Meet Missy
Missy’s owner approached me, having known me from working on many horses she knows. 🐎. She began to explain how Missy for the past 3 months, isn’t herself! 😔.
She was struggling to walk, to move, to sit, and had resided to mainly lying on one side or the other! As her elbows wouldn’t lock and slipped it sitting. 🤕 She had been diagnosed and investigated by the vet, showing she had stenosis L7-S1 with disc protrusions and neurological findings at L4-S3 🤕.
Chiropractic never diagnoses and always works alongside the vets. 👨⚕️ Working as a noninvasive, completely safe, conservative care for improving function and reducing pain. 🙌 Missy’s vet rang new, to discuss Missy. 🇩🇪 He explained how he had worked alongside some amazing chiropractors, seen amazing results, and wanted conservative care to aid Missy. Full permission was given for me to do this emergency 🚨 appointment.
Like most of our four-legged 🐕 🐈 🐎 friends. As soon as I began removing tension off the nervous system ⚡️ by adjusting Missy’s face lit up 🔥. 😃. You can see how she moves better from the first video. 🎥. However I was not happy, I knew she could do better 🌟. So I did another pelvis adjustment, and you can see her sprint off after. As her owner is heard saying at the end, before the video 🎥 cut out. ‘she has not moved like this for over 3 months’. 🌟
Chiropractic treatment does not replace traditional veterinary medicine; however, it can provide treatment options for spinal problems as well as biomechanical related musculoskeletal disorders.
How to recognise back problems?
Dog handlers, trainers or owners can look for signs of spinal problems in their pets.
Inspecting the spine before purchasing is just as important as inspecting the legs.
Your own observations in your dog
- Consider your dogs recent performance and demeanour:
- Has your dog’s behaviour or performance changed recently?
- Does unusual or fluctuating lameness exist?
- Is the dog reluctant to move?
- Has the handler or trainer noticed changes in motivation of the dog?
- Does the dog drag its feet or are the nails worn down on one side?
Since not all behavioural changes are cause for concern, the following list of Signs and Symptoms will help you identify what to watch for to protect your dog and ensure a healthy and vigorous life.
- Pain when being touched, pet or lifted
- Reluctance or difficulty when climbing stairs or jumping
- Difficulty when getting up after lying down
- Negative changes in attitude or behaviour
- Altered sitting (“Puppy Sitting”)
- Changes in eating or eliminating
- Constantly licking or chewing paws
- Lameness or changes in gait
- Changes in performance
- Lying on one side
Examining mobility in your dog
The dog should be able to move freely in all directions without tension
Using a treat if necessary, ask the dog to turn its head and neck to the side so that it touches its flank with its nostrils. Less mobility one side compared to the other could indicate a problem in the cervical vertebrae.
Test the lateral movement of the spine by placing one hand on the spine and with the other pull the dog’s tail carefully towards you so that its back bends around your hand.
Is one side stiffer than the other?
Place slight pressure on the back from above. The back should easily and evenly, spring and swing. It should not feel stiff and hard.