GETTING TO THE POINT ANIMALS GET ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE.

Byline: Sue Doyle Staff Writer

SAUGUS - She's tried everything for her bad back. Acupuncture. Acupuncture with electrode treatments. And now a chiropractor.

Splash, the 13-year-old Dalmatian, has a condition that behaves like arthritis of the spine. And her owner, Terry Jones, is trying alternative medicines on her pooch to relieve the pain.

``There are times that she stands still for one half-hour all hunched over because she can't move,'' Jones said.

Eastern medicine, with its organic approach to healing, has challenged the Western way of practicing medicine in doctor's offices for years. Now it's reaching out to animal care.

Whether they want a tofu diet for Tigger or a neck massage for Muffin, pet owners looking for nontraditional animal care are finding it with local veterinarians, animal experts and even those who also practice medicine on people.

At Seco Canyon Animal Clinic, animals can get anything from homeopathic remedies to traditional pet care. Veterinarian Evelyn Vega, who owns the Saugus facility, learned about alternative pet care after graduating from Purdue University. Vega was making house calls with another veterinarian in the San Fernando Valley at the time she was building a client base and was surprised to learn how many clients wanted acupuncture for their pets.

So she began taking acupuncture classes and then learned about other therapies for animals, from herbs to massage therapy. She offers these services to clients, many of whom don't use alternative medicine themselves but are open to new therapies for their animals.

``It's a different thinking than Western medicine,'' Vega said. ``You have to think Western but think how they would make a diagnosis in Eastern terms.''

Using between four and 14 needles per acupuncture session, Vega said there's no way to know how an animal will react. She doesn't use sedatives on them, but instead gives massages, which usually relax the animals. Many get the therapy to speed recovery from injuries or ease back pain. Most of her clients are dogs.

In some cases, acupuncture is used to stimulate appetite and is activated by a point at the tip of the nose. So when a mean cat with an aversion to eating came in, Vega had to get the fine needle in its nose.

In the end, the feline consented.

Chiropractor James Langford of Van Nuys treats dogs and cats with sore necks, jaw problems, bad backs and other alignment issues.

Because cats stretch so much, they usually need fewer treatments than Fido, and can be on the mend in two to three weeks. But dogs need more time to heal. Langford sees his canine patients once a week for about a month. Sometimes longer.

``It all depends on the situation,'' he said.

Sue Doyle,[phone]

sue.doyle(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color in SAC edition only) Splash, a 13-year-old Dalmatian with an arthritis-like condition, top, receives acupuncture at Seco Canyon Animal Clinic in Saugus. Above, Dr. Evelyn Vega conducts the acupuncture treatment on the dog.

(3) Dr. James Langford gives Splash a chiropractic treatment while owner Terry Jones holds the dog.

David Crane/Staff Photographer