THE life of a 13-year-old dog with mobility issues changed forever when a vet gave him an unusual and ancient treatment – acupuncture.

Concerned owners Maryann Wall and David Barson noticed their much-loved Weimaraner Milo struggle to stand, stop his legs trembling and keep his meals down.

Mr Barson said: “We were so worried that we were going to lose him. Luckily the vets managed to treat him and he was allowed home that evening with a follow-up appointment the next day.

"By the time we got back from our holiday three days later he was completely fine.”

At the time, Milo was on anti-inflammatory medication for his osteoarthritis, which had potential side effects including stomach upsets.

During an appointment at Vets4Pets, the practice’s owner Tanya Crawley suggested an unexpected course of action which had helped Maryann and David with their trapped nerves and ended up improving Milo’s mobility and soothing his muscles.

Their beloved pooch has now had four sessions of acupuncture and his relieved owners have noticed a big difference in the way he moves. He can have up to 30 needles in him at once without feeling discomfort and can go on longer walks, which are building up his strength.

Mr Barson added: “He was running around like he was five years old again with no problem at all, it was amazing. We are now light years ahead of where we were a few months ago. He has transformed. Milo is still on anti-inflammatory medication but no longer needs the pain relief which is amazing,”

“I can’t thank Tanya and her team at Vets4Pets Swindon enough, they have been fantastic with the treatment and ongoing prognosis. Although I had benefited from acupuncture myself, I had never considered it as a treatment for dogs before, but now I would recommend any owner who has a dog with similar muscle problems to consider it.”

Tanya Crawley said: “Acupuncture is an ancient treatment and stems from traditional Chinese medicine, however the acupuncture I offer in my practice is western veterinary acupuncture, which has a lot more clinical evidence to support its use in practice.”