Treatment Options
I offer several chiropractic treatment options for dogs and horses. After my equine chiropractic evaluation, if your dog or horse is a candidate for chiropractic care, I will provide recommendations from these options and explain my reasons for these recommendations.
ANIMAL CHIROPRACTIC
Misalignments of the spinal column and extremity joints can result in nervous system or mechanical dysfunction. These dysfunctions may manifest themselves in a number of symptoms as described in the "What We Treat" sections of this website under Equine and Canine.
Chiropractic care is a drug-free approach to health care. It deals with the nervous system housed in the spinal column - and with keeping the nerve systems health for the benefit of the entire horse or dog. Chiropractic care for your equine or canine can also optimize performance through optimal skeletal biomechanics.
Animal chiropractic care includes management advice as to what is needed to insure proper response to chiropractic care, including rehabilitation and therapeutic stretches and exercises.
Evaluation
I begin by obtaining a case history consisting of information from the owner, prior veterinary X-rays or laboratory analysis and previous diagnoses and therapies if available and applicable.
A thorough chiropractic evaluation also includes an examination of the animal prior to an adjustment. This examination may include: posture, gait and apparent short leg analysis, vertebral and extremity static and motion palpation, vertebral and extremity motion palpation, bone and nerve system evaluation, and review of any available X-rays.
Impressions
Information from the case history and the examination are combined to determine if chiropractic treatment is needed, and the proper chiropractic treatment that the dog or horse may require.
Treatment
A chiropractic adjustment involves a high velocity controlled thrust by hand or instrument that is directed at specific articulations to correct or reduce misalignments and aberrant biomechanical and nerve function. I offer chiropractic treatment options for horses and canines. After my chiropractic evaluation, if your dog horse is found to be a candidate for chiropractic care, then I will provide my treatment recommendations with an explanation regarding the treatment option or combination of options I believe to be best suited for your dog or horse.
Referral
Animal Chiropractic does not dispense medication, perform surgery, inject medications or attempt to replace necessary traditional veterinary care. underlying pathology should be ruled out prior to an animal chiropractic evaluation. A referral from your veterinarian will be required.
Follow-up
The reduction of subluxation (misalignment causing nerve irritation and functional aberration) is a healing process. After the initial adjustment improvement of the dog or horse's performance may be noticed immediately. Follow-up adjustments may be required periodically to advance the healing process. As improvement is noted, follow-up adjustment time intervals can be lengthened. Depending on what your dog or horse does for a living, chiropractic maintenance care may be recommended from one time a month to one time every six months or longer as needed to help maintain spinal biomechanical soundness.
Results
Results vary depending upon: the extent of the extent of injury, the length of the time between initial injury and treatment, the age and overall constitution of the dog or horse, etc. However, the normal response to chiropractic care of a true chiropractic condition can range from improvement immediately to improvement within several days of care.