“I Didn’t Know I Could Take My Animals To The Chiropractor!”

This is a very common response when people hear that there are chiropractors who specialize in animals. Animal chiropractors have extensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of joint, muscle and nerve problems in animals.

The same principles apply to Animals as to Humans:

Chiropractic is a drugless approach to health care. Chiropractic Doctors are experts in the care of the bones, nerves, muscles and connective tissues. All of the joints in the body are included in the musculoskeletal system and must function properly to obtain optimal health. If a joint is misaligned, it is extremely likely that the function of the nervous system and/or the muscular system will be interfered with. This interference causes what chiropractors term “subluxations.”

What is a subluxation?

As previously mentioned, a subluxation is a misalignment of the bones of a joint causing improper co-ordination of the body’s function. This disharmony can result in disease.

Do animals get subluxations?

Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Joints of an animal can become subluxated due to trauma (ie. slips, falls, collisions, poor saddle fit, intense training, birth trauma), stress (ie. separation anxiety) and/or chemicals (ie. Medications, poor diet). These examples are only some of the many possible causes of subluxations in animals. All animals have the potential to misalign joints and thus have the potential to benefit from chiropractic care.

How do you correct subluxations?

It is an animal chiropractors job to identify subluxations. If detected, they are corrected by using a high velocity, low amplitude, quick thrust into the proper direction of the joint. This event is done using the chiropractor’s hands and is extremely specific to the plane of the joint in question. Correction of subluxations are called an adjustment.

Animals realize that there is a problem and will often aid the chiropractor in the adjustment. Most owners comment on how still their pet will sit during the examination and adjustment.

How long will it take?

After a thorough case history and chiropractic examination, the doctor will recommend a series of visits to help restore proper function. The program of care is different in each case however, animals tend to recover quite rapidly as a general rule. Some of the variants on which rate of recovery are based include : age of the animal, duration of the problem, type of damage sustained, compliance to care.

Dr. Nicole Albuquerque

Dr. Albuquerque is a Doctor of Chiropractic who has completed specialty training for certification in Animal Chiropractic. Dr. Albuquerque always recommends concurrent care with your animals’ veterinarian to ensure the best management possible.

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905 385 3338
Hamilton, Ontario