SIG in the Spotlight: Australian Veterinary Acupuncture Group (AVAG)

The Australian Veterinary Acupuncture Group (AVAG) is a SIG that brings together veterinary practitioners who recognise the benefits of acupuncture supported by evidence-based research. The SIG’s aim is to promote the use of acupuncture in veterinary practice as a drug free, complementary therapy which can be used in conjunction with conventional western medicine and surgery. 

The current president, Dr Carolin Kinghorn, brings over 26 years of experience and is supported by a dedicated committee that forms the foundation of how AVAG operates.   
 

What are some of the key benefits for veterinarians who join the AVAG?  

The main one is how you can learn more about this fascinating and growing field. We are a SIG of approximately 50 members, so it is an intimate, friendly and supportive group, and it’s easy to makes connections with like-minded vets who are curious and eager to expand their skills.  

^{Dr Kinghorn, Dr Kim Lim and Prof Mushtaq}  

What trends have you noticed in the uptake or interest in Veterinary Acupuncture among Australian veterinarians and animal owners?  

We are seeing that younger vets in particular have a lot of interest in this area, which is great.   

I think there is a strong link between veterinary acupuncture and integrative veterinary medicine. Many veterinarians are now referring to me for acupuncture which I certainly would not have seen 15 years ago. It was usually owners insisting that was the route they wanted, with scepticism from their GP veterinarians. Now I find more vets are referring to me, and other certified veterinary acupuncturists (CVA) which is a huge leap forward. The group’s focus is on fostering safe, professional and evidence-based research use of complementary approaches, such as acupuncture and nutritional medicine to enhance animal health and wellbeing. 

How does the AVAG collaborate with other AVA special interest groups?  

We try to work closely with all SIG’s. There are certainly veterinary acupuncturists that aren’t necessarily part of the AVAG SIG. We also work closely with the Integrative Veterinarians Australia (IVA) SIG. The AVAG isn’t just acupuncture, it involves a holistic approach looking at nutrition and herbal medicine. 

What are the most common animal diseases or conditions treated using veterinary acupuncture?  

A synopsis would be to say that veterinary acupuncturists are typically presented with a lot of chronic conditions: such as cancer, auto immune, gut and skin issues. There is a presumption that acupuncture just treats neurological or pain disorders, whereas it’s much more than that. Things that are hard to fix and/or carry a guarded or poor prognosis. Other common conditions would be structural issues (acute and chronic), kidney and thyroid conditions, anxiety and anything causing pain. Often, it’s the more complex health conditions that we are presented with. The good thing about that is we have many tools in our toolbox because of all the other medical systems and approaches we know about.    

Our job is to communicate with the client about setting realistic expectations, often dispelling internet myths and coming to an understanding of what would be some appropriate approaches and to put this all together. This varies on a case-by-case basis.   

There are many therapies or treatment systems that our members may have knowledge of. What is most effective depends on exactly the same factors as in conventional medicine, that being: the nature of the condition being treated, the particulars of that patient and other health and age factors, the  family’s capacity including  time and finance, the practitioner’s skill and experience in a particular area, and what is available geographically in terms of referral services or frequency of visits.     

What advice do you have for veterinarians or students who are interested in veterinary acupuncture?  

If it is of interest, it will add so much more value, reward and challenge to your professional life. It’s so interesting and a growing field of relevance, and there are so many areas to know about, I guarantee you’ll never be bored for a moment. If you are a ‘why’ vet, then this will be a huge reward. It’s a puzzle every time and hugely rewarding.  

When and why did you join the AVAG? 

Only a few years ago. Dr Kim Lim, who is iconic in the veterinary world, reached out to me to become President of the AVAG. Before then, I taught veterinary acupuncture through the Chi University since 2012, but Dr Lim’s encouragement has brought a new fire to me to bring this modality forward. 

What’s coming up in AVAG in 2026?  

We have some extremely exciting webinar speakers coming up in 2026 including Dr Huisheng Xie, Dr Steve Marsden and many more. It’s going to a very exciting year for veterinary acupuncture webinars, including advanced electroacupuncture, food therapy and much more.