Veterinary Acupuncture Certification Track

Learn all the tools you need to fully integrate acupuncture into your practice

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Course Overview

The Acupuncture Course Track is presented in 2 online and 3 hybrid sessions with on-site portions.

During the online portions, you’ll overview the theories and frameworks needed for diagnosis and treatment of acupuncture patients. You then explore these frameworks more practically in recorded demos on live patients.

When you come to Rustenburg for the on-site portions, you’ll gather with classmates in small lab groups allowing you to locate and discuss acupuncture points on live animals. These acupuncture point labs are facilitated by instructors certified in acupuncture, and allow for personalized instruction.

Major Topics

With a curriculum designed for students new to acupuncture, the Small Animal Acupuncture Program provides a comprehensive mix of both theory and practice. You will learn:

Frameworks used in acupuncture: Five Elements, Yin-Yang, Eight Principles, Zang-Fu Physiology and Pathology, Meridians and Channels
The scientific basis of acupuncture
129 transpositional and 28 classical canine acupuncture points on live animals
Acupuncture techniques: electro-acupuncture, aqua-acupuncture, moxibustion, and dry needling
TCVM diagnostic systems: patient personality, tongue and pulse diagnosis, and client inquiry
How to integrate acupuncture into your practice

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Additional Benefits

Once enrolled for the Acupuncture Certification Track at Chi, you will receive:

Complimentary canine acupoint chart
Complimentary 32-hour Evidence-Based Veterinary Acupuncture Course
1-year complimentary membership with the World Association of TCVM (WATCVM)
Free lifetime case consultation by Chi faculty

Program Features

Enjoy the convenience of online learning with 40 hours of hands-on learning in 178 total hours of hybrid courses

Learn from Dr. Xie, the master of veterinary acupuncture

Study with live animals in small lab groups capped at 6 students for every instructor

Start practicing acupuncture on patients after the first on-site session

Earn up to 25% of future master's degree credit per experiential learning

What our students have to say

A worthwhile course and a good investment.

Tanya Grantham, BVSC

Benoni, South Africa

Great course, absolutely no regrets attending and highly recommended.

Alicia Chow, BVSc

Gaborone, Botswana

The course was excellent. The theory was explained magnificently! It has filled me with enthusiasm and excitement. I can't wait to learn more.

Louise Biggs, BVSc

Swartberg, South Africa

It was an incredible amount of information in a short time but was very rich and excellent value for money.

Kerry French, BVSc

Bryanston, South Africa

Very interesting. Gained much more from the course than I thought I would.

Alma Kerr, BVMS

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Veterinary Acupuncture Certification Track

Taught in English

For veterinarians & veterinary students only

30 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Points

Curriculum

Session 1

Introduction to the program and History Veterinary Acupuncture

What is Acupuncture

Veterinary Acupuncture: Scientific Basis

Basic TCVM Theories - Yin Yang

Eight Principles and Bian Zheng

Five Elements

Zang-Fu Physiology

Channels and Meridians

Top 10 Canine Acupoints and Clinical Applications

General Rules of Acupuncture

Indications for Veterinary Acupuncture

How to Start your Acupuncture Practice

Where Do I Start the Acupuncture Practice

SA Anatomy for Acupuncturists

Session 2

Five Elements and Zang Fu physiology

TCVM Diagnosis Intro

Five-Shu Transporting Points

Other Special Points and Clinical Applications

How to Treat Canine Diseases-Demo

How to Treat Gastrointestinal Disorders

How to Treat Respiratory Disorders

How to Treat Bi/Wei Syndromes, Osteoarthritis and IVDD

Canine Acupuncture Cases-Demo

Canine Point Lab

12h

Tutoring, Real Case Demo, and Question & Answer

Session 3

Five Treasure: Qi, Blood, Shen, Jing, Body Fluid Physiology and Pathology

TCVM Diagnosis

Eight Extraordinary Channels

Etiology and Pathology

How to Select Acupoints

How to Make a TCVM Diagnosis (Dry Lab)

Acupuncture for Neurological Disorders

How to Approach Clinical Cases

How to Improve Acupuncture Results

Session 4

Bubble Chart Review

A Quick Review from Sessions 1 to 3

How to Treat Renal Failure

How to Treat Heart Failure

How to Treat Behavioral Problems

Herbal Introduction

Acupuncture for the Liver

How to Treat Skin Problems

Acupuncture for Cancer

Feline Acupuncture

Case Studies from Students

Avian Acupuncture

Exotic Animal Acupuncture

Tutoring, Real Case Demo, and Question & Answer

Canine Point Lab

12h

Session 5

A Quick Review from Sessions 1 to 4

Acupuncture for Endocrine Disorder

Acupuncture for Immune-mediated Diseases

Clinical Applications of TCVM

Food Therapy Intro

Introduction to Tui-na

Liver Physiology and Pathology

Lung Physiology and Pathology

Spleen Physiology and Pathology

Heart Physiology and Pathology

Kidney Physiology and Pathology

TCVM Overview

How to Sell TCVM

Canine Point Lab

Tutoring, Real Case Demo, and Question and Answer

Certification

CVA Certification

Students of the Veterinary Acupuncture program are eligible for the Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist certification endorsed by Chi University and the World Association of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (WATCVM). The CVA certification requirements are as follows:

Complete all sessions of the program
Pass three online quizzes with scores above 75%
Pass the final written exam in the final on-site session with a score above 75%
Pass the clinical acupoint exam in the final on-site session with a score above 75%
Submit one veterinary acupuncture case report to be approved
Complete 30 hours of advanced TCVM program training or internship with a certified veterinary acupuncturist

Please note that Chi cannot issue any certification to veterinary students until their DVM or equivalent has been obtained.

See the documents needed for certification here

Textbooks

Required Textbooks

TCVM: Fundamental Principles

by Huisheng Xie and Vanessa Preast

Xie's Veterinary Acupuncture

by Huisheng Xie and Vanessa Preast

Instructors

Huisheng Xie

DVM, PhD

Dr. Xie has 42 years of clinical, teaching, and research experience in veterinary acupuncture and TCVM. He has trained over 11,000 veterinarians to practice TCVM worldwide. Dr. Xie’s education includes advanced training in veterinary medicine, veterinary acupuncture, and human acupuncture. Dr. Xie has authored 20 books and over 100 peer-reviewed papers. His textbooks, including Xie’s Veterinary Herbology, Xie’s Veterinary Acupuncture, and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine-Fundamental Principles, have been used for TCVM training programs around the world. Dr. Xie continues to teach and develop educational courses and programs at Chi University, serves as a full clinical professor at the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and is an honorary professor at China Agricultural University, South China Agricultural University, and China Southwest University.

Roselle Hartwigsen

BSc, (veterinary biology) BVSc, MSc (Companion animal clinical studies), CVA

Dr. Roselle Hartwigsen qualified as a veterinarian from the University of Pretoria in 2011. Thereafter she was certified as a Veterinary Acupuncturist in 2013 from the Chi Institute Europe. She spent the next couple of years working in private practice, integrating complimentary medicine especially acupuncture when treating patients. Her clients are found in South Africa, Botswana and Dubai. In 2016 she spent a year treating horses exclusively and bringing veterinary acupuncture to the horse racing industry in Gauteng.

Dr. Roselle has a passion for integrating complimentary veterinary medicine into daily veterinary care in South Africa. One way she tries to achieve this is by teaching veterinarians through the Complimentary Veterinary Medicine Group of South Africa (CVMG) and the Chi Institute.

Carmen Booyse

BVSc, BSc (Agric) Animal Science, BSc (Hons) Wildlife Management, CVA, CVTP

Dr. Carmen Booyse was raised on a small farm outside of Hartbeespoort, South Africa. She developed a love for animals at a very early age, helping them heal and communicating with them was her passion. She completed her BSc Animal Science degree at the University of Pretoria and was accepted into the Wildlife Management honors program the following year. After completing her honors degree, she continued with her tertiary education and completed her Veterinary Medicine degree at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort in 2011.

Her humble but passionate beginning as a veterinarian started fresh out of varsity. She worked at a mixed animal practice for five years where she was inspired to become an internationally qualified veterinary acupuncturist through the Chi University. She expanded her knowledge further when she was introduced to alternative healing modalities, as her passion has always been hands-on healing and rehabilitation.

Enrollment Options

Semester

2025

Residency Scholarship