Animal chiropractic care is a complementary medicine that focuses on the spine and other joints of the body and how they are connected and influence the nervous system. All animals have a spine, and all animals can benefit from being adjusted! My goal as a veterinarian trained and certified in animal chiropractic is to restore your animal’s health and movement, allowing for their body to heal itself from the inside out.
As an animal chiropractor, I am examining the musculoskeletal system of your animal and checking for any roadblocks (bones that may be out of alignment) that may be present within the spine or other joints of the skeleton. These roadblocks could be preventing signals from being passed along the spinal cord to the brain, leading to a decline in how the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, nerves) is functioning. You see this decline in function in your dog who is dragging their toes as they walk around the block, the cat that is obsessively grooming itself all of a sudden, the horse that is knocking poles as it jumps, or many other possible scenarios. This examination is done by watching your animal move and then performing a hands-on exam. Once I identify these roadblocks, I can then perform any adjustments needed to realign the bones.
By realigning the bones, we are removing not only the roadblock but also its interference on the nervous system, allowing the body to resume working to its fullest extent. This means nerves are being nourished, waste products are being taken away, signals are being sent to and from the brain so organs work more efficiently, muscles are receiving more input from the brain and are able to move the bones more readily, and the body is more aware of where it is in relation to its surroundings.
Chiropractic care for animals is often seen as a treatment for a symptom, and while it is great for alleviating symptoms, routine chiropractic adjustments are also preventative and allow for maintenance care of the body. Even your dog who hangs out at home, plays fetch every now and then, and just walks around the block with you could benefit from maintenance chiropractic care!
How do you know if your animal needs or could benefit from chiropractic care? Start with examining their lifestyle:
o Do they compete?
o Do they exercise a lot?
o Does your dog pull on his leash/collar when you go for walks?
o Are they in training for an event?
o Have you noticed behavioral changes?
o Has there been a decrease in performance, play drive, excitability?
o Do they travel a lot?
In addition to taking a closer look at how your animals spend their days, we also want to ask questions such as:
o Have you noticed your animal slowing down lately?
o Having problems getting up from laying down?
o Not wanting to sit straight?
o Does your dog run after the ball but walks back to you?
o Is your horse struggling with lead changes when previously they haven’t?
o Are there changes in gaits? Reduced stride length?
o Is there a lameness?
If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, chiropractic care could be right for you and your pet. Animals that are adjusted regularly are more confident in their careers, have reduced instances of stumbling/tripping, show longer stride lengths, are more fluid in their movement, and have happier dispositions overall.
If you are interested in finding out more about how chiropractic can help and want to schedule an appointment, go to "contact us" at the top of the page or call 602-819-4770.
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