Acupuncture prevents relapses of recurrent otitis in dogs: a 1-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial

Background Recurrent infections within a particular, well-localised body location are often seen in veterinary and medical practice. This condition could represent a localised or segmental immune deficiency. Recurrent canine otitis seems to be one example of this problem. It has been reported that acupuncture increased the efficacy of conventional treatment for canine otitis by >50%. Objective To assess whether the relapse rate of recurrent canine otitis over 1 year can be modified by acupuncture in adult dogs. Methods One-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial. 31 dogs with a history of recurring otitis were randomised into two groups. In addition to conventional treatment, each group received four sessions of either real acupuncture, group A (n=16), or sham acupuncture, group B (n=15). The main outcome for the follow-up was the rate of acute otitis episodes in each group over 1 year, with blinded evaluation. A chi(2) test was used for statistical analysis. Results There was one dropout in each group. Fourteen (93%) dogs in group A: were free of otitis relapses, compared with 7 (50%) in group B (p<0.01). Conclusion Acupuncture seems effective for preventing relapses in cases of recurrent canine otitis. This result suggests that acupuncture could be tested as a treatment of other recurrent localised infections. Given the ability of acupuncture to modulate neurotransmitters and opioid peptides, which can in turn modulate the immune system, the immune response to acupuncture also seems worth exploring.