Acupuncture Can Treat That? Support for Your Dog Beyond Back Pain

This article was originally published in the August 2025 issue of Bay Woof.

Acupuncture Can Treat That? Support for Your Dog Beyond Back Pain

When my patient Baxter comes running into my office for his regular acupuncture treatments, tongue hanging out of his toothless mouth, prepared to plant lick-kisses all over my face, I choose to take it as a personal compliment. If he’s like this with all of the other ladies/doctors–I don’t want to know! 

Baxter is an 11-year old rescue Chihuahua mix, and like the majority of dogs of his age, he experiences some pain and weakness due to osteoarthritis (Baxter’s manifests most notably in his inability to stick a landing when he gleefully jumps off a piece of furniture.) 

Acupuncture–the insertion of tiny sterile needles at strategic points on the body–is well-known for its ability to treat musculoskeletal pain in both dogs and humans alike. Modern research tells us that acupuncture stimulates nerves, muscles, and connective tissue; increases circulation; relieves muscle spasms; and prompts the release of the body’s natural pain relievers like endorphins and dopamine. 

However, when many of my clients first seek out acupuncture to support their dogs, they are not aware of the many other issues that Chinese medicine can address. Because acupuncture modulates inflammation in the body and has such a profound effect on the nervous system, it can offer powerful support to internal veterinary conditions as well. Here are a few types of conditions I commonly treat in dogs: 

Neurological Conditions 

My Chihuahua boyfriend Baxter has seizures, a troubling and often difficult to treat issue affecting many dogs and their families. With every-other-week treatment and support from herbal medicine, Baxter has recently gone several months (and counting!) without a seizure. Based on Baxter’s individual Chinese medicine diagnosis, I treat acupuncture points like Gallbladder 20 at the base of the head, which “dispels Wind” in Chinese medicine-speak, and points like Stomach 40 below his knees, which “transform Phlegm.” 

Acupuncture can be a crucial component in addressing other canine neurological conditions as well, especially paresis (weakness or partial paralysis) that can occur when disc herniation puts pressure on the spinal cord, which is a more serious manifestation of intervertebral disc disease 

(IVDD). I’ve seen tremendous improvements with acupuncture in dogs regaining their strength, and even their ability to walk, after such an episode. 

Dermatological Issues 

I once heard a veterinary pharmaceutical company rep say, “Itchy dogs keep vets in business.” While I’d rather there were fewer dogs suffering with dermatitis and less business for me on that

front, I got her gist–hot spots, itchiness, and skin and ear infections are super common issues dog guardians often struggle to manage. Baxter is an example of a patient who also happens to suffer from dermatitis along with the other conditions we are managing with acupuncture treatment. There are typically no quick fixes with chronic dermatological issues, but acupuncture and herbal medicine, along with a close look at diet and elimination of possible allergens, can be an important part of shifting your dog’s skin back to a state of balance. 

Digestive Problems 

Whether a dog is suffering from lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or other distressing gastrointestinal symptoms, or has perhaps been diagnosed with a chronic disease like IBD, acupuncture can often play an important role in an integrative approach to healing. For instance, I treat a lovely petite rescue Boxer who has recently been experiencing occasional bouts of diarrhea. Because Chinese medicine always takes a holistic approach to healing, aiming to address symptoms in part by treating their root causes, her treatments focus both on calming inflammation (“clearing heat”) and strengthening her digestions (“tonifying the Spleen.”) 

Kidney Support 

In Chinese medicine, it is said that Kidney energy, or “qi,” declines as we age. As such, we will sometimes see decline in kidney function, sometimes diagnosed as chronic kidney disease (CKD) or even as renal failure, in our senior pups. Acupuncture can help increase blood flow to the kidneys to support their ability to filter waste efficiently, as well as decrease inflammation in the kidneys and throughout the body. I advise my clients to keep an eye out for signs of early-stage kidney disease in their dogs’ lab work–this is a great time to begin regular acupuncture treatment, to help delay or prevent the progression of disease symptoms. 

And Many Other Issues 

In my work as an animal acupuncturist, I have treated dogs recovering from surgeries; dogs with urinary tract infections; dogs dealing with side effects of chemotherapy; and dogs with anxiety who experience the calming benefits when acupuncture helps shift the nervous system out of the sympathetic “fight or flight” mode. I even recently treated a lovely senior English Lab who was having near-nightly episodes of bowel incontinence and experienced dramatic improvement after just a couple of treatments (to her guardian’s great delight). 

So by all means, bring your dog with back pain to a qualified animal acupuncturist–but also keep in mind the safe and effective support that a few tiny needles can offer for many other veterinary conditions as well. 

Please note that for any new or undiagnosed concerns, it is important to have a veterinarian examine your dog to identify serious issues and provide emergency care when called for. Most of my patients also receive Western veterinary support along with acupuncture–an integrative approach intended to achieve optimal results for an animal’s wellbeing. 

Author blurb:

Lisa Franzetta is a doctor of acupuncture and integrative medicine, a licensed acupuncturist, and a fellow of the American Board of Animal Acupuncture. Schedule an animal acupuncture appointment with her by calling Marina Village Veterinary at 510-939-8340.