p.1

Horatio is a 12-year-old Sheperd/Lab/Shar Pei mix. Horatio was struggling with arthritis and atrophy in some of his muscles.
Had trouble getting up and down and overall had slower movement.
Graham mentions many of his patients deal with this and knows just how much acupuncture can help with this.

p.2

Graham feels it's necessary for the animal to get acclimated to the room.
He wants the animal to be as relaxed as possible before needling begins.
He begins his procedure by brushing the patient to soothe it(tui na). He does this with two hands with one hand as the supporting hand and the other has the “brushing” or "active" hand.
He brushes through the urinary bladder channel near the spine all the way down the rear leg.
He does this to help open various points where he’ll be needling.
He also "lifts and drops" the thicker parts of the skin near the neck to open the points near that area.

p.3

He palpates to treat and assess the back Shu points. “Shu” means transporting. There are points on either side of the spine on the urinary bladder channel.
He proceeds to locate the stomach at Ub21, spleen at Ub20, gallbladder at Ub19, and the liver at Ub18.
Graham also locates other points down the leg including Gallbladder 34, Stomach 36, and Ub 64 as other areas he intends to place needles.

p.4

Graham begins placing needles in Horatio's back near the muscle belly.
He stimulates the area by twisting the needles after administering them.
He places the needle in the Liver and Spleen back Shu point.

p.5

Graham locates Gallbladder 20 and places another needle.
One placed at "Yin Tang" is also placed. On the leg, Gallbladder 34 and Ub60 & Ub64 are placed with needles.
Graham then stimulates the needles one last time and then let Horatio relax.

p.6

Graham thinks the traditional 30min acupuncture session is not long enough.
He feels longer time with acupuncture is necessary to get better results.
Also, he stresses the importance of having the owner present with their animal during acupuncture so they can get a better sense of how it all works and it'll help calm the animal.

p.7

Testing the quality of the pulse is another way to help diagnose possible problems in an animal.

p.8

Graham stresses the importance of trying acupuncture yourself to understand more deeply how it works and the benefits it brings.
He talks about how he has to stay relaxed during his procedures to help the animal stay calm.
He says he remains stern dealing with aggressive animals. He takes control by massaging and helping them to calm down.
Guide tubes help Graham place the needles more precisely.
Acupuncture can help an animal with behavioral issues. It can help aggressive or angered animals to calm down and be more playful.