Maralynn Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Any experience with chiropractic care for dogs? Any educated opinions on it? I hear people talk about it as a matter of course for some athletic sport/work dogs and I've started wondering if there is something to it that is worth looking into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Chiropractic for humans has been proven to have many benefits. I'd be pretty non-functional if it weren't for regular chiropractic adjustments. I don't see why it would be any less reasonable for dogs. Conversely, it's not a miracle cure and there are some chiropractic claims that are pretty out there. Standard manipulation is pretty well documented, though. As for first hand experience with dog, back before chiropractic was endorsed by the AMA and there were few animal chiropractors, my chiropractor adjusted one of my dogs who had some back problems. I could see remarkable differences after he'd been adjusted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Absolutely!! Speedy went to a chiropractor about 4 times a year for the last 4 - 5 years of his life. Kept him comfortable and mobile. Now Dean goes. She not only does chiropractic, but she also does laser. I highly recommend it, but I would definitely recommend finding one who has excellent references by satisfied clients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfisher7151 Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 I haven't done it on our dogs (though I want to!!), but it has made MAJOR differences with a couple of our horses. My cowhorse had it done just last week. He got his hocks injected the day before, but almost immediately he had a completely different gait. Lots of swing in his hind end. I have no doubt that it would work on dogs too. I think Keeper could probably use a chiro. Too bad they're super expensive in my area. It costs more for dogs that it does for the horse! I was talking with a local equine sports medicine vet who also does acupuncture for sport dogs. She opted out of getting certified for chiro since she had so many people who wanted to do chiro to treat the symptoms rather than fixing the underlying problem. So it's probably worth noting that chiro shouldn't be used as a coverup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 I have some stories too (personal and from friends) the indicate the effectiveness of chiro for dogs. I won't go into them here because I think the above responses substantiate the value of chiro. So - yes, chiro can be great for dogs when used appropriately and done by an experienced practitioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cass C Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 It's funny my grandma was just telling me how she took her cockapoo rescue to the chiropractor when it hurt its back and refused to jump into anything. Almost instantly after being adjusted. the dog was back to its old happy self. It wasn't a vet chiropractor, but my grandma's usual one that occasionally adjusts dogs. He apparently has his own border collies he adjusts when they get stiff. The dog had been to the vet and my grandma was told they would just have to wait it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 I will also echo that an accomplished animal chiropractor with good recommendations can really make a difference. My old Jesse dog had back issues as he aged, but going to a chiro periodically definitely helped his quality of life. The first time I brought him to her, he'd tweaked his back going after a sheep and I'd seen that he was uncomfortable. When I brought him to the lady, he couldn't even get into the car unaided. When he left, he leaped in like a youngster. Plus the same gal was helpful to my Nick, when he hurt his back about 3 years years ago. Acupuncture and gentle manipulation of his lower back played a big part in his healing and recovery.And chiropractors have darned sure have been a godsend for me! ~ Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 I have found chiropractic to be extremely helpful for my dogs and myself over the years. Two of the vets have also done acupuncture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSnappy Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 I took Dexter to a chiropractor for the first time just before Regionals last year as he had a slight limp that concerned me. The chiro adjusted his back and shoulder and the limp simply disappeared ... and did not come back, even after competing a couple of days later. I don't know that I'd spend the money to take my dogs in all the time or anything, nor do I think it's necessary much of the time, but it certainly made a difference for him that time! I might bring my 15 year old in for his birthday RDM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emilyfalk Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 This is a timely discussion: I'm re- researching getting chiro trained Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted April 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Thanks for all the replies Kenzi is acting a bit more stiff than I think she should be at 6 y/o. Nothing I can put my finger on (and she doesn't appear to be in pain) except she hesitates jumping into the car sometimes and her gait seems stiff at times. So I'm going to bring it up at her annual check up in the next couple weeks. And if she checks out okay then I've been thinking about looking into a chiropractic appointment for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 That sounds like arthritis to me, and if it is, she's probably in more pain that you realize. It's obviously not the only thing that it can be, but definitely something to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted April 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 I've considered the possibility of arthritis since dogs do hide pain so much. But otherwise she's shown absolutely nothing that would indicate pain besides the above mentioned. She initiates play with Kolt, she freely does all sorts of climbing/jumping on all sorts of stuff in the woods and around the farm. She plays Frisbee (only a couple short times a week since Kolt is only a year old)with no apparent soreness afterwards. And her demeanor is overall very happy. So since it's been sporadic and there wasn't much else I could point a finger too, I've been monitoring her for the last month or so see if there are any patterns or specifics so I know what exactly I want to bring up/point to during her appointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncsugrad54 Posted April 23, 2015 Report Share Posted April 23, 2015 I have always wondered if my dog needs to see a chiropractor. I got her when she was almost 3. She is almost 5 now. Thoughts? I feel like she walks weird she greets mewow it was really hard to get the video small enough size to upload...anyways..here it is IMG_6132.mov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted April 24, 2015 Report Share Posted April 24, 2015 I have always wondered if my dog needs to see a chiropractor. I got her when she was almost 3. She is almost 5 now. Thoughts? I feel like she walks weird she greets me wow it was really hard to get the video small enough size to upload...anyways..here it is Hmm, not sure what you see? She's wagging a lot and her posture is rather submissive, (butt slightly tucked, tail low) but nothing jumps out at me. What do you see as a bit odd? A good dog chiropractor would be able to tell you for sure if anything looks or feels "off," though. ~ Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncsugrad54 Posted April 24, 2015 Report Share Posted April 24, 2015 I just feel like her butt wiggles weird. Very different than my Aussie mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncsugrad54 Posted April 24, 2015 Report Share Posted April 24, 2015 I know her front arm "pops" sometimes. Maybe that's normal tho? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted June 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Figured that I should update this. Kenzi has had her first adjustment and it sure seems to have made a difference. She quickly jumped in the car afterwards. And that night instead climbing the stairs when it was time to head to bed she trotted up them. The adjustment was done by a vet who is also trained in chiro work and he felt that the spots where she was out could very well account for her symptoms. Also that from what he saw/felt and what I described that it didn't seem to be arthritis. We have a recheck in about a week. And will decide then if anything needs to be further investigated. But from what I'm seeing it look like that could be it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Great news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 What a nice update. I sure notice a difference in my dogs when something out of whack gets put back in place. Pretty great to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Excellent news! I had immediate results the first time I took my old dog, Jesse, in for an adjustment. I'm glad you're seeing improvement! Thanks for letting us know how it went. ~ Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaBluez Tess Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 mine not only adjust my dogs but gives me stretching exercises as well....Nan had a bad lame front leg...chiro made me fill her leg was out of the socket, then adjust and no more lameness. Had me massage her and do stretches for her. In addition, I have the get massages, acupuncture and cold laser treatment. It helps a lot and Nan at 12.5 yrs old acts and runs like a puppy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncsugrad54 Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 ^Awesome news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted February 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2016 Thought that I'd update again. After a recheck last summer, everything was still in place so I figured that we were good with that. She was fine all fall. Then in January she was stiff again. Diagnosed with a soft tissue injury in her back, had rest and anti inflammatory meds. She was about 75% better after that (attitude was great, but she was still hesitant to climb the stairs) so I scheduled another chiro visit. That happened yesterday. The vet adjusted a spot in her back that was out (in a different area than the soft tissue injury) and she's back to normal today. Amazing what a difference it makes for her when she needs it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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