摘要：针灸、推拿、中草药……这些传统中医疗法现在不仅能给人治病，还能给家里的“毛孩子”用上，而这种治疗方式被称为中兽医学（traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, or TCVM）。
针灸、推拿、中草药……这些传统中医疗法现在不仅能给人治病，还能给家里的“毛孩子”用上，而这种治疗方式被称为中兽医学（traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, or TCVM）。
在四川省成都市一家宠物医院工作的郭梦旋就是一位中兽医师。让她印象最深刻的一个病例是一只叫“福宝”的瘫痪小猫。
在“福宝”的主人带着它找到郭医生之前，很多医生已经诊断“福宝”一辈子都站不起来了，大小便也需要人工辅助。
When Fubao's owner approached Guo Mengxuan, a veterinarian in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, to help treat her paralyzed tabby cat, she had already been told by several experts that her beloved furry feline friend would never walk again and would require lifelong assistance when relieving itself.
“当时猫咪被诊断为严重脊髓损伤，已错过最佳手术期。”郭医生说。
"The cat had been diagnosed with a severe spinal cord injury and had missed the optimal window for surgery," said Guo.
郭医生决定为它进行针灸治疗。在接受每周三次、持续三个月的针灸治疗后，“福宝”逐渐恢复了站立行走能力，甚至有时候可以自己去排便、排尿。
Guo decided to treat Fubao with acupuncture. "For about three months, the cat received acupuncture three times a week," she said. "Gradually, it regained the ability to stand, walk and even partially control its bladder and bowel functions."
郭梦旋在大学学的专业是动物药学，后来慢慢学习了中兽医。“我最开始从业时其实都没有接触过中兽医，甚至都不知道有中兽医，但现在，中兽医正处于一个快速发展期。”她说。
Guo, trained in both veterinary pharmaceuticals and TCVM, said: "When I first started my career, I had no exposure to TCVM — in fact, I didn't even know it existed. But now, I would say that TCVM is in a phase of rapid growth and development."
据悉，在郭医生执业的宠物医院，每天接诊的动物数量在六七十例左右，有时候能达到一百例。虽然宠物患者还是以看西医为主，但是看中兽医的比例也能达到十分之一, 郭医生最忙的时候一日接诊了17个针灸病例。
The Loving Care International Pet Hospital, where Guo practices, treats about 60 to 70 pets per day, and sometimes as many as 100. About one-tenth of them visit the hospital's TCVM department and on her busiest day, Guo handled 17 acupuncture cases.
据郭医生介绍，中兽医的基本诊断方法也是通过望、闻、问、切，例如检查动物的皮肤、毛发、舌苔、口气 。“一些患肾脏疾病的狗狗到末期之后,呼出来的气体是尿味的，说明它可能是肾衰。”她举例说。
Guo said that TCVM consultations begin with observation — examining the pet's skin, fur, tongue and breath. "Pets with late-stage kidney disease often exhale a distinct urine-like odor, which is an indicator of kidney failure," she said.
“我们还会询问主人，综合评估小动物的吃喝拉撒和精神状态等。切脉方面，其实猫狗都是有脉搏的，它们的股动脉都是可以摸到的。”
"We also question owners about the pet's daily habits — appetite, water consumption, urinary and bowel patterns, and behavioral changes," she added. "Additionally, we can check the pulse of cats and dogs by palpating the femoral artery in their hind legs."
中国农业大学动物医学院临床兽医学部中兽医药系副教授、中国农业大学动物医院门诊部主任胡宇声表示，由于兽医临床上没有主诉，也就是小动物不会主动说自己头痛或肚子痛，因此中兽医诊断经验的积累非常重要。
中国农业大学动物医院，胡宇声医生在对患猫进行针灸治疗
“我们通过一些诊断方式去看他气血、经络、脏腑上面有什么问题，然后给予相应的治疗。治疗手段主要包括外治和内治，外治法包括针灸、推拿按摩等；内治法主要是以服用中药为代表。”胡教授说。
Hu Yusheng, a TCVM specialist at China Agricultural University, said common TCVM treatments involve acupuncture, herbal medicines, and massages.
近年来，中兽医在治疗瘫痪病症方面展现出独特优势，成为越来越多宠物主人的新选择。
例如，脑袋扁扁、身材短胖的法国斗牛犬（俗称法斗）因可爱的外形而广受欢迎，但其脊柱发育异常的风险比较高。
“在过去，这种由于结构异常导致的瘫痪通常大家认为就是没救了，但我们用中兽医的理念，通过针灸、中药等方法去改善气血在经络里运行的状态、调节它的脏腑功能，就能帮助它重新恢复行走。”胡教授说。
Take French bulldogs — well-beloved for their adorable appearance — as an example. "The breed is predisposed to intervertebral disc disease, which often leads to paralysis. Such cases might seem hopeless from a conventional veterinary perspective. But through TCVM, we can regulate Qi (a vital force of life), blood flow and organ function to help these animals recover mobility," he said.
胡教授指出，随着生活水平、饮食条件和兽医学发展，犬只寿命不断延长，中兽医在提升老年宠物生活质量方面有独特优势。
“现在大家养宠物都养得很好，所以很多动物能活到十几岁或者二十几岁。像我治过最老的小狗是 24岁。到了生命的最后，很多动物主人希望让它的宠物能尽可能保证生活质量，我们就用针灸、中药去改善它的一些功能。”胡教授说。
"Nowadays, people take good care of their pets and many animals live into their teens or even 20s. The oldest dog I've treated was 24 years old," he said. “In their final days, many pet owners want to give their companions the best possible quality of life. We’ve handled many such cases, using acupuncture and herbal medicine to improve their body functions.
“比如说像肿瘤病例，最后可能小动物的心脏、肾脏的功能不允许它做手术和化疗，那我们就调整它的气血、经络，让它实现带瘤生存。”他说。
"Take animal patients with cancer as an example. In advanced stages, their heart or kidney function may no longer tolerate surgery or chemotherapy. So, we look at how we can regulate their Qi and blood circulation, balance their meridians and help them live with cancer," he said.
胡教授认为，中兽医最具特色和最有价值的特点是它看待生命和疾病的方式。
Hu said that the most outstanding and valuable characteristic of traditional Chinese veterinary medicine is its philosophy toward life and disease.
“它是一种双赢的、谋求动物机体和环境和谐相处的看待生命和疾病的方式，而不是对抗、压抑。”胡教授说。
"It seeks harmony between the animal's body and its environment, and pursues a win-win solution rather than an approach of suppression and resistance," he said.
记者：王小予
实习生：田兆森
图片均由中国农业大学动物医院提供
China Daily精读计划
每天20分钟，英语全面提升！
来源：中国日报双语新闻一点号
