A TREATMENT first used on horses and elephants on battlefields thousands of years ago is being offered to cats and dogs.
Pets with arthritis and sore muscles are being given a chance of a cure through the ancient art of acupuncture.
Former working collie Bess has already had a massive improvement to her arthritic knees since Australian vet Karen Willmer started treating her with acupuncture.
"Acupuncture is an animal treatment that was used on battlefields in China and India thousands of years ago," said Miss Willmer, 26, of the Guisborough Animal Health Centre.
"In fact it was used on animals before humans," she said.
"I studied it in Australia for a couple of years and thought it would be good to offer the service here too, although we offer acupuncture alongside more usual medicine.
"Bess is using fewer and fewer pain-killers for her knees and is a bit of a star patient," she added.
Pet acupuncture is also available in Middlesbrough and York. At the Animal Health Centre an initial consultation costs about £42.
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