Evidence Over Hype: Dr. Tom Ingegno Talks Pet Wellness w/ the New York Post

Dr. Tom shares an evidence-first look at which pet therapies actually help, and which are just trends.

Pet wellness has become big business. Americans spent a record 158 billion dollars on their pets last year, and more than half of that went toward health and wellness. Walk through that world today and you will find red light beds, acupuncture, PEMF recovery mats, vibration plates, smart collars, and an endless aisle of supplements. Some of it is genuinely helpful. A lot of it is hype.

That is exactly the tension the New York Post set out to explore in a recent feature on the pet wellness boom, and we were glad to have our founder, Dr. Tom Ingegno, DACM, MSOM, LAc, weigh in as a certified animal acupuncturist.

A Grounded Take on a Noisy Market

The Post spoke with pet owners investing serious time and money into elaborate wellness routines for their dogs, then turned to practitioners to ask a simple question: does any of this really work? Dr. Tom's answer reflects the same philosophy we bring to every client, human and animal alike. Start with the evidence, be honest about the limits, and never sell a miracle.

On red light therapy, he explained why the technology has real merit for comfort and recovery: "In addition to reducing inflammation, a key factor in aging, it helps mitochondria produce more cellular energy, enabling cells to function better for longer."

On acupuncture, he pointed to a long track record in animals, not just people: "Acupuncture has been used on animals as long as it has been used on people. Most animals show some improvement within a few treatments."

And on the crowded supplement market, he offered a word of caution that pet owners rarely hear from someone selling wellness: "Supplements that seem too good to be true are often a fad, lack evidence or don't even have the ingredients they claim to have in them."

Why This Matters for Your Pet

The takeaway from the feature is one we believe in deeply. These tools can meaningfully support a pet's comfort, mobility, and quality of life, but they work best as a complement to good veterinary care, not a replacement for it. Enthusiasm for what is new should always be paired with a demand for quality evidence.

It is also why we are building our new Animal Wellness program at Charm City Integrative Health. We will offer the therapies that hold up to scrutiny, delivered gently and tailored to each animal, so your companion gets the benefit without the guesswork.

You can read the full New York Post feature here: Meet the pet owners spending thousands of dollars on doggy wellness.

Curious whether integrative care is right for your pet? Give us a call at 443-869-6584 or get in touch to talk it through with our team.