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Why Animal Chiropractic

The health of any animal depends upon the correct alignment of their body parts. Chiropractic techniques can provide an immediate reduction in pain and an increased range of motion. Chiropractic treatment can also identify and treat other undiagnosed health problems.  Aches, pains, and unevenness of gait may be signs that your animal’s body isn’t working right. Your animal’s brain, spinal cord and nerves control how its body works. Physical, chemical or emotional stresses produce a defensive posture: muscles contract, locking spinal joints that pinch or irritate nearby nerves. An improperly functioning nervous system sets the stage for disease and pain. A thorough examination helps chiropractors find these problem areas. By applying a precise force to stuck spinal joints, your chiropractor helps the body right itself by unlocking the stuck joints and freeing the nerves to do their jobs properly. Health and proper motion usually return as the treatment restores the proper joint motion and nervous system function.

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Horses

Routine wear and tear, stress, or changes in workload can add biomechanical stress to the horses body. Biomechanical stress can cause abnormal stress to the joints and muscles, as well as inhibit the peripheral nerve’s ability to smoothly and quickly communicate with the rest of the body. Horses with Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSCs) may present with many symptoms, the most common of which is pain. Horses with back pain often express this in their posture or in their refusal to work. They often attempt to compensate for the pain by changing posture and way of going, resulting in other problems such as joint changes. 

 The following symptoms in a horse may indicate pain caused by a VSC:  

  • Reduced performance  Abnormal posture  

  • Pinning ears when being saddled or ridden

  • Swishing tail excessively when being ridden, groomed or saddled   

  • Head tossing or hollowing the back  

  • Discomfort when jumping

  • Difficulties with collected or lateral gaits  

  • Changes in behavior  

  • Sensitivity to touch  

  • Rider is seated off center due to the horse  

  • The back does not swing  

  • Unleveled gait rhythm  

  • Irregular gait which can’t be assigned to a particular leg extremity eval  

  • Stiffness when the horse leaves the stable  

  • Stiffness when bending and in its general posture  

  • Muscular atrophy  

  • Irritation when grooming 

  • Difficulty engaging the hindquarters  

  • Difficulty working “long and low”

  • Shortened stride in one or more legs  

  • Overall decreased range of motion in gait  

  • Difficulty flexing the poll  

  • Lameness  

  • Horse pulls against one rein

  • Refuses to take or unable to take correct lead (on the straight or after a jump) 

  • Has difficulty in gait transitions 

  • Wellness

Keep in mind that your horse may or may not experience any symptoms of spinal misalignment, but a regular check up will help to prevent any problems that may arise in the future!

Image by Mathias Reding
Image by Jamie Street

Dogs

Chiropractic care is a holistic approach to many of the health and performance problems of your dog. Chiropractic does not replace traditional veterinary medicine and surgery, but provides an alternative method of care. Chiropractic adjustments have proven to be invaluable in detecting and treating gait abnormalities and other performance-robbing problems. It has also been shown to alleviate pain in the back and neck of the dog.  Signs and symptoms that my dog may need chiropractic treatment:  The most common symptoms associated with spinal VSC are pain, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Dogs in pain will show compensatory changes in posture and gait.

 These changes can cause stress in other joints and muscles. Symptoms include:  

  • Reluctance to move  

  • Abnormal posture  

  • Inability to climb stairs or jump onto raised areas  

  • Limited performance  

  • Signs of pain when performing certain movements  

  • Animal lies on only one side

  •  Disobedience   

  • Altered sitting position (so-called “puppy sitting”)  

  • Changes in behavior  

  • Frightened or painful facial expression  

  • Sensitivity to touch  

  • Unleveled gait rhythm  

  • Irregular gait  

  • Stiffness after sleeping  

  • Stiffness when changing position 

  • Muscular atrophy  

  • Lick granuloma  

  • Sciatica neuralgia  

  • Undefined lameness  

  • Shortened stride  

  • Decreased range of motion  

  • The back does not swing

  • Adult Onset of Urinary Incontinence

  • Wellness

Keep in mind that your dog may or may not experience any symptoms of spinal misalignment, but a regular check-up will help to prevent any problems that may arise in the future! We LOVE seeing puppies for prevention! 

Image by Lorren & Loki
Image by Erik-Jan Leusink

Cats

There are over 100 joints in the cat spine. When any one of these joints fails to move properly, the motion of the animal is adversely affected and symptoms of pain or illness can manifest. The most common symptoms associated with spinal VSC are pain, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Cats in pain will show compensatory changes in posture and gait.  

 These changes can cause stress in other joints and muscles:  

  • Reluctance to move  

  • Abnormal posture  

  • Inability to climb stairs or jump onto raised areas  

  • Limited performance  

  • Signs of pain when performing certain movement  

  • Animal lies on only one side

  • Discomfort when jumping

  • Changes in behavior  

  • Frightened or painful facial expression  

  • Sensitivity to touch  

  • Unleveled gait rhythm  

  • Irregular gait  

  • Stiffness after sleeping  or when changing position

  • Wellness

Keep in mind that your cat may or may not experience any symptoms of spinal misalignment, but a regular check-up will help to prevent any problems that may arise in the future! We LOVE seeing kittens for prevention!

Image by The Lucky Neko
Horses
Dogs
Cats
Image by Krista Mangulsone

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

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