he elephant in the Singapore Zoo recently had a limp; the orangutan suffered from constipation for a whole year. As usual in Singapore, the former was given acupuncture (using especially long and thick needles, of course), while the distress of the latter was alleviated by a combination of herbs and green tea.

Alternative medicine has been in use in the Far East for thousands of years. In countries such as India and China, traditional medicine was the only option for poor people living in rural areas far from the central regions; nowadays, too, alongside modern medicine, alternative techniques are integrated into the treatment of animals.

In Japan, there are more pets than children under the age of 15. Beyond the many complementary medical treatments available for animals, Japan also has spas for them, beauty parlors and restaurants for cats, personal coaches for dogs, designer clothes and a variety of digital devices - from patches that identify the animal's mood to a special camera for dogs. The animal-products market in Japan, which includes food, toys, cosmetics and health supplements, has a turnover of some $7 billion a year.

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In the United States, the turnover is about $40 billion a year. In big American cities, like those of Europe, it is no longer rare to find veterinary clinics that offer nutrition and physiotherapy services, rehabilitation centers for dogs and horses equipped with heated pools and underwater treadmills, or therapists who use homeopathy, acupuncture and Bach flower remedies.

What started out as a trend now looks like a new way of life. A survey recently conducted by the Horse Growers' Association of America found that 17 percent of the country's horse owners give them acupuncture treatments, 22 percent use physiotherapy, 8 percent apply chiropractic methods, and 6 percent make use of homeopathy and Bach flower remedies. In Finland - the only country in Europe where acupuncture is part of the veterinary studies curriculum - 5 percent of the farmers use homeopathic treatments for their animals, as do 14 percent of the dairy cow farmers in Sweden, particularly those who run organic farms.

In the United States you can buy holistic food for cats and dogs without artificial flavors, as well as health snacks, nutrition supplements, vitamins and minerals, naturopathic items and holistic products to strengthen the immune system, not to mention preparations against ticks and fleas based on natural materials and free of harmful sprays or chemicals. In fact, in many stores in New York and San Francisco catering to animals, it is rare to find food that is not holistic and that does not include special components. Some of the standouts are foods based on avocado and brown rice, products to cultivate fur that are made of oats, herbs to clean the eyes, and also vegetarian and organic food for dogs. The prices are for the most part not any higher than those of standard quality products in the market.

"There is no doubt that the field is developing," says Dr. Stacey Joy Hershman (www.naturalvetforpets.com), who has engaged in complementary medicine for animals for the past decade in her clinic in New York State. "According to a recent survey done in Britain among 74,000 pet owners, 17 percent of them have turned to alternative treatment for their pets."

Like many practitioners in the field, Hershman came to alternative medicine by chance: After completing her veterinary studies, she felt frustrated at her inability to treat chronic medical problems, such as skin problems and allergies. In the veterinary emergency room where she was working, she came across a book by Dr. Richard Pitcairn, a homeopathic veterinarian. "My first reaction was: What in the world is homeopathy? But the information in the book about chronic problems, and particularly the risks of over-vaccination, made me register for the next course."

After the course, Hershman also specialized in veterinary acupuncture and began to use the technique on her own pets and on animals in hostels where she did volunteer work. "I discovered that I was capable of saving whole litters of kittens that were ill with the flu or suffered contamination of the upper respiratory system, instead of putting them to sleep. Because these are viral illnesses, the homeopathic treatment works quickly and induces the cat's immune system to fight the disease. Since then my philosophy has been to treat the patient holistically as far as possible, though of course there are always patients that are too sick, whose immune system is too weak to respond to homeopathic treatment or acupuncture. In those cases I use conventional treatment."

In New York State alone, three veterinary hospitals currently offer alternative as well as regular medical treatment. In countries such as France, England and Switzerland, there are organizations that advance nonconventional treatment methods, including the Organization for the Holistic Horse, an association that promotes water therapy for dogs, and a center that treats horses by means of sound and light. Many zoos in the West are following in the footsteps of the East and are utilizing methods such as acupuncture to cope with diseases in animals. A case in point is Jewel, an aging camel in Boston's zoo: He started walking again after acupuncture cured him of very painful orthopedic problems.

In Milan, a center for canine health has recently opened its doors. It contains not only a 5,000-square-meter "games room," but also offers diverse treatments such as medical massage with natural substances, warm or cold compresses, electrical stimulation for post-operative and post-accident care, and heated pools in which shiatsu is provided underwater.

A company in Nevada markets magnetic collars to improve pets' health, as well as hoof protectors for horses suffering from problems in the joints. They also supply such specialized items as magnetic reins for llamas and magnetic bandages for cows, which the firm says increase milk production and encourage fertility.

Many clinics in the United States and Europe now offer various types of therapy for horses and expensive diagnostic tools, which in the past were the preserve of human beings only. Awareness is increasing, and it is particularly the demands of horse owners that continue to push the field forward.

Rest for the weary

In Israel, too, the field of alternative medicine for animals is growing rapidly. There are some 30 veterinarians in the country who use alternative techniques. Most of them are graduates of the course in complementary medicine for animals ofered by the Wingate Institute, near Netanya. The majority work in conjunction with conventional veterinary clinics.

"This is a relatively new area in Israel, but it is developing, gathering momentum and beginning to seep into people's awareness," says Ilana Shabtai, a graduate of the Hebrew University's faculty of agriculture in Rehovot and of the Wingate course, who has engaged in supplementary medicine for animals for the past two years. "The very fact that this track opened at Wingate is proof of that, but so is the large number of veterinary clinics that are introducing supplementary medical services.

"If until now the alternative treatment of animals was mainly homeopathic, today you can find a greater variety of treatments," she continues. "There are a few clinics that offer Chinese acupuncture, chiropractic, herbs, Bach flower remedies and more. Probably the best known of them is the rehabilitative hospital at Kibbutz Ein Dor, where they also use hydrotherapy."

According to Shabtai, Israel is still far from the United States or Europe, not because of differences in professional level but due to low awareness of the alternative option.

"In Israel, alternative methods are seen as a remedy for physiological problems and not as spa treatment for dogs," says Noa Zack, a certified practitioner in complementary medicine at a veterinary center run by Dr. Ofer Hirschfeld. "Only a few people come to pamper their dog. But you have to remember that acupuncture is not pampering, but a method of treatment in every respect. The same is true of Bach flower remedies, for example, which are usually used to solve behavioral or mental problems that manifest as physical problems. For example, we had a case of a dog that arrived with serious skin problems, which produced a violent, aggressive temper. After we treated the skin problems, the aggressive behavior also disappeared.

"Only a small number of the people who come to us live a nonconventional way of life, buy organic food and use alternative treatments for themselves. There are also definitely clients who arrive after they themselves, or someone in their family, solved medical problems by means of complementary medicine. And there are also those, of course, who are in a situation where they have nothing left to lose, at which time they are more receptive to alternative treatment. But most of the animal owners who come to the clinic are not necessarily looking for alternative treatment at all - simply for relief for a problem suffered by their dog or cat. They want to hear about the available treatment options, and then they discover that acupuncture is one. We succeed in solving most of the cases with acupuncture, and in special cases we use electro-neuro acupuncture: weak electrical currents to stimulate nerve points. In special cases we also integrate nutrition supplements such as vitamins or herbs, either regular or Chinese."

Many of the cases that reach the clinic demand rapid, effective intervention, such as that of Taki, a three-month-old puppy that was brought to the clinic after being attacked by a rare virus. Michal, Taki's owner, says she brought the dog in for acupuncture as a last resort. "I collected Taki from a pound where they wanted to put him and his sister to sleep. A week later the virus broke out in him. Our regular vet said he had a poor chance of surviving. It was terrible to see: Within minutes his eyes swelled up and changed color, to green and white, and he lost his sight. His physical condition stabilized after the treatment, but he was still blind.

"We got to Noa by chance. She came to us day after day for four days, and treated Taki with acupuncture. We saw some improvement, but there was still no unequivocal proof that the acupuncture was working. Then, during the fifth treatment I remember that we were in the bathroom so that the other dogs would not interfere, and suddenly I said to Noa, 'Look, that eye is returning to what it was.' The eye color was restored and Taki began to see again. Within two weeks the other eye was also healed. It was incredible, that moment. All the other experts said that even if he recovered and returned to his normal self, he would stay blind, but the acupuncture worked, and today, two years later, there is no sign of the problems he suffered from."

Zack points out that "it is not always possible to use acupuncture to heal an animal." However, she notes, "We almost always make possible a better life for the animal, often without the drugs, which over time damage other bodily systems. There are also cases in which acupuncture is the difference between life and death. Let's say in the case of a dog that is disabled due to a ruptured disk, which will soil itself when it eliminates its wastes, and might have to be put down. If we can release fluids with acupuncture, reduce the pain in the area and enable the dog to walk - the owners see it as a miracle."

Acupuncture and homeopathy are particularly effective in solving various skin problems, including those that stem from allergies. "In conventional medicine there are no wonder drugs for those problems. The animal will be treated with antibiotics or with anti-allergens or with cortisone. It is not easy for the owners to cope with a disease that drags on for years. The dog scratches itself nonstop, hurts its skin, and the wounds become infected during walks. I remember the case of a dog with acute skin problems. The owners had already spent thousands of shekels on all kinds of treatments, but the dog continued to suffer for a long time. The first time I treated her, she fell asleep on the treatment table for half an hour, and the owners were very moved. I asked why. It turned out that at last the dog had managed to sleep for half an hour continuously without waking up in the middle to scratch. Back home, she fell asleep and slept for almost two consecutive days."

Another dog that was brought to Zack in serious condition was Mancha, an eight-year-old female Labrador. "When she was 2, she started to develop sores and to scratch, at first in a minor way, but in time it became serious," Mancha's owner, Karen, recalls. "We took her to veterinarians and dermatologists, and we did many tests. They thought it was an allergy, so she was given steroid treatments for almost six years, along with high-dosage drugs for the thyroid gland. By chance, we heard about Noa and started acupuncture treatment that went on for a few months, and at the same time we stopped the steroids.

"Within two weeks we saw an improvement, not only in her skin but in her behavior, too. The itching affected Mancha's mood. She would sit in a corner, depressed, distant even from us. Now, suddenly she was a lot more energetic and full of life. Mancha has a stubborn character, and it's impossible to say that she was easy during the treatments. She didn't always agree to put out a foot for Noa to do the acupuncture on, and she kept having to find a different point. There were days when the dog was calmer and days when she was less calm, but at a certain point she understood that this was helping her and in general she cooperated. These days we are no longer using acupuncture, only giving her vitamin supplements, and she looks like a different dog. I think the acupuncture is what solved the problems. It's interesting that she underwent every possible treatment, but that something as simple as acupuncture is what saved her in the end."

Communist propaganda

The price of alternative treatment in Israel varies according to the veterinarian and the method used, but usually ranges from NIS 150 to NIS 300 per session, with a typical course involving 5 to 10 sessions. In the United States the price ranges from $30 to $100.

Like complementary medicine for humans, alternative treatments for animals are frequently criticized. The main contentions are that the studies are not unequivocal, that the homeopathic medicines do not meet the standards of Western medicine, and that the enthusiasm over the treatments is a means used to expand the market.

According to a different, critical way of thinking, traditional Chinese medicine developed a positive PR image as being effective due to political reasons - notably the need of the Communist Party of China to prove that it, too, was capable of providing medical treatment to the vast population in the rural regions. From there, this line of thought goes, in the wake of the growing interest in Eastern philosophies, the subject trickled into the West.

In addition to the critics, alternative vets face another obstacle, which stems from the relatively short time that this type of medicine has existed in the West - namely, insufficient legislation. In some European countries the practitioner must be a veterinarian, but in other countries anyone can practice alternative medicine on animals. Nor is the duration of training specified or uniform; it ranges from a brief course to a comprehensive two-year curriculum (as in Wingate), to three years (as in the school of veterinary acupuncture in Florence, the only one of its kind in Europe).

Practitioners who possess partial or unsuitable training, or who lack sufficient clinical experience in the treatment of animals, are liable to harm the animals instead of helping them. "The problem is that although there are about 500 homeopathic veterinarians in the United States, only about 30 percent are formally certified and attend advanced courses and workshops, but do not necessarily have the required clinical and theoretical experience," Dr. Hershman says.

These reservations do not appear to bother the public at large, and the world of alternative medicine continues to flourish. Thousands of veterinarians are registered with the world association of veterinary acupuncture, and they are joined by hundreds of homeopathic veterinarians and practitioners in the United States, Europe and the Far East, as well as by dozens who engage in more "conventional" practices, such as veterinary physiotherapy and chiropractic. The rise of treatments using Bach flower remedies for dogs suffering from mental pressure and distress, Reiki for horses in need of relaxation and equilibrium, acupuncture for cats suffering from pain, herbs and homeopathy for rabbits, and hydrotherapy for cows signify at least a trend - and maybe even a new age in the lives of our pets and domestic animals. W