FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
No, I am a licensed chiropractic physician in the State of Utah. I am also certified as an animal chiropractor. I do not prescribe, dispense, or adjust medications. I also do not perform any other veterinary procedures other than chiropractic care. I am trained to identify common veterinary problems and I will do my best refer you to veterinary care when warranted.
No. The State of Utah does not require a referral nor supervision for a vet to perform chiropractic care on animals.
X-rays are not necessary in most cases, but, are helpful when available. If there is a severe condition or injury, I recommend getting your pet x-rayed from a vet to rule out fractures, dislocations, or any other contraindications to chiropractic care.
– Your pet is in extreme pain, to the point that it is affecting their normal daily functions and routines such as eating, drinking, and elimination.
– Your pet had a severe trauma, such as being hit by a car, falling or jumping from a long distance, getting into a fight, or any incident that causes a significant pain response followed by limping or other signs of physical damage.
– Your pet is not putting weight on one leg or is “toe touching lame” This usually is indicative of an orthopedic injury such as a sprained or torn ACL.
– Your pet is more lame at a trot than a walk (Usually seen in horses. Lameness at a trot is usually a vet issue, where as lameness at a walk or canter is often helped by chiropractic).
– Your pet is paralyzed, including symptoms of dragging one or more legs, loss of bowel and/or bladder control, not being able to use their tail. Note paralysis issues can sometime benefit from chiropractic treatment, but, see a vet first.
– When in doubt, see a vet first.
See a chiropractor if: – Your pet seams “off” but it is difficult to tell what’s wrong; subtle lameness, awkward gait, sitting sideways etc.
– Your pet has generalized back or neck pain.
– You wish to optimize your pet’s performance.
– Your pet has seen a vet but they have not been able to identify what is wrong.
What can I expect during my pets visit?
– Most animals enjoy being adjusted.
– I use my hands to palpate, or feel, the joints and their movement.
– If a correction is needed, a gentle and specific thrust is applied.
– Sometimes a cavitation (“pop” or “crack” noise) will be heard as the joint releases, but not every time the “popping” is not the goal, correcting the joint restriction is.
– Licking, chewing, yawning, and shaking off after a correction is a good response.
– Areas of misalignment may be tender, but the animal will usually tolerate it— and feel much better.
– Your pet seams “off” but it is difficult to tell what’s wrong; subtle lameness, awkward gait, sitting sideways etc.
– Your pet has generalized back or neck pain.
– You wish to optimize your pet’s performance.
– Your pet has seen a vet but they have not been able to identify what is wrong.
– Your pet has generalized back or neck pain.
– You wish to optimize your pet’s performance.
– Your pet has seen a vet but they have not been able to identify what is wrong.
Dogs and Cats
– Sitting constantly to one side. (Puppy sitting)
– Trotting/running at an angle.
– Head shaking.
– Fatigue or lethargy.
– Not wanting to jump, play, or being less active overall.
– More aggressive or less social than usual.
Horses
– Uneven gate.
– Or extending properly in front or hind gait.
– Not wanting to take a certain lead.
– Frequent head shaking.
– Resisting bridling or saddling.
– Not tucking the head.
– Being unable to bend their head around to their flank on one side.
– Crow-hopping or bucking the rider.
Note: 80% of horses that have behavior problems are due to ulcers. See a vet!
It depends on the animal and situation. Many animals are significantly better after one adjustment. Other animals may need a series of adjustments to achieve their maximum benefit. In dealing with horses, we don’t recommend a follow up adjustment for at least 2-4 weeks after their initial adjustment. Horses’ nervous systems are more sensitive and delicate than humans. And as far as addressing optimum health and performance, higher level horses that are in racing, rodeo, jumping, or show horses, typically get adjusted every 4-6 weeks. Your basic farm horse can go 2 months. Dogs and cats can get adjusted more frequently. It’s not unheard of to adjust them weekly depending on their health issues. For maintenance or preventative care, every 4-6 weeks is ideal.
No. We do not require sedation. However, it may be necessary to have a muzzle on a dog that tends to bite.
One bone or joint at a time. Depending on the size of the horse and location of the problem, I can adjust while standing next to the horse, or I have a specialized chiropractic “bale” that I can stand on while adjusting a horse’s back. The horse will be standing, typically on a flat, non-slippery surface.
Animal chiropractic is a non-surgical, drug free treatment that involves adjusting the vertebrae of the spine and/or joints of an animal (via hands or instrument) in order to correct biomechanical dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system. Biomechanical dysfunction, if not corrected, may also cause other disturbances in the normal function of other organs and systems in the body.
When our bodies or animal bodies move, there is a specific flow of motion and tracking with vertebrae and joints, when one or more vertebrae or joint is not tracking properly with their adjacent vertebrae or joint, we can have pain, decreased range of motion, decreased strength, swelling and inflammation. In chiropractic, we call this a vertebral subluxation complex (VSC).
So, as to not cause any confusion, a vertebrae or joint is NOT, out of place. This historically is where chiropractic has had much controversy in western medicine. A bone out of its normal alignment would be a partial dislocation (luxation) or dislocation. The luxation and dislocation are beyond the scope of human and animal chiropractic. Chiropractic deals with vertebral subluxation complexes or often referred as vertebral or joint restriction. The restricted vertebrae or joint is with WITHIN its normal range of motion, but, it’s simply not tracking or flowing in harmony with their adjacent vertebrae.
Just as some medical doctors don’t believe or recommend chiropractic to their patients, some vets have the same belief. If you believe in chiropractic and your vet does not, it might be time to seek out a new vet that believes in chiropractic. Modern day animal chiropractic was actually started by a vet, who later went on to chiropractic school to develop the foundation for animal chiropractic today.
Legally, I can see your pet first if you prefer to bring them to an animal chiropractor first. I am trained in being able to identify common veterinary problems in animals. I will recommend you take your pet to a vet if needed. It can be frustrating to run around wasting time and money going to the wrong type of doctor. Here are some general rules for when to take your pet to a vet vs. a chiropractor.
– Most animals enjoy being adjusted.
– I use my hands to palpate, or feel, the joints and their movement.
– If a correction is needed, a gentle and specific thrust is applied.
– Sometimes a cavitation (“pop” or “crack” noise) will be heard as the joint releases, but not every time the “popping” is not the goal, correcting the joint restriction is.
– Licking, chewing, yawning, and shaking off after a correction is a good response.
– Areas of misalignment may be tender, but the animal will usually tolerate it— and feel much better.
– Most animals especially dogs, give a full body shake off.
– Following a treatment, many owners report that their pet is more tired than usual, and takes a long nap or sleeps through the night. This is perfectly normal.
– Your pet may be sore up to 24-48 hours after a treatment, similar to having a deep massage or a physical therapy session.
– Usually within a day or two, you will see the effects of the adjustment and your pet may be more energetic than usual.
– Depending on the case, some animals may need follow-up adjustments.
No. But, hopefully you’ll want to make chiropractic care part of your pet”s journey to maintaining optimal health and performance. Chiropractic is a piece of the puzzle in maintaining optimal health and performance for both you and your pet. Proper diet/nutrition, exercise, rest, stress relief activities are all things we should be doing for the rest of our lives if we want optimal health and wellness. Chiropractic care is no different. When I work on humans, it’s much easier to get their nervous system back in balance if they get adjusted regularly. If I see someone only when it’s an emergency (not life threatening), it often takes them 3 times longer (more visits & more money) than if they came in on a regular maintenance type schedule.
Typically when humans or pets are out of alignment or under stress, our sympathetic nervous system tends to be stuck in “flight, fright, or fight” mode. As we remove structural or emotional interference from our bodies, we relax via the parasympathetic nervous system which is more in the “resting, digesting, and healing” mode. Licking, chewing, yawning, or full body “shake off” are actions of the parasympathetic telling the body to eat, rest, and repair. Think of it as a neurological reset. The licking, yawning, and chewing are very satisfying to observe when I adjust equines.
The medical term for the “popping” sound is called joint cavitation. When there is a cavitation from an adjustment or when someone cracks their knuckles or when opening a can of soda, nitrogen gas is released from the joint capsule. The joint cavitation does not mean the adjustment was successful. However, patients frequently associate the “popping” sound with a successful adjustment. An adjustment is a specifically directed, low amplitude, high velocity thrust into a motion unit in the spine or joint.