncture.

At ABAC, acupuncture is considered for a defined clinical objective and continued only when the patient’s response justifies it.

Conditions That May Be Considered for Veterinary Acupuncture

Acupuncture is primarily considered as a supportive treatment for selected painful or functional conditions after an appropriate medical evaluation.

• Osteoarthritis and chronic joint discomfort
• Selected hip, knee, elbow or spinal pain
• Muscle tension and compensatory soreness
• Reduced mobility in senior dogs and cats
• Selected neurologic conditions after diagnosis
• Orthopedic rehabilitation
• Postoperative discomfort when the surgeon approves
• Multimodal chronic-pain management
• Palliative care focused on comfort and quality of life

The presence of one of these conditions does not establish that acupuncture will be effective or appropriate.

Visit our integrative pain and mobility guide for more information on veterinarian-directed multimodal care.

Dog Arthritis, Cat Arthritis and Senior-Pet Mobility

Osteoarthritis can make everyday activities increasingly difficult. A dog may hesitate before climbing stairs, rise slowly after sleeping, or shorten walks. An older cat may stop jumping, groom less frequently, or avoid a high-sided litter box.

Common signs include:

• Stiffness after resting
• Difficulty rising or lying down
• Hesitation on stairs or furniture
• Reduced willingness to play
• Changes in posture or gait
• Loss of muscle mass
• Sensitivity to handling
• Changes in grooming or litter-box habits

An arthritis plan may include weight management, appropriate physical activity, prescription medication, home modifications, rehabilitation and selected additional modalities.

Acupuncture cannot regenerate damaged cartilage or cure arthritis. Its potential role is as an adjunct aimed at comfort and function in selected patients.

Read about senior pet veterinary care and therapeutic laser treatment at ABAC.

Acupuncture for Selected Neurologic and Spinal Conditions

Some veterinarians incorporate acupuncture into rehabilitation plans for patients with chronic spinal discomfort, muscle guarding or selected neurologic disorders. The evidence differs by disease, and a referral or conventional treatment may be more appropriate.

For example, intervertebral-disc disease can cause pain, weakness, incoordination or paralysis. The first priority is identifying whether the pet requires urgent neurologic assessment, imaging or surgery.

Acupuncture During Orthopedic Recovery and Rehabilitation

An animal recovering from surgery may experience muscle guarding, limited mobility, postoperative pain or compensatory soreness. Acupuncture may sometimes be considered as part of the broader rehabilitation plan once the attending veterinarian or surgeon determines that it is appropriate.

However, acupuncture does not replace:

• Prescribed pain medication
• Incision care
• Activity restrictions
• Postoperative radiographs
• Physical rehabilitation
• Appropriate surgical stabilization
• Scheduled postoperative examinations

ABAC can coordinate selected advanced orthopedic procedures with visiting board-certified surgeon Zachery “Zack” Smith, DVM, DACVS, subject to patient and surgeon availability.

For more information, see our veterinary orthopedic surgery service , dog CCL injury and knee-surgery guide , and week-by-week TPLO recovery guide .

Can Acupuncture Have a Role in Veterinary Emergency or Critical Care?

Acupuncture has a history of use in some veterinary emergency and critical-care settings, particularly in traditional veterinary acupuncture practice. One frequently discussed point is GV-26, also called Renzhong or Jen Chung.

GV-26: A Historically Described Respiratory-Stimulation Point

GV-26 is located in the nasal philtrum, the central groove of the upper lip immediately below the nose. It has historically been used in attempts to stimulate respiration in anesthetized or depressed animals.

Older veterinary case reports described respiratory responses after GV-26 stimulation. However, those reports do not establish that GV-26 improves survival during cardiac arrest.

The 2025 RECOVER newborn resuscitation guidelines evaluated GV-26 stimulation in newborn puppies and kittens with inadequate breathing. The experts did not reach consensus for or against its use because adequate clinical evidence was lacking.

See the 2025 RECOVER clinical guidelines and the MSPCA-Angell discussion of acupuncture in critical care .

Urgent Care vs. Integrative Follow-Up

Some pets initially require urgent diagnosis and stabilization. Once the immediate problem has been addressed, appropriate complementary care can be discussed for selected patients.

Examples include pets with a painful musculoskeletal injury that requires evaluation, or a chronically uncomfortable patient whose underlying disease has already been diagnosed.

Explore our same-day urgent veterinary care and Laguna Beach emergency and urgent-care guide .

Acupuncture and Appetite Support: What Is the Shan-gen Point?

A separate acupuncture point, called Shan-gen, has traditionally been associated with appetite support in veterinary acupuncture.

Shan-gen is described at the midline near the junction of the haired skin and nonhaired nasal surface on the upper nasal bridge. It is anatomically distinct from GV-26, the point located in the philtrum below the nostrils.

The American Journal of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine anatomy review describes Shan-gen and its traditional use as an appetite-support point. The MSPCA-Angell critical-care article also discusses Shan-gen in the management of selected patients with nausea or poor appetite.

These are descriptions of traditional and specialist practice, not proof that the point reliably increases appetite in dogs or cats. Rigorous controlled evidence for this particular application remains limited.

A Pet That Is Not Eating Needs a Diagnosis

Appetite loss can result from dental pain, nausea, gastrointestinal disease, kidney or liver disease, pancreatitis, infection, metabolic illness or other serious conditions.

Treatment may require diagnostic testing, fluids, anti-nausea medication, appropriate nutrition support, prescription appetite medication or hospitalization.

Shan-gen stimulation must not delay those interventions. A pet that refuses food, particularly a cat or a medically vulnerable animal, should not be managed by acupuncture alone.

For triage guidance, see Vomiting, Not Eating or Lethargic: When Your Pet Needs Urgent Veterinary Care .

Why ABAC Combines Acupuncture With Conventional Care

Chronic pain and impaired mobility often involve more than one problem. A dog with hip arthritis may also have excess weight, muscle weakness or spinal discomfort. A cat with reduced mobility may have arthritis alongside another medical illness.

A comprehensive plan may involve:

• Diagnosis and appropriate diagnostic testing
• Medication selected for the underlying condition
• Weight management and balanced nutrition
• Controlled exercise or rehabilitation
• Home modifications
• Monitoring of medication benefits and adverse effects
• Acupuncture or laser treatment when appropriate
• Reassessment of patient comfort and function

Acupuncture is not automatically superior because it is considered natural, and medication is not automatically inferior because it is conventional.

We choose therapies according to the individual patient’s medical needs and the available evidence.

Related resources include pet nutrition and weight management and veterinary therapeutic laser treatment .

What Happens During a Veterinary Acupuncture Appointment?

How Many Acupuncture Sessions Will My Pet Need?

There is no universal treatment schedule. The frequency depends on the diagnosis, severity, duration of symptoms, patient tolerance and response.

Some pets may begin with more frequent treatments before moving to less frequent appointments if meaningful benefits occur. Others may not respond sufficiently to justify continued treatment.

How We Monitor Progress

Owners may be asked to track:

• Ability to rise comfortably
• Changes in limping or stiffness
• Walking tolerance
• Ability to navigate stairs
• Willingness to play
• Sleep and resting comfort
• Grooming and litter-box use in cats
• Changes in pain behavior
• Veterinary examination findings

Short videos from home can provide valuable information about changes in normal movement. If improvement is absent or the condition worsens, the diagnosis and treatment plan should be reassessed.

Is Veterinary Acupuncture Safe for Dogs and Cats?

Acupuncture is generally considered a relatively low-risk procedure when performed by an appropriately trained veterinarian after proper patient selection. However, it is not free of risk.

Possible adverse effects include:

• Temporary discomfort or soreness
• Minor bruising or bleeding
• Stress from handling
• Short-lived changes in symptoms
• Local infection or tissue injury
• Rare needle-related complications

Additional caution may be appropriate in animals with bleeding disorders, skin infections at proposed needle sites, severe anxiety or medically unstable conditions.

Acupuncture should not delay urgent diagnostic testing, stabilization or surgery. Likewise, prescribed medication should not be reduced or discontinued without veterinary approval.

Veterinary Acupuncture Near Monarch Beach, Emerald Bay and Dana Point

Aliso Beach Animal Clinic is an independently owned veterinary hospital located at 30816 Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651, directly across from Montage Laguna Beach.

We provide veterinary acupuncture and comprehensive medical care for families from South Laguna, Three Arch Bay, Laguna Beach, Emerald Bay, Monarch Beach, Monarch Bay, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and nearby coastal neighborhoods.

If you are looking for a veterinarian offering dog acupuncture near Monarch Beach, or exploring integrative arthritis care for a cat in Emerald Bay, a complete veterinary assessment is the appropriate first step.

For local owners, a familiar veterinary clinic can also provide continuity between supportive treatments, diagnostic testing, routine wellness visits and evaluation of new symptoms.

Frequently Asked Questions About Veterinary Acupuncture