How Effective Are Animal Chiropractic Services?

Doctor Mary Ann Lopez, an animal chiropractor and graduate of the Texas says that many pet owners do not know about Animal Chiropractic. She states that when people find out her occupation, they are either stunned and consider it a joke or they mention that their own pet has benefited from chiropractic treatment.

Reason for Dog Chiropractic Visit

Only you can decide if a chiropractic adjustment is right for your pet. In my case, I decided to give it a try for my collie, Brodie. He has always been lanky with protruding hip bones and a slight curve to his spine. I've been taking Brodie to agility classes for almost two years and in that time, he has never felt comfortable on any of the contact obstacles, the A-frame, dog walk, or teeter. Even the rest table was a problem for him.

I recently switched agility schools and right away the agility instructor suggested that Brodie might benefit from seeing a dog chiropractor. I must say that I was skeptical but after two years of trying to get Brodie to walk over the A-frame, I decided to give it a try.

Dog Chiropractic Adjustments

The first visit to the canine chiropractor lasted about 15 minutes. The chiropractor examined Brodie's hips, spine, gait, shoulders, and head. She determined that his hips were twisted. Brodie is only three years old and I never noticed his hips looking twisted and the veterinarian never mentioned it.

The chiropractor used a painless activator chiropractic adjustment tool on Brodie's hips and hindquarters. My dog showed no anxiety or pain whatsoever. The chiropractor felt his hips again and told me that they were now even. She said that Brodie should go home and sleep because the brain remembers the adjustment during deep sleep and his hips should remain even after that.

Before leaving the canine chiropractor, she suggested that Brodie should have one more adjustment with the next two weeks. During the second adjustment, he would stand on an incline and have his hips adjusted again.

As I drove home from the chiropractor's office, I wondered if the 15 minute adjustment actually did anything to Brodie's hips. I was skeptical. Two days later, Brodie had an agility class and once again, we approached the dreaded A-frame. I really didn't think that he would go over but he actually put all four legs onto the surface of the A-frame. He was still leery about going over and I believed it was just a coincidence that he climbed up on the A-frame at all.

Results of Canine Chiropractic Services

I brought my dog for his second chiropractic visit and his hips were adjusted while his front paws were on a step stool. Since Brodie's second adjustment, he has mastered going over the agility A-frame, dog walk, and teeter totter. I am amazed that after two short chiropractic visits, my dog can run an entire agility course without discomfort. Before the dog chiropractor helped Brodie, he suffered through two years of discomfort while I thought he was just afraid to climb over the agility contact obstacles.

Cost of Canine Chiropractic Visits

The chiropractor told me that my dog should be fine now and he doesn't need to go back for another visit unless he has problems. Each adjustment was only $40, even less than a veterinarian office visit. The total of $80 was well worth the money as I watch Brodie fly over the dog walk.

If your dog is displaying any discomfort or fear of jumping, climbing into a vehicle, or going up and down stairs, a dog chiropractor might be what you're looking for. Many trained chiropractors have human patients during the work day and take canine patients during nights and weekends.

Resources:

Personal Experience

Texas Chiropractic College: TCC Alumna Treats Our Four-Legged Friends

American Veterinary Chiropractic Association