Chiropractic Care for Dog

I happen to be a veterinarian that covers emergencies for a referral-based neurology specialty practice in SE Michigan. If your dog has not been seen by a board-certified veterinary neurologist, I would strongly recommend it. This type of problem is quite common and we have general-practice vets that refer pets to us from all over to be seen by one of the neurologists and help diagnose what the problem is exactly and the best way to treat it. We have an MRI scanner that is essentially in getting a detailed picture of the spine, vertebrae and discs. Depending on the case, some pets are treated with medication and some have surgery. We also have physical therapy/rehab services, both for our patients and for referrals from other practices. Not everyone wants to get that aggressive treatment-wise with their pet but many people are not aware of that option either. I would discuss this with your regular veterinarian, if you haven't already.

I have read about it being done on dogs before & only read of wonderful results, but have no personal experience with it or know of anyone who has used one for thier pet. One thing that really stuck with me is how one person said that thier dog seemed to come back to life & want to play like a puppy again :) From what I've read & what you have heard so far, it seems that everything is pointing towards it being beneficial. Of course you'll never really know unless you give it a try. No matter what you decide, I wish you & your dog the best of luck!

i have never done that with my dogs, but my doberman did experience a lot of relief with accupuncture. she had a lot of urine leakage when sleeping all her life, and had a sudden bout of back pain - i think she jumped funny or did something to twist the wrong way, she was about 2 years old at the time. our regular vet did an x-ray and she had some compression b/n a couple of discs, he put her on a steroid to reduce the imflammation and some type of pain med. she did not tolerate the pain meds well at all(stomach issues), and at that point our vet referred us to a vet that practices traditional medicine as well as accupuncture. abigayle began with 3 visits per week and slowly reduced to once a month until we moved out of state. the compression occurred at the area in the spine that controls the bladder, so we killed two birds with one stone... her urine leakage decreased a good bit, and her back pain was gone completely within a couple of visits. she LOVED going to see that vet, once he got the needles in, she'd lay down and take a nap. anyways, sorry i can't answer your question, but hope that helps :) good luck!

Hi D.,
As all the others state chiropractic care does work and I take herding lessons and almost all of the people that herd with their dog get chiropractic adjustments for their dogs. It does work and the relief is wonderful for the dogs. If you would like to email me privately I would be happy to get the name of the chiropractor that they use.

With Regards,

T.
____@____.com

I used to work for a holistic vet, and she performed the Bowen therapy on several dogs. One I remember specificaally was an aging cocker spaniel who had similar problems as your dog, could barely even get his hind legs up, let alone walk on them, but he improved a lot and got to the point where he could run around.

Many greyhounds also received acupuncture. It really seemed to bring a lot of relief to them. I know the ones who were referred to the chiropractor usually did better when we saw them next, though I don't know how extensively they were treated, or for what duration.

I have not personally done so, but through the dog agility community I know many people who have done so and say their dogs run better. Most of these dogs were still very active at the time, but people said it really helped. Most of them just get the dog adjusted as needed. I can't really say much one way or the other on this.

I also worked with a vet that did acupuncture, and we did that many older dogs as well as sports dogs. That seemed to make a world of difference for many of the dogs. Many of the dogs started off weekly, and then came every other week to once a month. Some just came as needed depending on their troubles. One of the girls that worked there had an older dog that was not getting around very well and after a couple of sessions, took a headed down the stairs almost since she was running around at the top, not something she had done in years. Clients really raved about how much easier their pets were moving and that they seemed more comfortable. Watching the dogs come into the clinic you could see a difference in the dogs too and many were determined to get to the carpeted room quickly for their session.

Sometimes massage can help too or physical therapy if there is a place in your area that can get you started or give you some ideas. I use a balance ball for our dog, now 6 1/2, to help keep her muscling in her rear legs, since she does have one weak hip. Since it is bone touching, these options may not help as much.

Do you use any kind of pain med or NSAID such as rimadyl, deramaxx or plenty of other options from your vet? I'm sure you have talked to your vet already if they may help and help in conjuntion with other treatments too. Hope your older doggie has more happy years to come.

The chiropractor I work for adjusts dogs all the time! Most people come in once or twice, but for an older dog with chronic problems probably twice a month. Our doctor doesn't charge for dogs. I had my dog adjusted after he was hit by a car, it helped! And I've seen many dogs who aren't walking well start running and climbing again. I do also know people who use acupuncture for dogs too.