By Kate Arthur, karthur@pantagraph.com

Kobi's thick tail wagged, then slowed, as a dozen acupuncture needles were tapped along his spine.

The yellow Labrador stood still, with a little encouragement, as Dr. Daniel King knelt beside him with spa-like music playing softly in the background.

As a needle was inserted in his hind leg, the dog jumped.

"That's a good sign," the Illinois veterinarian said. "You know you're in the right place."

Kobi was getting his fifth treatment for a painful bone growth at the end of his spine. About 45 minutes later, he was prancing out of the room, tail wagging.

A week later, he was still feeling the benefits, said owner Kathy Whorrall, who said the 45-minute treatment relaxed him, relieving his pain and giving him more energy. The monthly treatments cost her about $100.

Veterinary acupuncture and chiropractic treatment isn't mainstream, but it's not as rare as it used to be.

At the annual American Veterinary Medicine Association convention a month ago, sessions on non-traditional medicine that might have been nearly empty a decade ago filled more than a month ahead.

"Absolutely, there is a lot more interest in it," said Dr. Stuart Price, who teaches anesthesia and pain management at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Champaign. But he adds there need to be more controlled studies to determine what types of pain the therapy can best alleviate.

"It looks promising, but I don't think we have all the answers yet," he said.

Pet owners are the ones driving the non-traditional treatment, he added.

"People experience it maybe for themselves and have beneficial effects and think about it for their pets as well."

About 15 years ago King, who also has an equine practice, started looking at chiropractic care as another way to manage pain and disease.

As he studied for his certification by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, he kept hearing about the benefits of acupuncture. That led him to Florida's CHI Institute of Chinese Medicine, which offers veterinarians a master's degree in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine and herbal therapy.

King blends it into his practice, using acupuncture and chiropractic treatments to treat diseases, injuries, allergies, even incontinence and storm phobias.

Traditional Chinese medicine used to aid pets...........

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