Mobility Issues and Dogs
When it comes to mobility issues, there aren’t a ton of options for dogs. Medications such as anti-inflammatories can be effective, but they don’t address the cause of inflammation and may need to be taken for extended periods of time. Unfortunately, this can tax the liver and other organs.
Joint supplements are a nice addition to a joint health regimen (Connectin Hip and Joint & Super Snouts Joint Powder are some of our favorites by the way). Pets can take these for long periods of time with no real concern for side effects. However, they tend to lose their effectiveness over time and also don’t address the underlying primary issue with a joint that creates discomfort and mobility problems.
Many don’t know there is another option for our pets and their joint troubles. In the human world it’s commonly used to help with back and neck pain, discomfort, mobility issues, and even more. What might that other option be? Chiropractic care!
Animal Chiropractic
Animal Chiropractic is relatively new within the animal world. Practitioners go through additional rigorous training and board certifications to become proficient with pets. It’s a small profession currently, but is growing as people turn to holistic and more natural treatments for their little furry family members.
The majority of the pet population struggling with mobility issues and discomfort are senior dogs (which makes up the majority of our practice). However, we do see cases of younger dogs that all of a sudden won’t do stairs, get up and down off furniture, are hiding and more. Both demographics respond very well to care.
Within our practice, we have noticed that cases will respond or show some type of improvement within 3 visits, with the vast majority responding within 5 days of the initial visit. So, you’ll know early on whether chiropractic care will be effective. Also, chiropractic care for animals is very gentle (here is a link to an example adjustment by Dr. Christina) and most enjoy it.
In addition, there aren’t long care plans like those associated with the human side of practice since the majority of cases show significant improvement within a handful of visits. However, most owners are so pleased with the results that they will schedule a periodic check up every few months to get their pup’s spine checked. The biggest reason for this is that most dogs are masters at hiding pain and discomfort and don’t show symptoms until issues are relatively advanced.
Where are we?
We practice all over the Metro Detroit region to make traveling for you and your pet very convenient. A list of the locations we visit can be found here and our calendar lists where were are on any particular date.
Still curious? You can visit our success stories page, see our before and after videos on youtube, and check us out on facebook. In addition, feel free to reach out to us via our contact form.
Don’t live locally? You can visit the board certification websites to find someone trained near you. These include the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association and the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association.
