Eight Reasons Your Pet Needs Chiropractic Adjustments

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The job of the animal chiropractor is to locate and correct spinal misalignments. Several techniques exist for adjusting animals. Fortunately, none of them involve laying the dog down, belly up, on a chiropractic table and wrenching his neck from side to side. Most commonly the animal is adjusted while standing. The doctor gently presses on one vertebra at a time to locate any joints that are not moving appropriately. When a subluxation is located, a quick, accurate thrust is delivered to correct the problem.

Subluxations have numerous causes. Trauma is the most obvious. This includes not only severe trauma but also more subtle disturbances such as slips, falls and missteps — basically living life. In fact, birth itself sometimes causes damage to the spine, starting the poor pet off on the wrong foot. Plus, some pets have been bred for traits, such as long backs and short legs, which predispose them to back problems. Finally, performance dogs are especially prone to back-jarring incidences. Jumping, racing, and lead jerks can all knock the neck and back out of whack.

Here are 8 reasons your pet needs chiropractic.

  1. Back Pain – Many animals suffer in silence with mild to moderate back pain. I commonly get reports from clients that their pet seemed happier after a chiropractic adjustment, even if they were not having an obvious problem.
  2. Head Ache – Does your pet have a head ache? How would you know? Misalignment of vertebrae in the neck can cause such pain. Regular spinal adjustments can prevent and treat it.
  3. Lameness – Spinal subluxations can cause compression of nerves that cause pain to radiate down the limb resulting in lameness.
  4. Organ Dysfunction – The restriction of nerves that serve internal organs can cause those organs to malfunction. Chiropractic can help.
  5. Rehab – Whatever the musculoskeletal issue your pet may be battling, the spine is inevitably involved. Adjustments can speed recovery.
  6. Prehab – Regular chiropractic adjustments can help the body resist injury, avoiding the need for rehab.
  7. Recovery – Animals who get regular chiropractic treatments often recover faster from trauma.
  8. Health Maintenance –  Keeping your pet’s spine aligned with regular chiropractic treatments keeps her healthy!

When taking your pet for a chiropractic treatment, be sure to seek a professional with proper training. Your chiropractor may do a great job on you, but because of anatomical differences between people and dogs, without special training a chiropractor is not the ideal candidate to treat your dog. America Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA) certification assures education and skill in the specialized field of animal chiropractic. For a list of local, certified animal chiropractors log on to www.animalchiropractic.org.

Has your pet had chiropractic adjustments?

3 replies
  1. Micki Handte
    Micki Handte says:

    Yes, several of my dogs have had routine chiropractic adjustments. I could see an obvious difference in a couple of them immediately. Dr. Doug is so gentle, they don’t even know they’re being adjusted!

    Reply
  2. Teresa
    Teresa says:

    Can Dr D be cloaned??? No, really, I’m serious…we need SO many more like him…& I don’t even know him except for reading his articles!!! Makes me want to live closer so he can take care of my Dachshunds!!!

    Reply

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