"We've done it all," pet owners told CGTN at a clinic in Beijing, as they prepared their paralyzed or limping dogs and cats for an acupuncture session in the hope that their four-legged friends could walk again after visiting several other hospitals and leaving disappointed. 

Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, or TCVM, which typically involves acupuncture, herbal medicine and therapeutic massage, often remains a last resort for pet owners. That explains why most of the pet owners CGTN talked to at clinics around the country told a similar story: they went to TCVM only because they had no other options left.

But what they got instead: a TCVM surprise. 

Like Li Suping, who travelled all the way from Shanxi Province to Beijing - a distance of over 500 kilometers - in search of treatment for her beloved canine, Xiaosuda. Veterinarians had already given her a grim prognosis and predicted the dog had only a month left to live when she started visiting a TCVM clinic. Now, half a year later, Xiaosuda is in stable condition and walking again.

Curious to see this ancient healing art in action?

CGTN has made a documentary following real animals - like Xiaosuda - and the TCVM doctors who put these beloved pets on a pathway to health. From thousand-year-old acupuncture needles to modern-day recovery rooms, this is the story you don't want to miss.

Stay tuned. Our documentary is coming soon.

Executive producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Director: Chen Chen, Xu Wen

Videographers: Han Xu, Yuan Yuxiang

Cover design: Huang Ruiqi