Chiropractic Care for Pets
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY PET WILL BENEFIT FROM CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
In that the goal of chiropractic care is to optimize health, all animals can benefit from chiropractic care as part of their general preventive health maintenance.
There are, however, various symptoms of a dysfunction or loss of mobility of adjoining vertebrae that may be helped by chiropractic care. If your pet shows a reluctance to move, climb the stairs, or jump onto raised areas, chiropractic adjustment may help. Acute neck or back pain, limited performance, signs of pain when performing certain movements or when being lifted may also be an indication of a spinal subluxation complex. Other signs of abnormalities that may be helped by chiropractic adjustment include undefined lamenesses, ambling or slow gait, unevenly worn nails, hypersensitivity to touch, altered sitting position (puppy-sitting), animal lies only on one side, recurrent ear or anal gland infections, and recurrent digestive trouble. Some vertebral abnormalities cause only slight impairments, and others cause noticeable deficits in the performance and mobility of an animal. An animal with a decrease in vertebral mobility will change its posture to compensate for the restricted mobility of its spine and to avoid pain. This can trigger increased mechanical strain on other parts of the spine and extremity joints, causing secondary restrictions and detioration of the condition.
WHAT CAN CHIROPRACTIC CARE TREAT IN SMALL ANIMALS?
• Hip Dysplasia
• Elbow Dysplasia
• Back Pain
• Arthritis
• Neck Pain
• Lick granulomas 
• Persistent anal gland disease
• Incontinence
• Hind end weakness
• Recurring ear infections
• Vomiting/diarrhea
WHAT CAN CAUSE DAMAGE
TO THE SPINE OF A DOG?
• Trauma
• Agility training and competition
• Frisbee
• Flyball
• Herding
• Coursing
• Schutzhund Training
• Normal dog rough-housing
HOW OFTEN WILL MY PET NEED TO BE ADJUSTED?
Most animals will show visible improvement after one to four treatments, usually performed at 2-4 week intervals. Problems that are acute will frequently respond quickly to treatment, while those that are more chronic usually require more extensive treatments. Patients with chronic conditions such as hip dysplasia or spondylitis in which restricted joint movement appears as a result of the disease usually respond well to a consistent schedule of supportive treatments at 1-4 month intervals. The most appropriate schedule for your pet will be determined after Dr. Johnson has evaluated your animal and consulted with your regular veterinarian.
Chiropractic Care for Horses