Poodle uses traditional Chinese medicine to treat injuries

BEIJING: Strapped in tight, the prone poodle nervously looks at 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 signed up for traditional medicine in China - care their masters say is less invasive and comes with fewer side effects than conventional treatments.

Pets of all shapes and sizes come for treatments in a Beijing practice.

The advantage of traditional Chinese medicine is that there is no surgery, says 38-year-old Zhai Chunyu, accompanied by Duniu, his poodle.

The animal's suffering is reduced. Duniu is only three years old and suffers from the Legg-Calve- Perthes disease, which affects the thigh bone and can lead to painful osteoarthritis.

He was so in so much pain that he could no longer put his paw on the ground and had no appetite, says Zhai, who works in finance.

A doctor advised me to remove the head of the femur. I didn't want to, because I have a poodle who has been there and he suffered a lot from the operation and the after-effects. A friend told him to try acupuncture.

We saw the results after five to six sessions. Duniu is able to walk and even run a bit now, says Zhai.

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

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