Is complementary therapy for our four legged friends a barking mad idea, or does it make perfect sense?

Would you take your pet to see an acupuncturist?

Acupuncture is continuing to gain popularity and medical esteem as research continues to emerge to suggest it really is an effective treatment for many ailments.

Well it seems that veterinarians have also caught on, because many of them are now offering this treatment to help heal our beloved pets.

According to Dr. Dody Tyneway who runs a holistic veterinary practice in Calabasas, she has been using acupuncture on animals for over a decade.

“When they have pain they can’t tolerate Western medicine a lot,” She said.

Tyneway explained how actually using acupuncture on animals is no new concept, and it was used on large animals such as horses back in ancient China.

The doctor explained that the practice of acupuncture in animals is the same as with humans, whereby minute needles are inserted into various specific points of the body in a bid to stimulate and improve circulation and to release endorphins.

Other alternative treatments that are now becoming more popular for animals include the likes of swim therapy – which can help to relieve stress on the joints, cold lasers to release inflammation and homeopathy and chiropractic care.

So what do you think about using alterative therapies on animals? Is this a treatment method you would consider for your family pet?

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