Common Ailments that Pet Chiropractic Care Can Help

• Posted on 5 May 2015
• By Dr. Jill Tack
• Posted in Advanced Animal Chiropractic, chiropractic, chiropractic sessions at The Pet Beastro, Christina Cole, how can chiropractic care help my pet, pet chiropractic care, pet chiropractor, why use pet chiropractic
• 0

Dr. Christina Cole of Advanced Animal Chiropractic is back on our blog today to talk about some of the most common health issues that her patients come to her with. She does dog and cat adjustments at the The Pet Beastro every two weeks. Her next sessions will be Tuesday, May 5, Saturday, May 16, and Tuesday, May 19. For more information or to schedule a session, call the store today at 248-548-3448.

Dr. Christina Cole of Advanced Animal Chiropractic is back on our blog today to talk about some of the most common health issues that her patients come to her with. She does dog and cat adjustments at the The Pet Beastro every two weeks. Her next sessions will be Tuesday, May 5, Saturday, May 16, and Tuesday, May 19. For more information or to schedule a session, call the store today at 248-548-3448.

Animals come to me for a variety of reasons, some young and some old, some with problems and some without. The main issues I’ve seen thus far tend to be arthritis, changes in gait (limping), disc disease, temperament changes (pain), and hip disorders. This list is certainly not exclusive, but it covers the main symptomatic animals I see. In addition to these conditions, I also treat several agility, show, and young animals in great health that prefer to be kept in tiptop shape and protected against future problems.

Arthritis

Arthritic animals can come in many shapes and sizes. Depending on the type, arthritis attacks the joints and eventually, the bones of the body. Osteoarthritis, or bony arthritis, attacks the smaller joints of the body and begins in the cartilage. Over time the erosion leads to bony proliferation and aggravation, decrease in joint space, and bone-on-bone interactions.

Predisposition to osteoarthritis can come from injuries earlier in life that lead to alteration in normal biomechanics. Structural shifting in your animal at an early age, often coming from traumas due to high stress and activities, can also leave an animal injured without your knowing. This can eventually turn into arthritis at a much earlier age.

Rheumatoid arthritis is another type of the disease that affects the joints, but beginning in the synovial fluid rather than the cartilage itself. The end result is similar to osteoarthritis in that bony erosion occurs along with aches and pain. Rheumatoid arthritis tends to be a result of everyday wear and tear and is seen more often in older animals. There are a number of treatment options including medication, water therapy, homeopathy, and chiropractic.

Changes in Gait

Changes in gait can mean going from a normal walking gait to a pacing gait, side-winding when walking, or just plain limping. What I find most of the time is these changes in gait are directly related to structural shifts in the body. Whether it’s the pelvis, hips, spine, etc., there’s usually some shifting that’s taken place causing an alteration in gait. Limping is, more often than not, directly linked to a disc problem, a pinched nerve, or muscular spasm caused by structural shifting.

Pain

Pain may be one of the most obvious reasons an animal would come to me, as pain relief tends to be what chiropractors are best known for. My goal is always to find the root cause of that pain, whether it is arthritis, a pinched nerve, a disc bulge, a ligament sprain, etc., and address that cause in order to help alleviate any pressure or pain. Pain often causes changes in temperament, and when the cause of the pain is addressed, these animals tend to have their spirits lifted and generally become happier.

Disc Disease and Hip Disorders

Disc disease and hip disorders are also pretty typical reasons I have patients referred my way. Animals with disc disease have a difficult road ahead of them. Most people don’t know their animal has disc disease until it is too late and, with that being the case, preventative care is imperative. Hip disorders are usually congenital, and can be managed through a variety of therapies including chiropractic.

Though not all-inclusive, this list tends to cover a great deal of the ailments in the patients I see. Chiropractic is not a cure-all to every single disease, as it does not treat any of them specifically. Chiropractic addresses structural shifts in the body, and only that. When structural shifting is restored to normalcy, other conditions that are caused by the shift will show marked improvement.

Please note that all chiropractic care is given with the consent of a veterinarian, veterinarian referral, or in a veterinarian office. If you’ve scheduled an appointment, please bring this completed form with you.