Pet Acupuncture: Treating Animals with Human Medicine

Finally tonight for many people pets are like family -- when their -- there's nothing more urgent than getting them treatment than just his alternative treatments like acupuncture are being. Taken up... See More

Finally tonight for many people pets are like family -- when their -- there's nothing more urgent than getting them treatment than just his alternative treatments like acupuncture are being. Taken up by more and more Americans so now. -- acupuncture for our canine and feline companions. It doesn't work ABC's juju Chang went looking for answers. From bearded dragons. To pot bellied pigs and best friend comes at all sorts of shapes and sizes. But when they get sick we don't want it to -- like Guinea pigs. Instead there's a growing movement to treat animals with the best that human medicine has to offer. Like physical therapy and Hydro therapy. Chemotherapy. And yes even alternative therapy. And have a water fountain flowing as well so we try to make things as relaxed and it's possible. -- easily dim the lights -- acupuncture to be precise nobody likes seeing their -- paying. Students suffered from chronic back problems which is common among she sues you went up Caroline's. He couldn't -- backlash from an acupuncture works primarily in the central nervous system. So there really isn't an equivalent conventional medicine to stimulate. The nerves and -- -- that acupuncture can. Three million humans in the US use this ancient Chinese their -- for everything from debilitating pain to quitting smoking but it animal medical center in New York. They're using it extensively. For cases like students three treat. -- a week cost a hundred bucks to shock you make sacrifices for things that you care about things that you we all do it in and different way. This guy has given me great campaign ship and I didn't want to -- so I make those sacrifices for him. Delilah is owner marks waiters that acupuncture made all the different -- Professor Miller. Rules that prevent explosions is -- shirt engine to humans. -- conventional therapy with this works much better. While animals can't tell -- the treatments work or not so. To these owners say -- actions speak louder than Boortz you know it was like when you lose themselves in world. It through these treatments -- little pop music. Well it's not for everybody but. You know the proof is in the pudding you know that you do it and it works it works -- you can't really -- dog you know people say oh assists a placebo but it's a talking dog doesn't know whether or not it's an initiative they just feel better -- -- -- But there's a lot of skepticism too. Veteran vets say there's simply no science to prove that sticking dogs with needles is good medicine -- the problem is that there's no consensus. So you'll find some studies show there's an effect and you'll sign that there are studies that show no effect whatsoever doctor David -- help shape the guidelines for alternative therapies for animals on behalf of the American Veterinary Medical Association another half truth is that -- such a thing as an acupuncture point you know nobody's ever been able to demonstrate. That there is such a thing. But even critics can agreed the best medicine for your patents it's a -- -- TOC. I think that they should spend time with their animals and take them on walked. And massage them and pay -- you -- people -- which doesn't cost anything and yet. Still priceless. For Nightline I'm GG Chang in New York.