Alternative dog therapies cost £15m

13 April 2012

British dog owners could be spending an average of almost £15 million a year on alternative therapies for their pets, research has suggested.

Homeopathic nutrition or herbal remedies, massage, reflexology and acupuncture are the preferred methods to treat canine ailments - even bad behaviour - as animal lovers shun traditional medicine, the survey found.

According to the study from Direct Line Pet Insurance, more than 750,000 (14%) of the UK's dog owners use alternative or complementary treatments, with 30% doing so on recommendation from their vet.

And the company says dog owners have spent a collective £29.6 million in the past two years on such methods.

More than half of those who have used complementary therapy (54%) do so to tackle ailments, a third (34%) to relieve pain, 29% as a stress buster, while 5% use alternative therapy to correct bad behaviour.

Direct Line Pet Insurance spokesman Chris Price said: "Britain is a nation of dog lovers, so in some respects it is no surprise that they are willing to try different therapies and treatments to keep their pet in the best possible mental and physical health.

"As a dog owner it is important to keep abreast of opportunities to maintain your pet's wellbeing and ensure it stays as healthy as possible."

Nearly half (44%) of owners who have tried alternative therapy said it made their dog physically better and 23% said it cured the symptoms, the survey of 1,337 owners found.

An improvement was also noticed in their dog's mental health, with 39% claiming it made their dog calmer and 7% reporting increased energy levels.

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