Greta CrossUSA TODAY
Show Caption
- Sarah Cannizzo is an associate veterinarian at Fort Worth Zoo, certified to conduct acupuncture on the zoo's more than 7,000 creatures.
- Cannizzo has administered acupuncture to rabbits with gastrointestinal stasis and geriatric petting zoo goats with chronic pain.
- Last fall, Cannizzo was a part of groundbreaking research − administering a new, experimental vaccine to an elephant calf at the zoo.
Humans aren't the only ones who can benefit from acupuncture. So can animals, and a Fort Worth Zoo veterinarian is exploring just how much the alternative medicine technique can improve the lives of the creatures in her care.
Sarah Cannizzo, an associate veterinarian at Fort Worth Zoo, is one of only two zoo vets in Texas who is certified by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, the society said. In addition to the day-to-day tasks of completing necessary procedures and medical reports, filing prescriptions, and checking in on the zoo's more than 7,000 creatures, Cannizzo works one-on-one with animals who she believes may benefit from specialized acupuncture care.
With roots in China dating back more than 3,000 years ago, acupuncture is the practice of inserting needles into specific points of the body to produce a healing response. The practice can stimulate nerves, increase blood circulation, relieve muscle spasms and release hormones, according to the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.
Cannizzo received her International Veterinary Acupuncture Society certification in January, but began practicing on some animals in the zoo last year, during her studies.
She told USA TODAY that she's worked on rabbits with gastrointestinal stasis − when food and waste in the digestive tract stops − and geriatric animals, like petting zoo goats, experiencing chronic pain. In total, she's conducted acupuncture on about 20 of the zoo's animals, she said.
Cannizzo added that she has also had luck with some eye acupuncture, specifically inserting needles around an animal's eye to resolve abnormalitiesor damage to the cornea.
Sometimes, animals that undergo acupuncture are awake for the process and other times they are under anesthesia. Cannizzo said she will only conduct acupuncture to an animal under anesthesia if they are already under for another procedure. She doesn't just put an animal under for acupuncture.
Since its establishment in 1974, the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society has certified more than 5,000 veterinarians around the globe in acupuncture, the society said. Veterinarians are certified for life. Over the last 50-plus years, around 96 Texas veterinarians have received the certification.
Groundbreaking research for the future of young elephants
Acupuncture isn't the only way Cannizzo is helping animals in her care.
Last fall, Cannizzo was part of a team of veterinarians and researchers who administered two groundbreaking doses of the elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) mRNA vaccine to a 3-year-old Asian elephant at Fort Worth Zoo named Brazos.
Brazos was the first elephant in history to receive a new, experimental vaccine, developed by Paul Dalling Ling at Baylor College of Medicine, without having elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus antibodies, according to Fort Worth Zoo.
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus can be extremely fatal for young Asian and African elephants, primarily under the age of 8, Cannizzo said.
About 65% of elephant calves in human care who contract elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus die, according to a 2021 report published by Virology Journal.
More: International Women's History Month 2025: How it started and why it's so important
Elephant calves receive endotheliotropic herpesvirus antibodies from their mothers but after a year or two, the antibodies wane, meaning the calves are unprotected, Cannizzo said.
Early last year, Cannizzo said, Ling approached her about administering a new vaccine he was working on to Brazos. After months of paperwork and approvals, they received the greenlight. Brazos received his first dose in August 2024 and then a second dose a few weeks later.
Today, Brazos is doing well, Cannizzo said. The zoo conducts weekly blood tests to monitor him for any sign of the virus.
An unexpected career change
Though Cannizzo is making waves in veterinary medicine, she didn't always have her eyes set on working with animals.
Originally from Massachusetts, Cannizzo initially studied folklore and mythology at Harvard before obtaining her Master's in Irish heritage management from the University of College Cork in Ireland.
For the first few years of her career, Cannizzo worked as a business consultant, thinking she would eventually transition back into heritage world museums or heritage sites.
"But instead, I got this idea that I wanted to be a zoo vet," she said. "I'd been in school for so long. I was like, 'No, I just need to get a job.' Then it just kept coming back to me that I really wanted to be a zoo vet."
Just shy of celebrating her 30th birthday, Cannizzo found herself in veterinary school. She studied at the University of Pennsylvania, interning at Angell Animal Medical in Boston, primarily working with domesticated cats and dogs, and an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited drive-thru safari in Oregon. She then completed her residency at North Carolina State University before landing her current role at the Forth Worth Zoo. She's been at the zoo for over seven years.
(This story was updated to fix a typo.)
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her onX and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her atgcross@usatoday.com.
