TCM For Pets: What You Should Know
Practiced for thousands of years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is also used for treating animals with various ailments. Here's what pet owners should know
By Michelle Lee SM -
You probably know of or have been to a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practitioner for your own ailments — but what about for your precious furkids? If acupuncture for pets has you thinking 'Is it effective?', 'Is it painful?' and 'How do you even get them to stay still?', you're not alone.
We speak to two experts, Dr. Audrey Loi, senior veterinarian of Mount Pleasant Vet Centre (East), as well as Dr. Jasmine Tan Kia Ming of Vet On Wheels, to find out more.
Dr. Loi is one of the first International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) certified veterinarians in Singapore, while Dr. Tan received her veterinary medical degree from Murdoch University and learnt about Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), from renowned TCVM vets such as Dr. Bruce Ferguson and Dr. Tatang Cahyono.
AL: An acupuncture needle is very fine, with a rounded tip. As such, insertion of an acupuncture needle is virtually painless. Treatments may incite a sensation of numbness or tingling that some animals might find uncomfortable, but most tolerate the treatment very well. Some have even fallen asleep in the middle of a session.
JT: While most animals are fine with the placement of needles, pets with certain personalities (extremely active, aggressive, or flighty) may pose certain challenges when it comes to needling. However, they can still benefit from other branches of TCVM such as Chinese herbs and food therapy.