Has your pet had a spill on the ice? Are they having difficulty moving or getting up after sitting/laying down for a while? Do they seem “off”? Are they not grooming themselves regularly or seem to be in pain?
Then you may want to consider looking for an animal chiropractor.

While many people believe that animal chiropractic care is a relatively new field, it has actually been around since the 1900’s. Chiropractic is primarily concerned with the biomechanics and neuromuscular function of the spine. Basically, the spine houses and protects the spinal cord which is responsible for sending signals to all the neural pathways. When it is injured or damaged, the signals have a greater difficulty being transmitted, resulting in the body showing signs of weakness in many areas.

Like us, your pets can benefit from chiropractic care. When your pet’s joints are misaligned, this causes pressure on the nerves that surround them. Careful manipulation of the joints both manually or with an instrument releases the pressure and resolves many problems.

So, what will you expect at a chiropractic appointment. The doctor will listen and ask questions as well as look at or take x-rays and do a physical examination (stance, gait, and measure pain and muscle weakness). They will then design a program of adjustments for your pet.

In general, your pet will not experience any pain from the adjustments but may be uncomfortable as the body reacts to being put back into alignment. Your pet may be quite lethargic after a treatment and then find a new level of energy within 24-48 hours. The number of adjustments will depend on how long the issues have been going on, but usually you will see an improvement in gait and pain with the first treatment.

Do your research and talk to your vet about finding an animal chiropractor in your area. I’ve personally seen how effective an animal chiropractor can be and my clients were amazed how quickly their pets recovered.

About the Author

Corry Hamilton is the owner of Taking The Lead (www.takingthelead.ca) — a pet care business that focuses on pet nutrition and well-being. Like many entrepreneurs, her journey towards creating a business of her own wasn't a straight path, but she believes that no matter what life throws at you, you can always pick yourself up and move on. You never know where it may take you and make all your dreams come true. You can check out what Corry is up to on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TakingTheLead.CorryHamilton and Twitter: https://twitter.com/TakingTheLead07