Signs your pet may benefit from chiropractic treatment

Information taken from “Chiropractic Care For Your Dog”, a brochure published by the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA).

Written by: Michele Eckermann, DVM

In small animals, there are numerous symptoms of subluxation of the spinal vertebra. The obvious and most common signs include pain, lameness, posture changes, and performance issues. Symptoms can continue to change as the body compensates for the subluxation and more structures become involved.

The following is a list of symptoms that may indicate pain and dysfunction caused by a subluxation:

• Changes in performance

• Abnormal posture such as low head carriage or hunched back

• Reluctance to move, climb stairs, jump on or off of furniture, and get up or lay down

• Pain response to being picked up or when performing specific movements

• Sensitivity to touch

• Changes in behavior

• Undefined or vague lameness, ambling or slow gait, and uneven wearing down of nails

• Side-sitting or refusal to sit

• Dribbling urine or dropping feces

• Recurrent ear or anal gland infections

• Digestive issues including sporadic appetite, frequent vomiting, intermittent diarrhea or constipation, gas/bloating, abdominal discomfort

• Slow or incomplete recovery from injury or illness

The goal of regular wellness chiropractics in not only to reduce or relieve pain, but to avoid compensatory changes to the body that can lead to injuries such as tendon and ligament tears, intervertebral disc ruptures, muscle atrophy and osteoarthritis. Regular activity along with a healthy diet and preventive care is key to a long, happy life. So, let’s insure that our pets are able to continue to move and play as pain free as possible!