Animals suffer with Bad Backs, too

How do I know if my Pet needs to see a Chiropractor?

Why try Chiropractic?

Chiropractic can help with a range of problems in movement, behaviour or internal organ health. Such problems can be due to small – even subtle – misalignments between neighbouring bones, which reduces the strength of limbs and skeleton. These misalignments may also cause a nerve to become pinched, resulting in pain or incorrect messages to muscles or organs.

Chiropractors are therapists trained to manipulate these bones back to their correct position, freeing nerves and relieving these problems. They are also trained to know when a medical problem is outside their expertise, and recommend you to see your vet. Chiropractors also treat human patients using very similar techniques.

When is Chiropractic helpful?

Most owners notice a change in behaviour, due to movement difficulties or in reaction to pain.

• Is your pet moving stiffly or slowly?

• Does he have trouble getting up or lying down?

• Does she tire more quickly than she used to?

• Does he have trouble turning or jumping?

• Does she yelp or whimper sometimes?

• Has he become bad tempered or aggressive?

• Is she having trouble eating or going to the toilet?

Chiropractic problems may be caused by slips or trips, collisions or other traumatic events. Other causes are more difficult to spot, but may be more serious, like repetitive asymmetrical movements such as circular exercise patterns, foot balance problems, misaligned jockeys, badly fitting tack or pulling on the lead.

How does Chiropractic work?

Assessment is a combination of watching the animal's movement, listening to the rhythm of footfalls, and then palpating the spine and other bones with fingertips. Chiropractors are trained to incredible sensitivity in palpation to detect minute rotations of bones or misplacements of joints, usually called misalignments.

Once found, they can be repositioned by the chiropractic adjustment – an accurately placed fast-but-gentle flick of fingers, or thrust by hand for larger animals. This creates a vibration that triggers a reflex which causes the ligaments to relax. The body's innate healing process then encourages these bones back into their naturally optimum alignments.

Where does this happen?

Small animals like dogs are usually seen in a clinic, but large animals like horses are better seen in their horse-yard home.

Which animals?

Horses and dogs are the most usual patients, and other mammals like cats, rabbits and guinea-pigs can be treated. Many zoo animals and farm animals can also be treated.

What can I expect in my first visit?

In more serious cases when your vet has referred you to the chiropractor, they will have discussed the problems together. The chiropractor will then check with you on the problems, and your animal's medical history. Then they will explain how chiropractic assessment and treatment works.

After assessing your pet, the chiropractor will discuss everything with you. If there is no chiropractic problem, or if they find a serious medical problem that is outside the chiropractic area, they will not treat your animal. If you feel OK about the treatment proposed, they will complete it immediately.

If there is anything you can do to help your pet recover faster or better, your therapist will suggest this to you.

Who can help my pet?

The only therapists legally allowed to treat your animal are vets, veterinary nurses, chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists. All must have suitable training for what they practice.