Have you reached a stalemate in helping your four-legged companion? You may have done everything you think you can do- perhaps using medications, supplements, diet changes and maybe even surgery, yet your pet is in discomfort. Something is not right. Have you considered chiropractic evaluation and treatment?
What about those of you that don’t want medications masking disease in your pet, but want the body to heal itself from the inside out? You should consider animal chiropractic care.
Unfortunately, there are fewer than 2,000 certified animal chiropractics in the world,”according to Dr. Heidi Bockhold, co-owner of Options 4 Animals, one of the three schools of Animal Chiropractic that provide education and certification in the field.”
Let us be more specific. Dogs do not completely mature until 18 months to 2 years of age; horses not until 5 years. In that time, the most influential preventative structural bone influences are nutrition, activity and alignment. You can work with the first two, but primarily a chiropractor can help you with the third.
Why do owners spend hundreds of dollars on vaccines, collars, soft beds, fancy foods and precious outfits, yet not get their puppies or kittens chiropractically adjusted early in life? Early adjustment directly reflects later skeletal health and immune defense.
Dr. Saria
I recommend immediate infant adjustment on all mammals, and then subsequent evaluation and adjustment on all growing animals to optimize a lifetime of health and pain free movement. It is never too late, but it is always best to start early.
The best approach is to consider chiropractic care part of normal care- just like food, water and kisses.
But what if your pet is long past the infancy stage? Can chiropractic care still help your companion? Does it have a congenital problem? If so, chiropractic care can make him or her compensate for an abnormality so much better without causing additional compensatory issues.
Fractures and dislocations are perfect for an integrated medical, surgical and chiropractic approach. Pets with hip dysplasia, cauda equina syndrom, lumbar-sacral stenosis, degenerative myelopathy, sacroiliac joint issues and healed fractures all benefit greatly from adjustments- oftentimes well after traditional veterinary care has come to an impasse in increasing quality of life.
Bone based lesions make sense, but what about organ dysfunction? Kidney and liver disease can be related to reduced blood flow to the kidneys, which may be caused by reduced neurologic and vascular flow to the organs themselves due to maladjustment. Although all cases of organ disease can not be treated with chiropractic care, many can be assisted or potentially cured with appropriate chiropractic adjustments.
How about allergies? Ear infections? Optimal nerve flow makes all the immune system work in better harmony, thus creating a healthy, more resistant creature. Even incontinence issues of leaking urine can be directly affected by nerve impingement. Cases that are on medications for urine issues can sometimes be cured by chiropractic adjustment.
Of course, no one modality is the one and only approach to all issues.
The best tool box is one that carries lots of tools, and the best veterinary approach is one that uses all the tools in the tool box. If your beloved companion is suffering from something- check and see if an animal chiropractor can help you. If you have a young pet and want it to have the best life possible, consider preventative animal chiropractic care to give your companion a life time of benefits.
Be realistic of what you and your pet can gain from animal chiropractic care. It is not a replacement for proper veterinary care. However, when done with veterinary guidance or by a chiropractor certified in animal chiropractic care, or by someone accredited by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association or the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association, I believe it has the ability to produce amazing and life changing results.
Special Acknowledgment to Dr. Heidi Bockhold and Dr. Dennis Eschbach from Options 4 Animals Chiropractic School for continuing the vision of Dr. Sharon Willoughby-Blake (Dec 1, 1946 – Nov 10, 2010)by gifting their knowledge, instruction, devotion and promotion of this special field.
“We share a vision that animal chiropractic deserves a place in the animal health care system. We will bear the burdens of the pioneer so that the path will be clearer and straighter for those that follow.”- Dr. Willoughby-Blake
