Beijing’s pet lovers turn to acupuncture to treat their furry friends

BEIJING

Strapped in tight, the prone poodle nervously eyes the vet as he gently sticks fine needles into its back and paws, summoning the ancient art of acupuncture to treat the pet’s aches and pains.

Duniu is just one of a growing number of animals being signed up for traditional medicine in China - care their masters say is less invasive and comes with fewer side effects than conventional treatments.

In one Beijing practice, pets of all shapes and sizes come for treatments.

Animal acupuncture is centuries old in China, says veterinarian Li Wen, who founded his practice in 2016.

“Traditional Chinese medicine is not intended to replace conventional medicine” because “both have their strengths” and are complementary, he says.

Li mainly deals with cases of paralysis, limb weakness, epilepsy, pain and urinary retention. But acupuncture can also be used for ailments when no other treatment is available.

That was the case with Xiaomei, a 12-year-old male Labrador suffering from nerve compression in his lower back.

“Last September, after swimming, he was unable to get back on his feet. A veterinarian then told us that it was impossible to treat and that he would become paralysed,” his owner Ma Li, 41, tells AFP.

“Thanks to acupuncture, he still has difficulties but can walk normally and even run.”