Learn the most important points used for acupuncture and acupressure in dogs. Today we’ll discuss the trajectory of the Spleen Meridian including the location and clinical application of the most powerful points.
Acupuncture Points on the Spleen Meridian
The Spleen Merdian in Dogs
The Spleen meridian is the Yin meridian of the Earth element. It starts near the nail bed of the 2nd toe, runs up the leg on the inner side, and terminates in the 6th intercostal space.
Clinical Application of Pressure Points
- SP 04 – important point for digestive issues such as enteritis, diarrhea, esopahagal diseases, abdominal pain, but also as local point for hock pain
- SP 06 – Regulates the entire digestive tract. treats pain, weakness, prolapse, incontinence, urogenital problems.
- SP 09 – Knee pain, edema, urogenital pain and other problems.
- SP 10 – Skin problems such as eczema and pruritus (esp in genital area), pain in the genital area.
How to Treat Pressure Points
There are multiple different ways how to work with acupuncture points. Professional practitioners use needles or acupuncture lasers to stimulate them. But you can achieve a beneficial effect by massaging them with your hand as well. This technique is called acupressure.
Massage Techniques for Acupressure
During acupressure, you will use your hands to be aware of any changes happening in the body. These could either be an existing blockage or the free flow of Qi after removing a blockage by acupressure treatment. Learning to sense what the body is communicating takes practice. You can educate your hands by focusing on the various sensations experienced during these sessions and by learning what the sensations indicate.
Massage Techniques::
- The One-Finger Technique: During this technique, you’ll use the finger pad of your thumb. Place it on the acupressure point and apply gentle pressure to it. Depending on the location, you can gently move your thumb and work a little bit deeper into the tissue. This technique is best used on fleshy, well-muscled body parts or on the limbs of larger dogs.
- The Two-Finger Technique: To perform this technique, place your middle finger over the nail on your pointer finger and apply gentle pressure on your dog’s body surface. Use this technique on smaller dogs or on the legs.
Practise, Practise, Practise!
The meridians and acupoints that will be treated are just under the skin, so you only need to apply gentle pressure. Extreme pressure could cause additional pain. If your dog ever shows signs of discomfort at any point, stop to apply pressure and move on to a different area.
If you are unable to feel changes in your dog’s body at first, that’s ok! It takes time to learn how to feel the sensation of moving Qi and removing blockages through the hands. Simply apply gentle pressure to the acupoint for approximately 30 seconds. If you don’t manage to stay on the point for the full 30 seconds, don’t worry, that’s ok too, it will still work. While performing your acupressure session, look for signs in your dog. Your furry friend will tell you when you’re getting better at what you’re doing.
How do I Know it’s Working?
Your dog’s body will give you clear signs that your massage is having a positive effect on their well-being. Releasing blockages and promoting the free flow of Qi will make your dog feel much better and show you release signs such as:
- Calming down
- Relaxing
- Yawning
- Groaning
- Becoming dozy and even falling asleep
- Stretching
After a few days of doing acupressure, you will notice that you’re not only helping your dog’s health and well-being with your daily acupressure session, but also you’ll see the bond between the two of you growing much stronger.
Earth Element
The Five Elements theory forms the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Each of the five elements Wood, Fire, Earth, Water, and Metal include subcategories such as climate, body tissue, emotion, and internal organ.
You can find more information on the five elements here.
The five-element system also applies to your dog’s personality and physical constitution. Every dog can be categorized into one of the five elements. This gives us more information on dietary preferences and disease predispositions.
The Earth Element Dog
Earth element dogs are relaxed, honest, and caring companions. They don’t skip meals as they’re always hungry. The most prominent part of an earth-element dog is their tummy even though they tend to have big heads as well.
Disease predispositions: overweight, chronic gastrointestinal upsets.
| Organ | Spleen |
| Bowel | Stomach |
| Sense Organ | Mouth |
| Body Tissue | Muscles |
| Emotion | Worry |
| Season | Harvest |
| Weather | Dampness |
| Color | Yellow |
| Sound | Crying |
Recommended Resources
Canine Acupressure Workbook This e-book gives you a complete step-by-step guide on how to treat your dog with Acupressure. It provides you with high-quality illustrations and concise instructions. This workbook shows 19 condition charts for common canine health problems. | ACU-Horse, Dog & Cat The Acupressure books by Tallgrass ACU-Dog and ACU-Horse give a step-by-step guide to an acupressure session with color photos and charts. It explains how to apply Chinese medicine theories, plus active descriptions and photos of hands-on techniques. |
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