Veterinary Acupuncture in Fargo

Getting to the Point: Acupuncture Gives Animals Relief from Ailments

FARGO – Elsa lies quietly in a cushy dog bed in an exam room at Valley Veterinary Hospital here, awaiting her monthly acupuncture treatment.

Her small body shakes a little despite the calming effects of soothing sounds and images playing in the background. But she visibly relaxes once Dr. Teckla Webb finishes placing the micro-needles in her back and neck. Her pink tongue rolls out, and she starts panting happily.

“Patients are used to coming here for vaccinations and other things, so I try to control the environment as much as I can to make it a different experience,” the Fargo veterinarian says.

In both humans and animals, acupuncture stimulates local nerves, increases circulation, relieves muscle tightness and releases hormones like endorphins, serotonin and cortisol.

In Elsa, “It blocks those extra pain messages coming from the back,” Webb says.

Elsa, colleague Dr. Derine Winning’s 13-year-old Dachshund, was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease at age 6. Her pain was so severe she couldn’t walk.

With the help of acupuncture, the curly-haired dog can get around just fine, and without pain meds.

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