Spinal Health for Animals
You may be asking yourself why your pet or other animal would need chiropractic care. Chiropractors find fixations in joints, especially in the spine. These fixations are called subluxations – areas where a joint isn’t moving the way is should, causing an interference with the nervous system. When the nervous system doesn’t function properly, the rest of the way the body works is affected. The nervous system is the master system of the body.
Subluxations are caused by one or more of three things:
- Trauma
- Toxins
- Stress
While trauma would definitely refer to an injury such as being hit by a car or taking a bad fall, micro traumas happen all the time without notice. For example, a small dog jumping on and off of a couch can cause micro trauma that, over time, can lead to more serious problems.
Toxins can be in the form of environmental chemicals or poor nutrition. Most major dog food brands contain a large amount of corn which is not a natural part of a carnivore’s diet.
And finally, although animals don’t suffer from stress as much as humans do, situations such as over-discipline, lack of exercise, or not enough food can cause an animal to experience stress. A positive note is that the lack of stress in an animal’s life usually allows for faster healing.
Causes for Concern
Your animal may benefit from chiropractic care if he of she exhibits one or more of the following signs:
- Decrease in level of performance
- Loss of wind capacity
- Problem or difficulty executing desired movements
- Behavioral changes
- Problems eating
- Short or uneven strides, stumbling
- Muscle imbalance, spasms or atrophy
- Diagnosed conditions, such as degenerative arthritis
- Abnormal posture when standing
- Shaking the head, constant ear problems or allergies
- Injuries resulting from falls, training or other activities
- Chronic disease conditions, multiple repetitive infections or weak immune system
List Reference: William L. Ormston, DVM
Patient Login