Acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs for the treatment in hemivertebral French bulldogs with emergent paraparesis

This study follows the treatment of six French bulldogs with paraparesis caused by congenital hemivertebra which were structurally mild but clinically severe. A standardized acupuncture (針灸 zhēn jiǔ) treatment using Hua-Tuo-Jiaji (HTJJ) as local points and other distant points combined with Chinese herbs improved the clinical signs. Few, if any, published papers mention Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) for treatment of hemivertebral paraparesis in French bulldogs. Based on the rapid treatment outcome, we encourage practitioners to integrate this form of conservative management into emergency treatment.