Chiropractic care is a holistic approach to your animal’s health and well-being. It is a hands-on form of healthcare that locates and corrects joint and spinal dysfunction that can be a source of pain, stiffness, or discomfort in your animal. Chiropractic care for your animal is based on the premise of dysafferentation, or poor communication from the brain to the body, or body to the brain. This breakdown of communication in the nervous system has far reaching negative effects in the body. Chiropractic care can aid in eliminating the source of dysfunction so your animal can live its most healthy, vibrant life!

Since animals are unable to communicate with us in a way that we can always clearly understand, it’s important to recognize the signs that they may be experiencing stress, discomfort, or pain.

How do I know when my dog needs to be adjusted?

  • Limping or altered gait
  • Stiffness on getting up
  • Inability to jump, or use stairs
  • Change in posture of the head/neck or back
  • No longer wagging tail/tail tucked
  • Not shaking from head to tail
  • Tremors in legs
  • Sudden behavioral changes
  • Repeated licking or chewing certain areas
  • Hypersensitivity to touch
  • Yelping, or whining with certain movements
  • Altered sitting posture
  • After rough play, hard impacts
  • After serious exercise/deep snow/long swims

How do I know when my horse needs to be adjusted?

  • Change in gait, rough gaits
  • Bucking, kicking out under saddle
  • “Cold backed”
  • Cinchy; biting or pinning ears with tightening the girth
  • Sensitivity to touch
  • “Dropping” in the back when saddled
  • Tail swishing
  • Teeth grinding
  • No longer willing to work under saddle
  • Head shaking
  • Inability to turn head or neck
  • Altered sweat patterns
  • After obvious trauma, i.e. flipping over, pulling back, getting cast, stuck in fences etc.

HOWEVER, your animal does not need to be exhibiting any of these signs in order to get adjusted! 

The best time to adjust your animal is BEFORE they are in pain or discomfort. While Chiropractic care is a great modality to help determine the root cause of your animal’s pain or dysfunction, and help them heal more quickly, chiropractic works best as a preventative measure to maintain health!

In good health,

Dr. Iris