A veterinarian applies acupuncture to treat a pet dog at an animal hospital in Beijing, May 6, 2017. The veterinarian said the traditional medical practice for human works also well on pets that suffer from chronic or neurological diseases. He said he treats more than 10 pets with acupuncture on weekends. (Photo: China News Service)
"It lost control in the lower part of the body before and could not walk. We came to the hospital for four months, and it can run pretty well again. We will continue the treatment," said the pet owner Mr. Zhu.
Checks online found that it costs 30 yuan (about 4.3 US dollars ) for every acupoint, and it usually requires at least a dozen needles each session. Despite the high cost, acupuncturist Li Wen at Beijing Guangshang Animal Hospital said sometimes he receives about 10 patients a day, "The theory to give acupuncture to animals is the same to humans, which can also be used on cats and rabbits. At present, it is mainly used to cure the paralyzed, limb weakness and alleviate pain."
But Li admitted that it is not easy to accurately to find the acupoint on an animal, "The thickness of furs and the sizes vary from species to species, so it requires accumulated experience to give acupuncture to animals."
Tian Haiyan, Director of Beijing Guangshang Animal Hospital expects more pet owners to use acupuncture to treat their pets, as more people are now aware of it and receptive to the idea. "In fact, it is not something new to give animals acupuncture. It is more common in Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States. It can also be used to cure pets' tumors and gastroenteritis," Tian explained.
