# Successful canine chiropractor experiences?



## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

My Lab had his first (and not last) appointment last night with a chiropractor last night. I have to say that I wasn't always convinced about them (thought there was some kind of hoo-doo involved to be honest) but I was pretty happy with the session. I was very pleased with how she handled the dog and it was refreshing to speak to a canine health professional that understood demands, training, and exercises in Schutzhund.

He'd been having some issues over the past week with biting. We concluded that we just can't put the sleeve in his mouth (versus him coming all the way to it) because that was causing the loud whines during the bite and it was somehow hurting him (though he never ever came off or avoided the sleeve). Saturday just seemed a bit off and his grips kinda sucked but not enough to end the session. Yesterday he was whining when he hit the sleeve and then he was whining just holding it . We were taking it pretty easy and he accidentally got a somewhat sharp tug about 20 feet down a long line (that's what happens when your dog changes directions last second...grr) and that made him yelp pretty bad so we were sure at that point it was definitely something in his neck. Stopped the session there and called to make an appointment that night with a chiropractor that a few other people in the club use. At that point I was freaking out about some nasty thing wrong with his spine/neck and certainly considering an early retirement.

Walked in the door and before she even said hi she said that his feet being slightly turned out in front, indicating front half problems. Honestly crooked feet is a huge peeve of mine, they were getting that way only the past 2-3 years. Told her the issues we were having and she did her thing. Stuff out of line with his jaw and at the base of his neck and a lack of muscle tone around the shoulders as compared to his rear. She gave me some PT exercises to do with him and no playing tug with him (but keep up with slightly modified bitework). She said that the stuff that was wrong was pretty bad but can be fixed within a few weeks. We're seeing her again on Thursday. I haven't noticed any difference in his behavior since last night, but we're going to training later today so we'll see there. If for some reason his biting is still causing him problems after this we'll be getting xrays...one day at a time.

Has anyone else had issues like these or been to dog chiropractors for other issues? Were they resolved? Do you notice differences in your dogs behavior/playing? I'm still not 100% that this is going to work, but if nothing else it wasn't an awful experience for myself or the dog.


----------



## Laura Bollschweiler (Apr 25, 2008)

Yes, I have had great experiences with chiropractors for my dogs. FWIW, my chiropractor doesn't like me to work the dog so soon after an adjustment, especially one where things are majorly out of whack. Just something to think about.

The reason I take my dogs to a chiropractor is because of my mutt I used to have. He kept scratching at his ear to the point it was bloody. It looked like he was holding it funny, too. Vet flushed it and looked and said no problems. He kept scratching and a friend saw him, said he's holding his whole head funny, and advised to take him to chiro. So I did. She pushed under his skull in the back (occiput?) and he screamed. She adjusted, tried it again. He screamed. She adjusted, tried it again. No scream, and no more scratching at his ear. My friend's guess was right: His neck was bugging him and he didn't know what else to do but scratch at it. From then on, if he started scratching at his ear, I'd take him for an adjustment and all would be fine.

Another story. A friend has a kinda drivey GSD. He ran through a ditch and screamed but continued working even though he was limping. The next day, his whole back was twitching when you touched it. Soo..she finally took him for the first time to the chiro. This crazy GSD at first didn't want to be touched but ended up almost falling asleep on his feet during the adjustment. He slept all the way home, without even barking at the normal spots. He was zonked.

I'm sure some people poo-poo chiropractic for animals, and people too. I kinda don't care. I see how it makes my dog feel after the adjustment, and I know that I'm doing what I can to help him. It's not much money, and I make my appointments at the same time.  

Good luck with your dog!

Laura


----------



## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Wow, talk about a topical topic! I'm taking my dog to Laura's chiro lady doc on Thursday.


----------



## Dana McMahan (Apr 5, 2006)

My dog had a shoulder injury about 2 years ago. We had no explaination because he wasn't limping but he'd scream and come off bites for no apparent reason holding up his leg. The xrays showed there MAY be a bone chip but they wanted to do an expensive exploratory surgery ($5K) .... and the ortho specialist I took him to was a whack job who said the dog had pano and needed 2 years worth of pain meds. 

I went to do Chiropractic work with him 1-2 times a week and the issues resolved themselves within a month or so. Whereas the ortho specialist couldn't even tell me what leg the dog was limping on (he had no visible limp so the guy told me it was a back leg when it was really his shoulder) ... she flexed him out and pinpointed the exact issue on the first consulation. 

I would definitely go back to try Chiropractic work again, especially when the alternative is surgery.


----------



## Martine Loots (Dec 28, 2009)

Jackie Lockard said:


> I haven't noticed any difference in his behavior since last night,* but we're going to training later today so we'll see there.* If for some reason his biting is still causing him problems after this we'll be getting xrays...one day at a time.
> 
> Has anyone else had issues like these or been to dog chiropractors for other issues? Were they resolved? Do you notice differences in your dogs behavior/playing? I'm still not 100% that this is going to work, but if nothing else it wasn't an awful experience for myself or the dog.


You shouldn't do that!! After a chiropractor treatment, a dog should rest for 2 days before starting training again. He shouldn't play fetch or run with other dogs either.

Over here almost every competition dog is treated by a chiropractor. It gives very good results.
I have all my dogs checked on a monthly basis even if they don't have any issues. 
The chiropractor can feel an upcoming injury long before a dog shows pain.

One of my dogs tore his knee ligaments and several orthopedic surgeons said the only option was surgery but then I would have had to retire him. He wasn't even 3yrs old.
The chiropractor treated him without surgery and he recovered completely and had a good sports career.
Know lots of cases where he saved careers of good sport dogs.


----------



## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

I've been using a Chiropractor for the dogs for almost 15 years. Even had a few who did acupuncture on the dogs, although I was never sure if I saw any results from that. But I can definitely tell the difference after an adjustment with the dogs. Just in how they move, how deeply they stretch when they get up, etc. And sometimes like Martine mentioned, the chiropractor finds things before I even notice a difference with the dog. Considering the pain threshold of many dogs, and their drive levels, is it any wonder they will still work when they are having back, neck, shoulder, whatever pain that would put some of us in bed? But can they really work at 100% at that point? I don't think so. IMO not only does it help with their working career, but it also keeps them healthier over all, not just while they are working but into retirement. It's not going to be a magic cure all that prevents a dog from ever having arthritis or other ailments that are caused by the work they do, but it can sure help lessen the severity of it.


----------



## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

Do they give the dogs happy endings?


----------



## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

i hve no first hand experience with this, but my sister takes her labs once/mo to one of the land-grant university's for chiro treatment; the dogs get (i think) free treatment and the students get hands-on experience. 

she's been doing this for 4-5 years and believe me-if she didn't see a benefit for the dogs, they wouldn't still be going.


----------



## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

I have no experience with chiropractors or any resting time...she just told me to keep working him, gave me the PT exercises and said nothing about resting for a few days.:| I'll ask on Thursday. We did take it pretty easy today.

Call me a believer. I think today was probably the first day that he's ever bitten without pain. Every single bite was fantastic. No whining, no crying, nothing but great bites and a happy dog. I have no doubt that had I taken him sooner things wouldn't have gotten to the point of screaming on the sleeve and whining just from biting. I feel pretty horrible with how much pain he must have been in, not that it ever stopped him.


----------



## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

JMO but this is pretty retarted to read. Ah, maybe you being the human that is supposed to be a bit smarter in a few ways than the dog should have stopped the bite work if you thought the dog was hurting? And bragging that the pain never stopped him just adds to the retart factor. I believe you’re a believer. Again just my opinion.


----------



## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

Chris McDonald said:


> JMO but this is pretty retarted to read. Ah, maybe you being the human that is supposed to be a bit smarter in a few ways than the dog should have stopped the bite work if you thought the dog was hurting? And bragging that the pain never stopped him just adds to the retart factor. I believe you’re a believer. Again just my opinion.



And apparently you didn't read the OP. JMO :-({|=


----------



## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

There's a post in the vid section just a few weeks ago. Let me know if you see some sign of pain that no other trainer, helper, or onlooker has ever noticed.


----------



## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

No I read it and though you pushed the dog even when you thought it was hurting for at least a few sessions. Then I thought the post of you bragging about the dog not stopping even with all the pain he was in just confirmed it. Tell yourself whatever you want to make yourself feel better.


----------



## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

Jackie Lockard said:


> He'd been having some issues over the past week with biting. *We concluded that we just can't put the sleeve in his mouth* (versus him coming all the way to it) *because that was causing the loud whines during the bite* and it was somehow hurting him (though he never ever came off or avoided the sleeve). Saturdayjust* seemed a bit off* and his grips kinda sucked but not enough to end the session. Yesterday he was whining when he hit the sleeve and then he was whining just holding it . *We were taking it pretty easy* and he accidentally got a somewhat sharp tug about 20 feet down a long line (that's what happens when your dog changes directions last second...grr) and that made him *yelp pretty bad* so we were sure at that point it was definitely something in his neck. *Stopped the session* *there *and* called to make an appointment* that night with a chiropractor that a few other people in the club use. At that point I was freaking out about some nasty thing wrong with his spine/neck and certainly considering an early retirement.


Whatever makes yourself feel like a bad ass. 

"a bit off" =/= severe pain


----------



## Anne Jones (Mar 27, 2006)

My dogs are 'adjusted' regularly. 

If not for my chiro/acupuncture vets thru the years, my dogs & horse would never had been able to perform to their maximum level.

My female had a bad back injury a couple of years ago. Without my chiro vet, she would never had been able to be alive now, nevermind do ANY work again. She was in constant pain that was exacerbated by any twising or turning of her spine. She would move the 'wrong' way & scream in pain. It was awful to see. Because of the chrio care, she is a happy, crazy drive, lovein' life girl.

I will say that I would be very careful about using a chiro/acupucture practioner that is NOT a VET!!! My original chiro/acupuncture vet (Dr. Allen Schoen) who worked many years on my competition horse, & who was a pioneer in the field in this country & had trained many of the practioners in the states....would never consider training someone that was not already a vet. It is important that they know all the health aspects of the animal that they are treating, not just those pertaining to chiro & acupuncture merridians.


----------



## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

I've had a great experience with one in Arthur, IL. Had a dog paralyzed with a disc injury. Regular vet said buy a cart. I swam him in the bathtub every morning [corgi] and did massage and range of motion stuff. He improved but still wasn't quite right. Took him to UMC to the neuro who said nothing was wrong with him. Drove him to the vet chiro who watched him move and saw what I was seeing. She did an adjustment and a couple of acupuncture treatments. I gradually returned him to herding within 6 months and he never reinjured or showed any issues again. I'd highly recommend a good one. Once I'm in training full swing I try to do some of the Chris Zink warm up/cool down.

Terrasita


----------



## Jennifer Michelson (Sep 20, 2006)

I am a true convert to chiropractic. Grew up believing it was mumbo jumbo. Also grew up with chronic headaches (also rode horse a lot and got dumped occasionally). Finally in my 20's I tried a chiropractor as a last resort (what do I have to lose???). I walked in, he looked at me and said "of course you have headaches, your neck is curved the wrong way". It took about a year of regular visits, but the headaches pretty much stopped.

Found a different chiropractor who I still use (almost 17 yrs now), who adjusts every bone in the body, separates muscle lumps, pokes pressure points and is very holistic. I BELIEVE!!! I go to him when something is wrong before I go to the doctor (he is $25.00) and if he cant fix it, i go to the doctor.

He also does animals and I have learned to do the same for them as me. If they are off, they go to him, if he cant fix it, I will go to the vet. But he has not failed me yet. He can always tell me what he thinks is going on with the dog and if he thinks it warrants more than an adjustment. It rarely does. The dogs get adjusted every other month or more if needed.
I dont rest them for 2 days, but they get no work or exercise for the rest of the day after they are adjusted. 

When I still had a horse, I was not getting the length of stride and topline muscling I thought he should have. I tried a chiropractor and he said the horse's sacrum was 'popped up' and fixed it and gave me some exercises to get those muscles working again--made a big difference in the horse.


----------



## Kellie Wolverton (Jan 16, 2009)

"Found a different chiropractor who I still use (almost 17 yrs now), who adjusts every bone in the body, separates muscle lumps, pokes pressure point"

That dual approach really is the key.

Muscles move bones. If muscles get in a "knot" or traumatized and pull the bone "out", putting the bone back...just puts the bone back. The muscle still has an issue and will , more than likely, pull the bone back "out".

I have worked on many people (massage) who crack and pop once those muscles loosen up.:razz:

Kellie


----------



## Martine Loots (Dec 28, 2009)

Kellie Wolverton said:


> "Found a different chiropractor, who adjusts every bone in the body, separates muscle lumps, pokes pressure point"
> 
> That dual approach really is the key.
> 
> ...


That's the way my chiropractor works too and he combines this with homeopatic treatment.
He is my regular vet too.

I take the dogs there every month and he always checks the retired ones too


----------



## chad paquin (Apr 16, 2010)

My vet also does chiro/acu. You get a once over at the yearly visit. When i leave she was out for the ride home and had more energy. It wasnt a full adj. but whith the things we ask ower dogs to do I think we owe it to them. Jmo.
Wish more people did it. I think working dogs could live a better life over all.
I am in MA.


----------



## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

From this I plan on getting all my dogs looked at, especially the workers, and this dog will stay on routine visits. He's probably been in pain every day for years and no one had a clue. I hate that. Wish they'd just tell you when something didn't feel good.

A couple people I train with see her about once a month and I'll probably adopt that schedule.


----------



## Sue DiCero (Sep 2, 2006)

We have an excellent one in the Nashville area that is the only certified on in the area and one that people that work there dogs go to. He works on the working dogs and knows the various sports and k9 work. 

Check for the certified ones – there are a lot of chiros out there.

Here is the link:

http://www.avcadoctors.com/search_for_avca_certified_doctor.htm

Mark always recommends days off from working the dog after an adjustment.


----------



## Laura Bollschweiler (Apr 25, 2008)

Anne Jones said:


> I will say that I would be very careful about using a chiro/acupucture practioner that is NOT a VET!!! My original chiro/acupuncture vet (Dr. Allen Schoen) who worked many years on my competition horse, & who was a pioneer in the field in this country & had trained many of the practioners in the states....would never consider training someone that was not already a vet. It is important that they know all the health aspects of the animal that they are treating, not just those pertaining to chiro & acupuncture merridians.


There are exceptions to every rule. Before I started going to the current chiro, I went to a vet who went through the animal chiropractic training. She was good and I liked her. Then I found this current one, or maybe she just got licensed. She was a chiropractor and then went through the animal course. She is not a vet. She is a horse person. She has a MUCH better feel for the bones and stuff than the other one. Hard to explain.

I used to have a book (lent it out and never got it back) called "The Well-Adjusted Dog." It was kind of about how to adjust your own dog. Not that I would ever do that, but I wanted a more in-depth explanation of what the chiros were doing. It was a great book for that! I'm sorry I lost it. One of the little exercises that the book recommended was to put a hair on a table and put a piece of paper over it. With your fingers, try to find the hair. That's the heightened sense of touch you want as a chiro. My current one has it. The vet one didn't but knew the motions to do.

Laura


----------



## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

Laura Bollschweiler said:


> One of the little exercises that the book recommended was to put a hair on a table and put a piece of paper over it. With your fingers, try to find the hair. That's the heightened sense of touch you want as a chiro. My current one has it. The vet one didn't but knew the motions to do.


I don't think this woman was a vet but she came very well recommended and she definitely knew what she was doing. It was crazy watching her work. She gave me a handful of liver treats to let him work out of my hand while she was going over him, so the dog was essentially standing still but his head was moving around a ton. I have no idea how she could feel what she was doing but it looked like she was efficiently seeking out certain parts of the neck and getting things done. Really made me curious, I'll have to get a copy of that book. I want to know more about exactly what they're doing and what was hurting him.


----------



## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Is this the book....???? if it is it is $6.09 with free shipping on ebay...let me know if it is so I can buy it...


----------



## Laura Bollschweiler (Apr 25, 2008)

No, that's not the book. It's on amazon. It's by dr Daniel kamen and it's called "The Well Adjusted Dog: canine chiropractic methods you can do". I'd put a link in but I don't know how to do that with my phone. 

But I do know how to buy stuff so I think I'll get a replacement book!

Laura


----------



## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

didn't think so by the description....thanks for the info...

amazon is sometimes as funny as ebay.....one guy has that book for sale for $521.50 and even adds $3.50 shipping...another for $555.96 plus $3.99

maybe that is YOUR book..LOL....


----------



## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Th...e/9781571290304/?itm=1&USRI=well+adjusted+dog


----------



## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

ordered it...thanks should be a good read... if I post a video of my dog in couple of weeks and she looks all jacked up, you will know why...


----------

