With dozens of complementary therapies available to humans, many of these alternative treatments are now offered for use with animals, and most are typically administered by vets or other qualified person. All of the terms used will probably be familiar to many people, such as chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage and acupuncture. All of these, or even combinations of them can be used to relieve pain or swellings, and are used to help return an animal to a full range of normal movements.
Other alternative therapies used on pets can include homoeopathy, aromatherapy and osteopathy as well as hydrotherapy. This latter form of treatment is often used for dogs as part of a fitness programme, and even large pools for horses are available to help recovery after a fall or other injury. The use of herbs is becoming more widespread as an alternative therapy to help animals heal after operations for a range of different problems.
The power of alternative therapies should not be underestimated, and as research continues their use becomes more and more widespread. Much of the study is done on horses, although an increasing amount is applied to dogs, cats and other small animal pets.
