This is by far the most frequently asked question that I get from pet owners. They go on to say, “They cannot tell you. Can they?” The fact is that your pets do tell you when they need help! You just need to know what to look for. Following are three signs that your pet may benefit from a visit to the animal chiropractor.

We have all observed how cats stand and stretch. It’s the first thing they do in the morning. Absence of this full, high-arching stretch is one of the first indications of a spinal or joint problem. The “shake” that dogs and some cats exhibit is frequently observed but not consciously appreciated by owners. The shake that starts at the head and progresses without interruption through the lumbar and the tail is a healthy shake. Dogs that stop a shake somewhere along the spine may be self-splinting a spinal or joint problem. The body’s protective reaction is to splint the area through muscle spasm, so as to prevent further injury.

Through observation, touch, and massage, we can sometimes detect early signs of a treatable problem. When joints are damaged or injured, inflammation and swelling ensues. Significant swelling can often be seen and felt in the extremities, less often in the spine. A more common sign of inflammation in the spinal region is felt as heat or warmth in the tissues overlying the area. The easiest way to feel the heat is to take the back of your fingers and run them slowing down your pet’s spine, noting any significant differences in temperature. To heighten your sense of touch, close your eyes as you run your hand down the spine. Injured joints in the extremities also exhibit warmth when inflamed. Through touch and massage, you can also feel muscle spasms, or “hypertonic muscles.” Muscle spasms are a sign of the splinting action mentioned previously.

With dogs there is a simple and very useful test that provides early clues to nervous system dysfunction. With your dog standing, flip over one paw so it is “knuckled over.” Repeat with the other paws. A normal reaction in a dog with a healthy nervous system is to immediately “flip” the foot back over to its normal position. If your animal takes longer than two seconds to flip its paw back, its “proprioception” or joint position sense, is compromised. Joint position sense is the brain’s ability to know where the limbs are at all times. When a dog has spinal problems, this sensation is the first to go. Your doctor will typically refer to this sensation as “C.P.” Ideally, you should test your pet’s C.P. at least once per month after the age of two.

It’s extremely important to understand that all of the above signs typically go unnoticed by most owners. But these signs precede more severe signs and symptoms of pain and weakness. By the time I first see many animals, their condition has already progressed to weakness, paralysis of a limb or multiple limbs, gait abnormalities, severe pain, and often loss of bowel and bladder control. While a vast majority of these animals respond effectively to chiropractic and veterinary intervention, the earlier the treatment begins, the better the prognosis.

In a perfect world, our goal is to prevent these problems from occurring in the first place. Prevention is a primary goal of many pet owners that have working or performance dogs, show dogs, or have breeds with a hereditary predilection to various maladies. Dachshunds, for instance, have a very high predisposition to thoraco-lumbar disc herniations. German shepherds are prone to hip dysplasia and “degenerative myelopathy.” Small breeds are often susceptible to “luxating patellas.” Labrador retrievers, due to the way they grasp a fetched object, are prone to upper cervical and jaw problems. With any breed, prevention and early detection is the key.

Chiropractic care does not attempt to replace traditional veterinary care. Animal chiropractors work with your veterinarian to ensure your pet has the most complete care. As a final note, we all realize that animals age at a much faster rate than we do. Therefore, prevention and early recognition of problems is imperative. Chiropractic is a very useful adjunct to traditional veterinary care to maximize your pets “golden years.”

The next issue of The Talebone will answer frequently asked questions regarding animal chiropractic. In future editions, we will discuss specific conditions, prevention, treatment, stretching, and exercise programs, and other topics. Until next time, wishing you and your four-legged friend the best of health.

Dr. Mark “Bones” LaVallie, DC, CVSMT (651) 332-1633

Chiropractic may be a new topic for some people, especially animal owners. Adjustment techniques similar to those used in modern chiropractic date back more than five thousand years. Drawings of humans receiving neck manipulation are documented in an ancient Chinese text called the Nei Ching.

Hippocrates (c. 17,500 B.C.), who is known as the Father of Medicine, also used spinal manipulation. But the Father of Chiropractic is considered to be Dr. David D. Palmer. On September 18, 1895, he placed his hands over the spine of a janitor named Harvey Lilliard. Dr. Palmer administered a thrust to a fixated vertebra in Lillian’s upper back, restoring motion. As a result of the adjustment, Lilliard reported “hearing the wagons on the street.” This was significant because Mr. Lilliard had been deaf for seventeen years.

Dr. Palmer opened the first school of chiropractic in 1897, offering a new alternative to health care. His son B. J. followed in his father’s footsteps and for a short time worked with animals. Although he experienced some success, he abandoned the idea to concentrate on humans.

Animal chiropractic was rejuvenated in 1989 by a veterinarian—Dr. Sharon Willoughby, DVM, D.C. Over the years, the popularity of animal chiropractic has increased in many states, with Minnesota granting licensure to DC’s. and DVM’s, beginning in 2009. A prerequisite to licensure is completion of a 230-hour certification program in Animal Chiropractic. One-half of the program is “hands on.” Currently in Minnesota, nine doctors (veterinarians and human chiropractors) are certified and licensed in animal chiropractic.

Chiropractic is primarily concerned with the health of the nervous system and how it interacts with the brain and body to promote wellness and vitality. A chiropractor focuses on the nerve receptors, which can be thought of as sensors in the body. These sensors detect the world around us and the environment within us. When there is an injury or restricted motion in our joints, these sensors tell our body to make adaptations to balance out these changes. These adaptations can be good or bad. Chiropractic adjustments help to correct the bad adaptations so the body can properly heal itself.

A typical chiropractic treatment consists of high speed, low force thrusts to specific joints. These are called adjustments. Muscular and neurological re-education techniques are also utilized to positively affect the receptors involved. Chiropractors focus on the whole body and its well being.

Animals have spinal columns similar to humans, and they can develop misalignments just like us. Called subluxations, these misalignments can cause a variety of symptoms, just as they do in people.

Chiropractic adjustments are gentle and painless. They restore mobility to fixated joints of the spine. This allows for healthy transfer of information to and from the brain, through the spinal cord and nerves. Because the nervous system “rules,” all other systems, the body can function in an optimum state.

Benefits of chiropractic include:

--Dr. Mark LaVallie

The next issue of The Talebone will address disc herniations and disc degeneration. Better known as spinal arthritis, it is unfortunately responsible for the most common presenting complaints that I see with small animals. Chiropractic is a very effective low cost and non-invasive approach to treatment of these problems. As time goes on, chiropractic may actually prove to be very effective in the prevention of spinal disease.

Until next time, wishing you and your four-legged friend the best of health.

Dr. Mark “Bones” LaVallie, DC, CVSMT (651) 332-1633