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Sept 8, 2004
Jewel, an 18-year-old Bactrian camel at Brookfield Zoo, receives acupuncture treatment from Dr. Barbara Royal, a consulting veterinarian.
©Chicago Zoological Society
Photo by Jim Schulz
Dr. Royal helping Jewel
©Chicago Zoological Society
Photo by Jim Schulz
Veterinarians at Brookfield Zoo have been trying something a lift le unconventional on one their patients—acupuncture. Jewel, an 18-year-old Bactrian camel, has been having trouble with arthritis limiting the mobility
of her front legs.
Due to excellent care and medical attention, animals at Brookfield Zoo, and in many other zoos, are living longer. Having an understanding of geriatric medicine is part of the vet staffs work, and any treatment that can be used to improve an animal’s quality of life is very important.
“Jewel has an age-related chronic and progressive problem in her joints,” said Dr. Tom Meehan, chief veterinarian at Brookfield Zoo. “After trying a variety of drugs and therapies with little success, we felt we needed to look into new ways to relieve the pain in Jewel’s joints.”Initially, Dr. Meehan considered artificial joints, which were used to help a gorilla with similar problems at Brookfield Zoo, but they are not available for camels. He then decided to contact one of his veterinarian colleagues, Dr. Barbara Royal, who is experienced in using acupuncture in her regular practice on cats and dogs, as well as in the zoo setting on larger exotic animals.
Now, every two or three weeks, Dr. Royal makes a house call to Brookfield Zoo to painlessly insert needles into specific parts of Jewel’s body. The treatments take place in the camel yard during zoo hours in full view of the general public. Dr. Royal usually takes a moment to address the onlookers to explain how the acupuncture is being used. The therapy sessions are a multi-person operation—one keeper steadies the camel with a harness, another gives her treats for positive reinforcement, and Dr. Royal inserts the needles just as she would for any other patient that comes to her office. The whole process takes less than one hour.
“I am happy to be able to help Brookfield Zoo’s staff in making Jewel as comfortable as possible,” said Dr. Royal. “Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years and it seems to really be working for Jewel. Plus, she is a very cooperative patient.”
Keepers can usually see a change in the geriatric 1,600-pound patient a day after treatments. Although she cannot communicate with vet staff, Jewel appears to be more active and seems to move around more comfortably. Dr. Meehan and Royal are trying to get past the “voodoo medicine” stereotypes by collecting real scientific data. Staff is using videotapes to compare the lengths of her strides before and after treatment. (She takes shorter strides when in pain.) The vets continue to work closely with Jewel’s keepers to monitor the progress of Jewel’s daily physical therapy. In addition, to the acupuncture treatment, Jewel is given nutritional supplements and anti-inflammatory medication to help limit the swelling and pain in her joints.
Acupuncture has been used in China and other parts of Asia for thousands of years. It was thought that, by inserting extremely fine needles into carefully mapped out points on the body, the body’s life energy (called “chi”) could be adjusted. These adjustments could be used to treat disease and limit pain. Acupuncture may have been used on animals for almost as long as it has been practiced on humans Records show that Chinese veterinarians were treating livestock with the needles in the Chow dynasty (around 2300 BC). Because camels were so important to the transfer of goods on the Silk Road, the famed Chinese merchant route across the Desert, it should be no surprise that acupuncture for camels was particularly important. Today, the treatment continues in Asia and is gaining acceptance in the West. The World Health Organization lists dozens of medical conditions that can be treated this way.
The needles used in acupuncture have smooth, rounded points, unlike the needles used to give medical shots, which are hollow and have a cutting edge. Acupuncture needles are so small that you can fit a few of them into the average-size hypodermic needle. The needles are inserted into specific points or the body and left in place for a few minutes. Scientists are still not quite sure how acupuncture works. Some believe that the needles stop some pain impulses from reaching the brain. Others think that perhaps the needles stimulate the body to produce chemicals that increase circulation and dull pain. But most agree that acupuncture helps patients manage pain. Humans who get acupuncture say that the needles do not hurt but instead create a warm feeling.
Open every
day of the year, Brookfield Zoo is known throughout the world for its
innovative, naturalistic, multi-species exhibits, its international
role in
animal population management and wildlife conservation, and its
devotion to
helping people develop a sustainable and harmonious relationship with
nature.
The zoo is located off First Avenue between the Stevenson (1-55) and
Eisenhower
(1-290) expressways, just 14 miles west of downtown Chicago. The zoo is
also
accessible via the Ten-State Tollway (1-294), Metra commuter line, and
PACE bus
service.