Veterinary Chiropractic is the science, art and philosophy concerned with good health through restoration and maintenance of a properly functioning neuromusculoskeletal system, without the use of drugs or surgery.

Chiropractic care is a manual therapy, which can be used for many health and performance problems. It focuses on the biomechanical dysfunction of the spine and its effect on the entire nervous system throughout the body.

Veterinary Chiropractic treatment does not replace traditional veterinary medicine; however, it can provide additional means of diagnosis and treatment options for spinal problems as well as biomechanical related musculoskeletal disorders. Veterinary Chiropractic can often eliminate the source of acute or chronic pain syndromes.

Consider your dog’s recent performance and demeanor:

• Has your dog’s behaviour or performance changed recently?
• Does unusual or fluctuating lameness exist?
• Is the dog reluctant to move?
• Has the handler or trainer noticed changes in motivation of the dog?
• Does the dog drag its feet or are the nails worn down on one side?

• Unlevelled gait rhythm
• Irregularity of gait which cannot be assigned to a particular leg or gait
• Stiffness after sleeping
• Stiffness when bending and in its general posture
• Muscular atrophy
• Lick granuloma
• Sciatica neuralgia
• Undefined lameness. This can be caused by VSCs in the joints of limbs or the spine.
• Shortened stride in one or more legs
• Overall decreased range of motion in gait
• Recurrent anal gland infections
• Recurrent ear infections
• This can be exacerbated by VSCs in the lumbar vertebrae.
• Hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity
• The back does not swing

• Reluctance to move
• Abnormal posture
• Disability to climb stairs or jump onto raised areas
• Limited performance
• Signs of pain when performing certain movements or being lifted
• The animal only lies on one side
• Disobedience when jumping
• Altered sitting position (so-called “puppy sitting”)
• Changes in behavior
• Frightened or painful facial expression
• Sensitivity to touch

This question must be answered on an individual basis for each patient. In most cases, a single treatment is not enough to eliminate the problem.

Joint stability and alignment are affected depending on posture/age/activities and over all conditioning. Chronic problems usually take longer to resolve requiring more chiropractic treatment, whereas animals with acute problems often respond more quickly. Veterinary Chiropractic is not a quick fix, but a management plan to ensure that the joints/vertebra do not revert back to their previously misaligned state.

Your dog will be assessed with an initial consultation, which consists of an intake, chiropractic examination and adjustment.

The follow-up appointment should occur within 10-14 days. This will give me a better idea of how well your animal holds their adjustments, how effective the treatment was for them, and the best recommendation for care.

Care packages: Maintenance/Supportive/Performance

Most care plans start with more frequent visits and move towards less frequent visits as the animal is able to hold its alignment better.