Cindy Foulke performs dry needle acupuncture on a goat.

Cindy Foulke performs electroacupuncture on a horse.

Electroacupuncture is performed on a calf.

Cindy Foulke has been a vet for 32 years and is now training to become certified in veterinary acupuncture.

Cindy Foulke performs dry needle acupuncture on a goat.

After 32 years as a vet, Cindy Foulke decided to try a new treatment for her four-legged patients — one that most people wouldn’t expect for livestock.

Foulke started training in veterinary acupuncture in January, but it’s a practice she’s been interested in for a number of years.

“To me, it’s just another therapy that I wish I had taken the time to do years ago,” Foulke said. “That’s my only regret, that I didn’t do this earlier.”

Foulke is currently in the process of getting her certification through the mixed animal track at Chi University in Reddick, Florida. Most of her training has been online, but in February she headed to the Sunshine State for hands-on education. Since then, she’s been applying her new acupuncture skills in central Pennsylvania.

“The best way to learn them is actually to use them,” Foulke said of acupuncture points.

She uses three types of acupuncture — dry needle, electroacupuncture and aquapuncture.

Dry needle is the common perception of acupuncture, where needles are placed into specific points of the body and left in for 10-20 minutes.

Electroacupuncture uses electrical stimulation at acupuncture points.

Aquapuncture, the type Foulke practices most often, involves the injection of vitamins or medications at acupuncture points.

Cindy Foulke has been a vet for 32 years and is now training to become certified in veterinary acupuncture.

Most people think of acupuncture as being used to treat musculoskeletal issues — which is what Foulke uses it for most often — but it can also help with metabolic conditions or as adjunct therapy.

“It can be used across the board,” she said. “As far as from the animal’s standpoint, it’s a great benefit for them.”

Conditions that can benefit from acupuncture include arthritis, disc disease, back pain and injuries, gastrointestinal disorders, neurological problems, respiratory issues, and chronic diseases.

So far, Foulke has applied veterinary acupuncture on more than 100 animals, and she said over 90% of her cases have responded well to the treatment.

“I’ve actually been pretty amazed by the success,” she said.

Being in the mixed animal track of her acupuncture course, she’s been able to treat a variety of farm animals including goats, sheep, pigs, cows, dogs, llamas, chickens and horses.

Though veterinary acupuncture is growing in popularity, Foulke said it’s still difficult to find vets who practice it. But she thinks that will soon change.

In her mixed animal in-person training course, she said there were about 50 veterinarians studying with her, and that number doesn’t include those training in the small animal or equine courses.

Still, acupuncture in the livestock world is fairly unknown, Foulke said, and most of her clients have lots of questions when she suggests using it. But for the most part, once she explains the practice and its purpose, they are open to giving it a try.

One frequent question concerns its approval in the medical community. She’s happy to tell her clients that veterinary acupuncture is an approved practice by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Electroacupuncture is performed on a calf.

“Most people have been very receptive toward it,” she said. “More so than I even thought they would be.”

Foulke, who began working at Agricultural Veterinary Associates in Lititz, Pennsylvania, in 1990, said acupuncture fits right in with other veterinary practices.

“I’ve been using it a lot in conjunction with my regular Western medicine, and it does seem like it gives a little boost,” she said.

When it seems like no other treatments are working on an animal, Foulke will always suggest trying acupuncture.

“If nothing else has worked, I definitely am going to offer it,” she said.

However, each case is individualized between Foulke and the client.

Some animals are more tolerant to needles than others, and having proper restraint is always necessary. Foulke tries to avoid sedation during acupuncture because it can interfere with the success rate.

Cindy Foulke performs electroacupuncture on a horse.

Aquapuncture has been the easiest way for Foulke to introduce acupuncture to her clients.

If an animal already needs multiple injections, instead of injecting the animal under the skin of the neck as she normally would, Foulke will inject the animal at the various acupuncture points.

“That way we’re not only getting the benefit of the medications, we’re also getting the benefit of them being given at acupuncture sites,” Foulke said.

Foulke is pleased with her success rate, but she said acupuncture is not a “fix all, end all,” and doesn’t always result in a miracle.

It’s recommended to do at least three sessions of acupuncture. However, she has seen some “miracle cures” after only one session.

Foulke sees acupuncture as another tool in her veterinary toolbox that can help animals with a variety of issues.

She will be traveling back to Florida at the end of May to finish her six-month course, and then will be taking a three-month advanced acupuncture course at the beginning of 2023 to complete her certification.

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Stephanie Speicher is the social media editor at Lancaster Farming. She can be reached at sspeicher@lancasterfarming.com or 717-721-4457. Follow her on Twitter @Steph_Speicher.

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