Veterinary acupuncture and integrative medicine offer complementary approaches to managing chronic pain in cats, particularly for arthritis and neurological conditions.
Chronic pain in cats is significantly underdiagnosed and undertreated. Cats mask pain behaviorally, making pharmacological management alone insufficient for assessment. Acupuncture provides a non-pharmacological option for cats who cannot tolerate NSAIDs due to kidney disease or other contraindications. While evidence quality is variable, clinical outcomes in feline chronic pain support integration of acupuncture into multimodal pain management plans.