Canine Chiropractic
Chiropractic is useful for assessment, treatment and relief of existing pain in dogs and as a maintenance treatment to restore joint function and mobility.
How Can Chiropractic Help My Dog?
Alex treats a range of dogs:
- Agility and working dogs: These active dogs need regular chiropractic care to restore and maintain flexibility and to achieve and maintain peak performance.
- Older dogs: Many age-related conditions such as arthrosis and spondylosis can cause compensation in the dogs spine and other joints in the body. Chiropractic can help to prevent the build-up of compensatory problem.
- Breeding dogs: Birthing difficulties can cause musculoskeletal problems in both the bitch and the pups.
- Pets: All dogs will benefit from chiropractic care as they easily pick up micro-traumas throughout their lives, from a difficult birth, playing with their siblings as puppies, having slips and falls, being in a car during a collision, badly fitting harness or collars, ‘T-boning’ by another dog, repetitive strains and sprains from sport or work. Even overly- long nails can change the action and formation of the toes!
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Assessment
This is a very important part of the chiropractic visit as it involves gathering the dog`s history. All of the past experiences of the dog, including its own birth, any physical and/or emotional traumas and pre-existing conditions are useful to help with diagnosis and in creating a suitable treatment plan. A thorough chiropractic assessment includes an examination of the dog prior to treatment, including posture and gait analysis; static and motion palpation to check individual joint mobility; area of muscular tightness/soreness which may be inhibiting their comfort, happiness and ability to perform.
Results
Results are dependent on several variables, including previous traumas (if any), age, pre-existing conditions, severity of motion restriction and type of work the dog does (if any) etc. Most dogs respond with an immediate improvement within the first 24-72 hours following treatment.
If your dog is receiving preventative or wellness care chiropractic, signs of improvement will be a happier demeanour, less hesitancy with certain movements and showing more playfulness.It is easier to note improvements in a symptomatic dog, especially in the first few days, then there may be a relapse of the initial complaint. This is a normal part of the healing process so don`t be alarmed.
Treatment
Chiropractic adjustments are high velocity, low-amplitude thrusts which are delivered to specific joints in order to restore function, reduce pain thus maximizing mobility and optimizing nervous system function. The adjustment is very low-force and will rarely cause any discomfort. Alex will often use some soft tissue techniques alongside the chiropractic adjustments for regions where tight muscle is found.
Veterinary Consent
As a prerequisite to treatment, owners must obtain permission from the animal`s primary vet. This is a legal requirement in the UK.
Veterinary chiropractors do not dispense medication, perform surgery, inject medications or attempt to replace traditional veterinary care. Underlying pathologies should be ruled out prior to a veterinary chiropractic evaluation. Alex is not a veterinary surgeon and will only work in adjunct to traditional veterinary care.
Regular Chiropractic maintenance checks are a really good idea, chiropractors can pick up on individual joints that are not functioning as well as they should and work to prevent them from causing compensatory problems in other areas of the body. Preventative and maintenance care is one of the best health investments that you can provide for your dog!
Diagnosis
Information gathered from the case history and exam will help to determine the type of treatment necessary. Any areas of decreased motion, muscle spasm, inflammation are indicative of a restricted area that requires an adjustment to restore joint function and increase nervous system activity.
Follow Up
A follow-up adjustment is normally required in 1-2 weeks to continue the healing process. As the dog improves the follow-up visits will be spread out further apart. This will be discussed with owners during the visits, as treatment plans are all unique to each individual patient.