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What is animal chiropractic?

Chiropractors are trained to locate and treat specific joint and spinal problems called subluxations- where the bones slightly misalign, alter the mobility of the joint, and can cause irritation to surrounding tissues. Irritation of the nearby nervous system can lead to pain, tension, and change in body function. These subluxations are corrected by gentle adjustments, which in turn reduces stress on the body and allow optimal function to resume.

Treatments are very gentle, sometimes appearing as if the doctor is just petting your animal; the force used to adjust an animal is significantly less than that used on most humans. Animals seem to respond to chiropractic care much quicker than their human counterparts. Most pets enjoy the treatments and usually become calm and relaxed afterwards.

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What kind of animals can be treated?

 

Any animal with a spine can benefit from chiropractic adjustments. They experience stress just like us! The anatomy and physiology of an animal’s spine is very similar to ours, and animal chiropractors are specially trained in the anatomical variations in different species and know how different conditions may affect different animals. Dr. Hendricks specializes in treating dogs and horses, but she is licensed to provide all animals with chiropractic care. 

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What causes a subluxation?

 

Subluxations can be symptoms of physical, chemical, or emotional stress.  The nervous system responds to this by signaling muscles to contract, causing vertebral displacement. Occasionally an obvious injury is the cause, but most often the less obvious repetitive activities are to blame:

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• Jumping on and off furniture

• Jumping in and out of vehicles

• Pulling on leashes/collars/harnesses

• Normal play such as tug of war, jumping for a frisbee, or chasing a ball

• Animal athletes in agility or performance competitions

• Working animals that are used for herding, roping, and other trained tasks.

• Frequent or long-distance trailering

 

Certain breeds of animals are more prone to conditions like hip dysplasia, ACL tears/luxating patella, intervertebral disc disorders, cervical instability, etc., all of which place increased stress on adjacent joints.

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How do I know my pet needs an adjustment?

 

Pain is only one sign that something is wrong in the body, and animals are masters of compensation. They have

evolved to hide any weakness to avoid becoming prey, therefore most conditions go unnoticed for months or even years before they show any signs or symptoms.  Just like humans, as your pet ages the accumulation of repetitive trauma and other injuries will start to manifest.  Animal Chiropractors are trained to locate and treat these issues long before they affect your pets health, and you can help your pet by looking out for any of these signs:

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• Lameness/change in gait

• Weakness or limping

• Difficulty/avoiding jumping

• Sensitive to petting or grooming

• Constantly licking their paws

• Tail is down, or not wagging as usual

• Arched back with head down

• Problems with stairs

• Asymmetrical sitting

• Behavioral changes/aggression

• Panting more

• Slow to get up from lying

• Temporary paralysis

• Poor skin or coat quality

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How quick are the results?

 

The speed of an animal's recovery reveals a lot about their overall health. Younger animals in good health often have the quickest response, whereas an animal with a more chronic condition may take a few more visits to heal. Many pets are living longer, healthier lives with the help of regular chiropractic care. Many respond fairly quickly to care and improvements are often noticed within a few visits- in some cases it’s almost immediate!

Animals of all ages benefit from chiropractic care.

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How much does it cost?

 

Rates depend on time and travel requirements.  We need to understand that, for most animals, chiropractic is new and strange. I will never force an animal to be adjusted if they are not willing to give permission. I allow extra time on the first few visits, but base rates apply.  Group discounts are available to help reduce the cost of travel. Please let me know if there is a barn near you that we can work with!