Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM) has been practiced on animals for thousands of years. For nearly 3,000 years, from the Zhou dynasty and the reign of Emperor Mu around 930 B.C., up until the Yuan dynasty of the 14th century, Chinese medicine was used sparingly on large animals. Much of the focus was on the treatment of horses since they were so essential to the military.[2] In more modern times it has been used increasingly on pet animals. Acupuncture is one of the 5 branches of TCVM.

 

In historical Asian culture, people known as "horse priests" commonly used acupuncture. The flow of information from the East to the West regarding animal treatment, including acupuncture, is thought to have started from Mesopotamia around 300 BC. Acupuncture remained a major interest in veterinary medicine for centuries. Its use for dogs was first described in the Tang Dynasty.[3]

 

In the 20th century, animal acupuncture was first introduce in the United States in 1971 by two acupuncturists of the National Acupuncture Association, Gene Bruno and John Ottaviano.[2] In the process of treating thousands of small animals and several hundred horses, Bruno and Ottaviano trained veterinarians who later founded the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS).[4] The demand for veterinary acupuncture has steadily increased since the 1990s.[5]