The cancer remains, but the healer, Hermie Lee, says she's arrested its growth. Lee, who has a physiology degree from the University of New South Wales, is among a handful of Hong Kong practitioners who've begun to use traditional Chinese medicine to help ailing pets. Some, like Lee, use herbal treatments; others use acupuncture to improve the animals' immune system and circulation.

Traditional treatments are increasingly winning over pet owners. The number of cases at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' acupuncture service has doubled to 50 from 25 a week in 2001. Lee says her caseload has tripled over the past year to nearly 70 each week.

Such therapies have a long history. The father of veterinary acupuncture generally is considered to be Shun Yang (circa 480BC), although early records suggest needles were being used 3,000 years ago to treat elephants in India. In the 1970s, Germans began to use it on dogs and cats, and the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) was eventually formed to teach vets acupuncture.

Lee, a former property agent, didn't using Chinese herbal concoctions on pets until 1998, when her dog began to suffer from failing kidneys, liver and heart. Desperate, she resorted to traditional cures learnt from her Shanghainese grandfather. When her pet gradually recovered, the vet was so surprised he asked her to treat his dog's heart problem, says Lee. Similar requests from friends followed.

Lee went on to earn a degree in Chinese medicine from the University of Hong Kong. She set up a clinic two years ago, recruiting experienced mainland practitioners to treat people, while she concentrates on pet therapy.

With no clinical trials of Chinese herbs on pets, Lee says she's largely self-taught. Apart from consulting veterinary texts, she relies on mainland publications on Chinese medicines for livestock and discussions with zoologists. Doses have to be adjusted for the size of the pet and for individual reactions to herbs.

Lee charges $150 per consultation and $50 for each day of herbs. She says the animals that come to her are often terminally ill, many from cancer. 'The owners usually come to me as a last resort,' she says. 'Some are referred by vets.'

With cancer cases, all she can do is try to arrest the deterioration. But Lee says the Chinese herbal formulations have helped pets with asthma and lung diseases, as well as kidney and liver problems.

Many animal lovers are sceptical about herbal cures, including Kenneth Ng Tak-yan, who runs a pet-grooming salon. 'Traditional Chinese medicine is useful when treating humans, but it may not work on dogs,' he says 'Their physiologies are so different. It's a big risk to have pets try this treatment.'

Lee agrees, saying dogs had died after some practitioners prescribed the wrong herbs.

Under the rules of the Veterinary Surgeons Board, the professional body monitoring veterinary practice, vets are free to use western or Chinese therapies. The board says it hasn't received any complaints of malpractice.

The SPCA supports the use of alternative therapies, saying they generally have no side effects on animals. The society introduced acupuncture four years ago with the help of vet Susie Lam.

She says Hong Kong lags many countries in alternative treatments for pets. Acupuncture and homeopathy for animals have been popular in Britain for at least 20 years, says Lam, who offers consultations twice weekly at the SPCA.

In Hong Kong, the most widely used alternative treatments are acupuncture, Chinese herbs and homeopathy, she says, but other methods are growing in popularity.

According to Lam, acupuncture is especially suitable for reducing the side effects of conventional medication on some animals, and to calm agitated pets. It's also helpful for pets suffering from cardiovascular diseases and epilepsy.

But some vets regard pet acupuncture as quackery. When she began offering her services last year, pet acupuncture specialist Grace Li Sun-yi recalls being told by a vet in Tin Hau that the treatment was 'cheating'.

Li, who completed a two-year IVAS course, didn't give up. Referrals from 10 veterinary clinics kept her bookings diary full. She recently opened her own clinic, offering alternative therapies and western medicines. Besides acupuncture, the clinic provides homeopathy, western herbs and aromatherapy for sick animals.

Meanwhile, Lee has expanded her business, renting a 3,000sqft space in Wan Chai devoted to Chinese medical therapy for animals.

Alternative pet healers say the market will continue to grow as such therapies gain acceptance in Hong Kong, and more professionals will join their ranks.

But Lee, who has 16 pets, says she's just happy that she can help sick animals that otherwise might have to be put down. She now plans to write a book on Chinese herbal therapies for pets.

'I started from zero, and have now acquired this knowledge, which I can use to inspire others to follow,' she says.

Additional reporting by Linda Luo

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