How veterinary acupuncture successfully treated Fluffy, the over-grooming cat

Fluffy the cat was over-grooming and conventional behaviour modifying drugs weren't helping - but acupuncture did...

Fluffy's acupuncture success story!

Fluffy was an 8 year old long haired cat that was losing her hair around the back of her hind legs and on the lower part of her belly. Although the owner did not see her pull the hair out, over-grooming was the most likely cause.

Click on the image to the right to see a larger image of Fluffy Before her acuncture treatment.

As there was no evidence of fleas and the owner had been using flea control, Fluffy was diagnosed with “Over-grooming” which was due to a behavioural problem, where a cat is stressed for some reason and finds comfort in grooming which eventually causes thinning the fur.

Fluffy was treated with behaviour modifying drugs but continued to lose more fur along her back and down the back of her hind legs. Not sure what to do next, Fluffy’s owner decided to try acupuncture.

On careful examination, Fluffy was found to be painful at the base of her tail and along the lower part of her spine. After three acupuncture treatments, there was no pain and the fur grew back.

Because cats cannot tell us what they are feeling, it was suspected that she may have been experiencing a tingling sensation that radiated from her back to her legs, causing her to over-groom the back of her legs and belly, just like we would rub an area that was tingling.

Since receiving her acupuncture treatment, Fluffy has continued to live up to her name and has remained fluffy.

If you have any questions for Dr Wurth on how acupuncture may be able to help your patients ask them in the Comments section below.

Click on the image below to see Fluffy after her acupuncture treatment 

Click here to read more veterinary acupuncture information & success stories:

• Acupuncture Treatment of a Sheep with Poor Cervical Dilation at Lambing - Case Study By Dr Elenora Po

• Acupuncture for Chronic Epiphora in a Cat - Case Study By Dr Ulrike Wurth

• Ten tried and tested methods to successfully integrate veterinary acupuncture into your practice By Dr Belinda Parsons

• Jimmy Cooke - A veterinary acupuncture success story By Dr Ulrike Wurth

• The many ways acupuncture can help your veterinary patients By Dr Belinda Parsons

• The People Behind... The Australian College of Veterinary Acupuncture (ACVA) By Dr Ulrike Wurth

About Ulrike

Dr Ulrike Wurth B.V.Sc., Dip Acup, CVA (IVAS) graduated from Melbourne University in 1972, she started her own practice in Highton Geelong in 1979.  In July 2010 she sold the practice and currently works part time treating patients with acupuncture and Chinese Herbs.

Ulrike’s first exposure to acupuncture was in 1982 for a cat with a paralysed bladder and amazed by the result, she commenced a part time human acupuncture course in 1984, graduating with a Diploma of (Human) Acupuncture in 1986.   In 1991 together with Drs Chris Robinson, Carl Muller and Ian Robertson, she helped organised the first Australian IVAS Course and has continued to lecture at each subsequent course.

Ulrike is currently the Executive Director of Australian College of Veterinary Acupuncture Ltd, a not for profit company that aims to teach acupuncture to veterinary graduates, provide continuing education for IVAS graduates and promote much needed veterinary acupuncture research. She is also passionate about increasing the awareness of other veterinarians and the public of the benefits of acupuncture