What will an acupuncture session be like for my dog, and how long will it take?

Our first session takes a little longer because it's getting down to the nitty-gritty details of the condition we're trying to treat. I will often ask different sorts of questions than if we were doing a standard Western medicine workup. I want to know more about your dog's habits, personality, about how their lifestyles have changed, which is why these initial appointments can take a little bit longer.

I also do a complete physical exam to look for underlying problems that may contribute to the main issue. Those sessions can take 45 minutes to an hour. We spend most of the time talking, and then we do acupuncture at the end. Follow-up sessions are much quicker. It's a brief check-in. I still do a complete physical exam to make sure nothing's changed, and then we do our acupuncture. The length of time that the needles are in varies depending on the dog or condition, but it's generally anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes that they're hanging out with those needles in place.

We'll bring in a patient. We usually put a big mat on the floor in the exam room and have them stand there. Usually, I'll begin my acupuncture appointment with feeling along the meridians and channels and looking at how the animal moves, what they're here for. I usually have a point prescription already figured out. We've seen the patient or have had a list of records, so I know what I'm going to be treating. I like to see the patient move before I start. Once I place all the needles into the prescribed points, we let them sit there for about 10 minutes. We'll turn the lights off in a nice, restful, dark space, so the pet can relax and be comfortable before we remove the needles and return the dog to you.

It really depends. Usually, the first session lasts anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. After that, subsequent sessions will last anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes or so.