For tonification and sedation techniques, he injects one point for five or ten seconds, pushing the needle in and out, and then he moves on the next point. He likes needles in all situations if at all possible but rarely leaves needles in for any length of time, except in baby birds. He does NOT use electropuncture on birds and says that a bird's heart can be stopped with electropuncture. He explained that it is difficult to tell how much conductivity there is at an acupuncture point. There are variations in the fluid in the area at different times, so the amount of resistance to the electrical flow varies every day and varies with the placement of the acupuncture needle.
Birds are particularly responsive to energetic therapeutics.
I practice classical homeopathy, so I must find the correct remedy using not only physical symptoms, but mental and emotional symptoms as well. This can be very much a challenge with birds, since most owners know little about the normal behaviors of their companions, let alone the abnormal mental and emotional symptoms. Each holistic veterinarian must be extremely well acquainted with the western medical examination and diagnosis with their avian patients. Allopathic medications might be indicated with very sick birds to get them through the crisis point. The veterinary homeopath must also have an in depth understanding of the normal behavior of various species.