Acupuncture

By Irene Lam

Acupuncture is the treatment of a person’s illness or pain by sticking small needles into the body at certain places.

Now, such a technique can be applied to dogs as well.

According to Miss Amy Chow, senior manager for public relations and communications at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Hong Kong, veterinary acupuncture was developed early in ancient China to improve the quality of horses and cows for battles and work in the fields.

Now in Hong Kong acupuncture is being used to treat cats and dogs .

The Acupuncture and Wellanimal Clinic was opened by the society last year.

“Acupuncture can be applied to pets because pets have meridians similar to those of human beings,” said Miss Chow.

Qui, which means vital body energy in Chinese medicine, can be stimulated through acupuncture.

Then the qui is carried through the whole body by meridians, said Miss Chow.

According to Miss Chow, animals benefit from the treatment in three ways.

First, it improves their immunity. It therefore increases the animal’s resistance to diseases.

Second, it alleviates pain.

Third, it helps maintain the balance of yin and yang in the animal’s body and thus guarantees a healthy life.

Acupuncture cannot completely replace orthodox treatments, however.

It is employed because of its advantages over orthodox treatments, said Miss Chow.

“Acupuncture is often applied when an orthodox treatment fails or is too expensive,” said Miss Chow.

The unpleasant side effects of orthodox treatments are another reason for using acupuncture.

For instance, the traditional method of curing chronic arthritis is to take anti-inflammatory drugs continually, but this has side effects of diarrhea or vomiting.

So, acupuncture is sometimes used in treating chronic arthritis to avoid these side effects. Heng Heng, a dog which had had a serious arthritis, was cured by acupuncture.

“Arthritis caused Heng Heng a lot of pain and difficulty in walking,” Miss Chow said.

After about four treatments, Heng Heng could walk more naturally.

Heng Heng also stopped taking drugs to alleviate pain.

Miss Chow said that Heng Heng’s mistress was very satisfied because the dog no longer faced the prospects of an operation.

“If an operation had been done on Heng Heng, it would have posed a danger and pain. Moreover, an operation can cost a few thousand dollars,” said Miss Chow.

Though veterinary acupuncture seems suitable, it has not yet gained popularity in Hong Kong.

Jeff Leung, a university student who has a 6-year-old dog, said he has no confidence in the treatment.

Samatha Chan, who has a 1-year-old dog and a 2-year-old cat, said that it was inconvenient to take her pets to clinics all the time.

“The travelling fee is expensive because pets are prohibited in public transport, except for taxis,” said she.

Courtesy of Amy Chow Pets under treatment do not feel pain. They usually are very relaxed.   Varsity file photo Acupunture points in a human being.

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