Like most bull mastiffs, three-year-old Nellie loves nothing more than a long, vigorous walk. But when her owner, Heather Smith, bought Nellie at eight weeks old, in September 2003, it didn’t take long to realise that something was seriously wrong. “When Nellie walked, she was wobbly on her hind legs,” she recalls. “Her legs were bowed and sometimes she seemed in pain.”
Her vet took X-rays, which revealed a genetic condition called hip dysplasia. In Nellie’s hind legs the balls at the end of the femurs do not fit snugly into their sockets, and are ragged, impairing proper movement. Hip dysplasia is a degenerative condition that can, in severe cases, leave dogs immobile. Often the only solution is a hip replacement. “My vet told me that the joints on her hind legs would become severely arthritic,” says Smith, a full-time carer from Burlesdon, Southampton. “At the time I could walk her for only ten minutes on a lead so she didn’t overdo it. It’s heartbreaking when a dog can’t even run across the beach.”
The vet recommended a double hip replacement when Nellie was fully grown. But the operation is traumatic and has a long recovery time. Anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed, but a blood test revealed an underfunctioning kidney that might be aggravated by medication. Soon after the diagnosis, Smith began taking Nellie for twice-weekly, 30-minute aquatherapy sessions at a pool for dogs. It kept Nellie exercised but didn’t change the long-term prognosis.
“The vet recommended that we see Cheryl Sears, who specialises in complementary therapies for animals,” says Smith. Sears qualified as a vet 23 years ago and quickly realised that drugs couldn’t help every animal. “I needed to learn more about healing,” she says. In 1995, she began a three-year course run by the Homeopathic Physicians Teaching Group, and a course in acupuncture accredited by the British Acupuncture Association. “Acupuncture theory is the same for human beings and animals,” she says, “but the course focused on animals, including dogs.” Now complementary therapies run alongside her veterinary work and make up 90 per cent of her cases. According to Direct Line Pet Insurance, more than 750,000 of the UK’s dog owners use alternative or complementary treatments, spending, in the past two years, more than £29.6 million.
Nellie arrived at Sears’s clinic, Southampton, in March 2005. “It was clear that her right hip was worse than her left,” says Sears. “Muscle development in both legs was poor. And there was a banana shape to her back because the muscles on the left side of the spine were tense.” Like most complementary therapists, Sears claims to treat the emotional state as well as the physical complaint. First, though, came four weekly sessions of acupuncture, the Ancient Chinese needle therapy based on the idea that the body contains meridian lines along which energy flows.
“I worked down the spine, applying gentle pressure,” says Sears. “When Nellie flinched, I would insert a needle close to the spine in the meridian that runs through that muscle. Needles were also placed at the hip joints and in the legs.” According to Sears, acupuncture can stimulate the nervous system in a way that helps to alleviate pain. About 16 needles were inserted and left for 20 minutes. Nellie stood throughout. “She kept swinging her head around, as if to say: ‘What’s that?’,” says Smith. “But she soon settled. The biscuit at the end helped her to form a positive association.”
As the weeks wore on something incredible happened. “The next four weeks saw a steady improvement. She seemed in less pain; she could move better.” After a month, Nellie shifted to fortnightly appointments. Sears also recommended the homoeopathic remedy natrum carbonicum (carbonate of soda), which she believes promotes relaxed muscles. By June last year, Smith says, Nellie was a changed dog. “Nellie has greater movement in both hips. The banana-shaped back has gone. She’s stronger. Hip dysplasia will never go away, but with monthly sessions, I can maintain her like this without a need for an operation.”
Smith is insured through Pet Plan (petplan.co.uk). The £40-a-month policy covers Nellie’s acupuncture treatment for life. However, it is advisable to read the small print when taking out pet insurance as some companies will only pay for treatment for only up to 12 months. Typically, any conditions known beforehand or that arise within 14 days of a policy start date are not covered (Nellie’s condition was discovered months after the policy was taken out). “ It’s a lot to spend on a pet,” Smith says. “But I have a duty to do the best by her.”
The change has transformed Nellie’s quality of life, says Smith. “Now, we go for an hour-long walk every day. Today she chased a squirrel, then jumped over a ditch. That would have been unthinkable a few of years ago. These days Nellie’s tail is always wagging, and it’s thanks to acupuncture and homoeopathy.”
Alternative care for pets
What is it?
A combination of therapies, such as homoeopathy, massage and acupuncture, which are used to treat a range of disorders. All practitioners have to be qualified vets.
Suitable for
Most animals with musculoskeletal problems, such as back pain and arthritis, and behavioural problems including nervousness and aggression.
Cost
Between £50 and £60 for a pet’s first consultation, then £40-£50 for 30-minute follow-ups. On-site visits to large animals cost £25-£50, and £40-£120 for a 30-minute treatment.
Find a practitioner
Visit the Association of British Veterinary Acupuncturists website, abva.co.uk, and the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons website, bahvs.com.
What's the evidence?
Dr Toby Murcott
Can acupuncture help with hip dysplasia?
Nellie appeared to benefit but there are no trials investigating whether acupuncture can treat hip dysplasia in dogs, although trials have suggested that it might be effective for pain.
How does that fit in with hip dysplasia?
John Innes, Professor of Small Animal Surgery at the University of Liverpool, says that pain control can help to treat hip dysplasia and that 75 per cent of puppies born with it will have a good outcome if the pain is controlled.
What about the homoeopathy?
There are no good studies examining its use to treat emotional imbalance in dogs.
Could it be a placebo?
One argument is that animals cannot experience a placebo effect so any positive result is proof of homoeopathy. But pets’ owners can experience a placebo, and this can contribute to, say, a dog’s recuperation. A Norwegian trial published last May supports this.
Dr Toby Murcott is a former BBC science correspondent
