Chiropractic Care for Dogs

Chiropractic care for dogs is not a new thing. Such care has been practiced for more than a century, originating about the same time as chiropractic care for people. Chiropractic treatment can consist of palliative, minor adjustments to the dog̵7;s spine to stave off pain from agingl to treatment as significant as manipulating the hips of a dysplastic dog. Despite its growing popularity, chiropractic care for dogs can be controversial.

  1. Origins of Dog Chiropractics

    • Animals have been benefiting from chiropractic care for about the same amount of time as people. However, such care did not become popular for almost another 90 years, when Sharon Willoughby-Blake, a veterinarian with a background in chiropractic therapy, started a chiropractic practice for animals. The American Veterinary Chiropractic Association had its origins in 1989, two years after Willoughby-Blake opened her business.

    Uses for Canine Chiropractic Care

    • Chiropractic care is often used to treat spinal and neck discomfort, as well as the discomfort that accompanies arthritis. Some dogs have benefited from manipulation of their kneecaps in cases of chronic patellar luxation. Other conditions that appear to respond to chiropractic manipulation include head tilt, Wobbler̵7;s syndrome and the secondary effects of cruciate (knee muscle) surgery.

    Chiropractic Debate

    • Research is divided on the efficacy of chiropractic treatment for humans and for animals. Little research exists on the efficacy of chiropractic treatment for dogs. Chiropractic treatment has proven effective when used to manage the comfort of individual dogs with painful conditions. However, the long-lasting effects of the pain management is not known. The American Veterinary Chiropractic Association recommends regular manipulations for active and elderly dogs, with increased frequency as the dog ages.

    Restriction of the Term Canine Chiropractics

    • The American Chiropractic Association objects to the term ̶0;veterinary chiropractic.̶1; The organization̵7;s position is that the term should be used only in connection with chiropractic manipulation of human beings and not with similar manipulations on animals.