Aging is not easy for anyone, especially our dogs. Their back end gets weaker, it is hard to get up and down, they quit using stairs, they experience discomfort, and so much more. This can be tough for a pet owner to come to grips with.   

However, what if I told you animal chiropractic care could help? I see it all the time in our practice. It helps with mobility problems, comfort, activity levels, and can even help slow the progression of arthritis. In this article I’ll define who is considered a senior dog, explain what animal chiropractic is, list some issues it helps, and then inform you how to find a properly trained animal chiropractor.   

Who is considered a senior dog?

As many people know, dogs age much faster than we do. However, did you know certain breeds and different size dogs age differently than others? Generally speaking, smaller breeds live longer than larger breeds. Since this is the case, I believe the best definition for a senior dog is any animal that is in the last 25% of their life based on the standard for the breed. This is usually when we start to see weakness in the rear, discomfort getting up and down, a decrease in activity, and the progression of arthritis. So, how can animal chiropractic help? We must first define what animal chiropractic is.   

What is animal chiropractic?

Many people have at least heard of chiropractic for humans. However, many people are confused as to what chiropractic actually is! Chiropractors train to evaluate the spine for structural dysfunction, often referred to as subluxations.   

Subluxations are areas in the spine that aren’t moving as well as they should or are a little off with respect to joint position. When dysfunction like this occurs, inflammation can build up and stress joints, nerves, and more leading to pain and reduced function. To correct this, a chiropractor palpates and motions the spine searching for heat secondary to inflammation, muscle spasm, and joints that aren’t moving properly. When they locate a problematic area, a correction is given via an adjustment to restore normal biomechanics. When it comes to animal chiropractic, the adjustment is very gentle and there’s typically no cracking or popping!   

What conditions might animal chiropractic help a senior dog with?

The spine of a senior dog has endured a lifetime of wear and tear. This contributes to things we frequently see in practice such as:   

  • Decreased mobility
  • Discomfort
  • Decreased rear muscle tone
  • Arthritis and more

Many of these symptoms are secondary to structural dysfunction of the spine.  How is this so? 


Initially, a joint quits moving well. This doesn’t cause too many problems at a young age, but things can progress later in life if left uncorrected. Eventually, inflammation builds up to a point where it is uncomfortable for a dog to fully engage a joint. When this happens, a pet owner might notice their pup doesn’t want to use stairs any more or really struggles getting rested in any position.   

Over time, this discomfort starts to affect the muscles. If it is painful to get up from laying down or to walk, a dog will not do it. The muscles start to atrophy, and even more stress is placed on the joints because there’s less muscle to support it.  This becomes cyclical and the discomfort leads to less movement and more muscle wasting, which leads to even less movement and even more muscle wasting.   

   

Arthritis

Structural dysfunction of the spine can also contribute to arthritis. Arthritis is the result of chronic inflammation and abnormal stress on a joint. Arthritis doesn’t form overnight. It is the result of abnormal biomechanics over long periods of time. A subluxation left uncorrected is exactly this. The lack of normal motion in the joint will lead to an inability to pump inflammation away. The longer the inflammation sits in the joint, the longer it eats away at cartilage. In addition, this loads a joint up with abnormal stress and combined these progressively contribute to arthritis.   

Animal chiropractors are trained to find and correct subluxations. This will help alleviate many of the joint problems senior dogs deal with. An adjustment will restore normal motion to a joint. Restoring motion allows joints to pump inflammation away. With a decrease in inflammation, there’s a decrease in pain. When the pain is gone, the dog is more willing to be active and is much more mobile. This should help preserve muscle tone.   

Needless to say, animal chiropractic can be a very important therapy for an aging dog in conjunction with traditional veterinary care. However, who is trained appropriately to work with animals?   

How do I find an animal chiropractor?

There are two routes to become an animal chiropractor. A practitioner must first complete veterinary or chiropractic school and receive their doctorate. After that, they will attend additional training for animal chiropractic at a different program. These programs usually encompass hundreds of hours of additional training which includes both a textbook and hands on curriculum. At the end of training, there is an opportunity to certify with one of the major boards. These boards include the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association or the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association.  Each of these boards has a find a doctor option on their website to find someone trained near you.

Live around Detroit?  Check out our calendar that lists the many locations we visit and on what days. 

Unfortunately, it is inevitable that members of our fur family will age. This is typically accompanied by decreased energy, discomfort, weakness in the back end, and reduced mobility. However, there are natural solutions such as animal chiropractic that can help. Is your dog entering their golden years? Find an animal chiropractor today!   

Interested in learning more about other ways to help your senior pet? Check out our article on natural treatments for dogs with arthritis.