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Like many older dogs, Buster the beagle suffers from a few health problems. At 15, the dog has chronic sinusitis that causes breathing trouble and can turn into pneumonia, while torn ligaments lead to pain that can affect his mobility, said his owner, Chris Shoulet.

After being told by several veterinarians that the dog should be euthanized, the Bethesda resident turned to holistic medicine to cure Buster's ills. According to Shoulet, holistic treatments including acupuncture have worked wonders for her furry friend.

"He usually goes right to sleep as soon as the needles go in," Shoulet said.

Shoulet takes the dog to Veterinary Holistic Care in Bethesda for the acupuncture treatments, during which a specialist places the tiny needles in the dog's skin at specific points connected to the central nervous system. They remain in place for about a half hour, Shoulet said.

The alternative treatment helps Buster relax, manage his pain and breathe easier, Shoulet said. "He goes from not being able to walk at all to being able to run around like a madman in the backyard," she said.

Across the county and the country, more pet owners are seeking out holistic treatments for their pets, and acupuncture is one of the most popular remedies, said Carvel G. Tiekert, executive director of the Bel Air-based American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. "A huge number of people look for these treatments for themselves, and they say ‘Well, if I'm getting this done for myself, then why shouldn't I do this for my animal?"

At the core of holistic veterinary care is shying away from the "band-aid" philosophy of traditional medicine, Tiekert said.

"Traditional doctors are more trained to suppress symptoms and make them disappear," said Dr. Monique Maniet, originally from Brussels, who founded Veterinary Holistic Care in 1995. "…We look at the underlying cause and stimulate the body to heal itself."

Since Maniet opened her practice, she has seen demand for her services grow. She has added two veterinarians to her staff and has provided services and products to about 5,000 cats and dogs, growing by about one to three clients each day.

Maniet advocates for feeding dogs and cats a raw or homemade diet or natural pet food — for example, grain-based foods aren't often the best for cats, which are natural carnivores, she said. She warns against over-vaccination and excessive medication to avoid over-stimulating the immune system. For sick animals, treatments like acupuncture, massage and energy healing – in which energy "blockages" are cleared – often provide relaxation or pain relief, she said. Maniet also uses homeopathy, or the use of natural remedies to promote healing.

Quoting a French expression, Maniet described the methods as "gentle" medicine. Traditional remedies should be used if all else fails, she said, though she finds that often they are not necessary. "You cannot imagine how many of these animals right themselves just by changing their diet," Maniet said.

Often, her clients are seeking alternative ways to care for pets with chronic problems, she said.

In combination with traditional vet care, holistic treatments like acupuncture are growing in popularity and can often be helpful for pain management, said Dr. William Amoroso, a veterinarian at the Falls Road Veterinary Hospital in Potomac.

Acupuncture can be useful because it lacks side effects and can relieve pain particularly for animals who can't tolerate medications, he said.

"I'm in favor of anything that works," Amoroso said. "I can't say traditional medicine doesn't have its place, but you sure can use [alternative treatments] to help." Amoroso said he refers several clients a month to Maniet.

Shoulet said she also uses holistic treatments for her other pets — she has seven— and would recommend the procedure to other pet owners. "Give it a try," Shoulet said. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."