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The first appointment for animals typically takes one hour including the first treatment. During this visit we will speak at length about your pet’s health concerns and address any questions you may have about acupuncture and the healing process. We will also discuss your pet’s health and personal history in detail, followed by a physical examination and the first treatment.

Ideally your animal will be seen in weekly one-half hour sessions for 4-5 visits. On rare occasions, twice a week may be necessary. During this time, significant signs of progress will likely appear. As patients experience improvement in their condition and enjoy a greater sense of ease in life, treatments may be extended to every other week, every three weeks, monthly and then possibly seasonally depending on the condition. For example, a short term lameness on a young dog may only need 6 treatments total. However, an older animal with arthritis may need ongoing treatments twice a month to stay comfortable.

 We know whether acupuncture will work for your animal by the fourth treatment. More will likely be needed but by then we will be seeing changes that show it is working.

Horses generally take about an hour. The first appointment may take longer, depending on how long a history the horse has. We will discuss any physical and emotional concerns the horse has. We also do a physical to help pinpoint the body parts most affected. On rare occasions, we may have you ride. We usually do bodywork first and then finish with acupuncture treatment, though it depends on the individual horse's needs.

Follow up treatments vary. Some horses just need one to two treatments and then the owner can follow up as needed. Severe cases may need weekly treatment for several weeks. 

Preventative work is performed from monthly to every three months, depending on the horse. The level of work the horse is in, type of work, confirmation, and level of "accident prone" are all factors for how often we see each horse.

Treatments for humans are very similar but there are a few differences. First, it takes longer to treat people than animals. The first visit with a treatment is closer to two hours and follow up visits an hour to an hour and a half. People also tend to take longer to shift than animals; 5-6 weekly visits, sometimes more, is likely before extending treatment over longer periods. If someone is in a lot of pain, twice weekly treatments for the first two weeks may be needed to get relief as fast as possible. 

New people patients have a health questionnaire to fill out. It is very thorough. We go over it at your first appointment as well as go over any other issues that need to be addressed.