More on Chiropractic
The following is being submitted for publication in The Versatile Hunting Dog, but we thought some of you might enjoy a preview
veterinary spinal manipulation for hunting dogs
By Amanda Rizner, DVM
Most people have at least a slight familiarity with chiropractic care for humans. Many, however, may not be aware that similar care is available for their hunting dogs. So who provides chiropractic care for animals, also known as veterinary spinal manipulation? Practitioners of animal chiropractic are either veterinarians (DVM/VMD) or chiropractors (DC) who have under gone additional post-graduate training in the techniques and theories of animal chiropractic care.
There are currently three schools in North America for this, the Healing Oasis Wellness Center in Wisconsin, the Healing Oasis Wellness Center in Ontario, the Parker College of Chiropractic in Texas. A fourth, the BackBone - Academy for Veterinary Chiropractic and Healing Arts is in Germany. Training involves a combination of classroom and hands on training which takes about 200 hours to complete. Graduates of these programs have the option of taking a certificate test and becoming members of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA)
So what is actually being treated? Through their exam, practitioners aim to identify and then treat subluxations. In straight veterinarian terms a subluxation is a bone moved significantly out of place, something actually visible on an x-ray. In chiropractic terms a subluxation is any misalignment of one or more joints of the spine or its immediate weight bearing surface which results in a change in nerve function. It can also be thought of as any area with an abnormal range of motion. The classic signs of a subluxation are heat, tenderness, and hypomobility (reduced range of motion). Consequences of subluxation included weakness, pain, and can ultimately lead to paralysis.
Which dogs can benefit from chiropractic care? Healthy, normal dogs can benefit from chiropractic as tool for reaching peak performance. Older animals with accumulated wear and tear can see improvements in their aches and pains allowing for a longer more productive day in the hunt field. A dog which experiences an injury can benefit as well from chiropractic care. It can speed return to normal function. I've seen arthritis in x-rays of our own hunting dogs as young as five years old who show no visitable signs of pain.
Chiropractic care can also deal with the compensatory changes which occur secondary to the primary injury, like when you tweak your right knee and a week later your left hip becomes sore. While there are many lamenesses which will benefit from traditional treatment with NSAID's such as Rimadyl, there are also many, often non-specific lamenesses which will benefit from chiropractic care. Chiropractic manipulation may reduce or eliminate the need for drugs to maintain your dog's comfort.
What to expect when you take your dog for chiropractic care? Some chiropractors will see animals at a veterinarian's office; some will see animals at their regular human practice. Veterinarians will see patients at their regular office. Some practitioners will make housecalls. The doctor will often, but not always, perform a regular physical exam and neurological exam prior to performing the chiropractic exam. Some practitioners will work nose to tail; others tail to nose. And while the primary focus is the spine, ribs, and all limbs will be evaluated as well. The doctor will check the various parts of the body looking for areas with decreased range of motion.
For the most part the diagnosed problems are subtle. Subluxations are then corrected with a quick, but gentle thrust also known as a high velocity, low amplitude adjustment. Again, this is likely to appear quite subtle to the owner, almost as if nothing is being done. The mechanism of the adjustment (correction of subluxation) cause reactions in the muscles that aids in restoring normal skeletal alignment. Most dogs will give a vigorous full body shake upon completion of treatment.
Frequency of treatment will depend upon the individual patient and performance demands upon the patient. As a point of reference, most of our dogs I treat monthly, but the senior citizen and the agility corgi are on a biweekly schedule. If we witness any accidents or injuries, the dog is treated sooner. A typical schedule for a fairly healthy hunting dog might include visits every four to six weeks during the “off season” and as many visits as reasonably possible during hard hunting.
We've noticed signs of improvement in our own dogs from mild, like letting us sleep an extra hour in the morning to extreme, such as jumping much higher than previously possible.
How do I find a veterinary chiropractor? Word of mouth from others in your NAVHDA chapter is a great starting point. You can also ask the local agility groups if they know of someone as many agility competitors receive regular chiropractic care. You can check out the schools mentioned for a list of graduates. The AVCA website also provides a list of members.
Chiropractic treatment is a safe, effective treatment for improving your dog's comfort. NAVHDA dogs are among the luckiest in the world. They've been bred, fed and trained for peak performance. Reducing the mild stiffness and soreness in your younger hunting dog will likely improve stamina and desire to work, which we all hope translates to more game in the bag. Taming the moderate to severe pain your older or injured dog could extend his productive hunting by several seasons. You can help get the most out of your hunting buddy with chiropractic care and make him happier and more comfortable around the house too.
HOWC Canada http://www.veterinarychiropractic.ca/
HOWC Wisconsin http://thehealingoasis.com/index.html
Parker College http://www.parkercc.edu/Index.aspx?id=1135&displayid=1137
BackBone - Academy for Veterinary Chiropractic and Healing Arts www.backbone-academy.com/home.html
AVCA http://www.animalchiropractic.org/
Dr. Rizner completed her veterinary chiropractic training at the Healing Oasis Wellness Center in Ontario in April 2008. She is a small animal and equine veterinarian practicing in Old Orchard Beach and Arundel, Maine. She resides in Shapleigh with her husband, Todd Chrisman, where they breed and train German Shorthaired Pointers for hunting, and Pembroke Welsh Corgis for agility and obedience. You can find out more about Amanda and Todd at www.marshfieldkennel.com
veterinary spinal manipulation for hunting dogs
By Amanda Rizner, DVM
Most people have at least a slight familiarity with chiropractic care for humans. Many, however, may not be aware that similar care is available for their hunting dogs. So who provides chiropractic care for animals, also known as veterinary spinal manipulation? Practitioners of animal chiropractic are either veterinarians (DVM/VMD) or chiropractors (DC) who have under gone additional post-graduate training in the techniques and theories of animal chiropractic care.
There are currently three schools in North America for this, the Healing Oasis Wellness Center in Wisconsin, the Healing Oasis Wellness Center in Ontario, the Parker College of Chiropractic in Texas. A fourth, the BackBone - Academy for Veterinary Chiropractic and Healing Arts is in Germany. Training involves a combination of classroom and hands on training which takes about 200 hours to complete. Graduates of these programs have the option of taking a certificate test and becoming members of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA)
So what is actually being treated? Through their exam, practitioners aim to identify and then treat subluxations. In straight veterinarian terms a subluxation is a bone moved significantly out of place, something actually visible on an x-ray. In chiropractic terms a subluxation is any misalignment of one or more joints of the spine or its immediate weight bearing surface which results in a change in nerve function. It can also be thought of as any area with an abnormal range of motion. The classic signs of a subluxation are heat, tenderness, and hypomobility (reduced range of motion). Consequences of subluxation included weakness, pain, and can ultimately lead to paralysis.
Which dogs can benefit from chiropractic care? Healthy, normal dogs can benefit from chiropractic as tool for reaching peak performance. Older animals with accumulated wear and tear can see improvements in their aches and pains allowing for a longer more productive day in the hunt field. A dog which experiences an injury can benefit as well from chiropractic care. It can speed return to normal function. I've seen arthritis in x-rays of our own hunting dogs as young as five years old who show no visitable signs of pain.
Chiropractic care can also deal with the compensatory changes which occur secondary to the primary injury, like when you tweak your right knee and a week later your left hip becomes sore. While there are many lamenesses which will benefit from traditional treatment with NSAID's such as Rimadyl, there are also many, often non-specific lamenesses which will benefit from chiropractic care. Chiropractic manipulation may reduce or eliminate the need for drugs to maintain your dog's comfort.
What to expect when you take your dog for chiropractic care? Some chiropractors will see animals at a veterinarian's office; some will see animals at their regular human practice. Veterinarians will see patients at their regular office. Some practitioners will make housecalls. The doctor will often, but not always, perform a regular physical exam and neurological exam prior to performing the chiropractic exam. Some practitioners will work nose to tail; others tail to nose. And while the primary focus is the spine, ribs, and all limbs will be evaluated as well. The doctor will check the various parts of the body looking for areas with decreased range of motion.
For the most part the diagnosed problems are subtle. Subluxations are then corrected with a quick, but gentle thrust also known as a high velocity, low amplitude adjustment. Again, this is likely to appear quite subtle to the owner, almost as if nothing is being done. The mechanism of the adjustment (correction of subluxation) cause reactions in the muscles that aids in restoring normal skeletal alignment. Most dogs will give a vigorous full body shake upon completion of treatment.
Frequency of treatment will depend upon the individual patient and performance demands upon the patient. As a point of reference, most of our dogs I treat monthly, but the senior citizen and the agility corgi are on a biweekly schedule. If we witness any accidents or injuries, the dog is treated sooner. A typical schedule for a fairly healthy hunting dog might include visits every four to six weeks during the “off season” and as many visits as reasonably possible during hard hunting.
We've noticed signs of improvement in our own dogs from mild, like letting us sleep an extra hour in the morning to extreme, such as jumping much higher than previously possible.
How do I find a veterinary chiropractor? Word of mouth from others in your NAVHDA chapter is a great starting point. You can also ask the local agility groups if they know of someone as many agility competitors receive regular chiropractic care. You can check out the schools mentioned for a list of graduates. The AVCA website also provides a list of members.
Chiropractic treatment is a safe, effective treatment for improving your dog's comfort. NAVHDA dogs are among the luckiest in the world. They've been bred, fed and trained for peak performance. Reducing the mild stiffness and soreness in your younger hunting dog will likely improve stamina and desire to work, which we all hope translates to more game in the bag. Taming the moderate to severe pain your older or injured dog could extend his productive hunting by several seasons. You can help get the most out of your hunting buddy with chiropractic care and make him happier and more comfortable around the house too.
HOWC Canada http://www.veterinarychiropractic.ca/
HOWC Wisconsin http://thehealingoasis.com/index.html
Parker College http://www.parkercc.edu/Index.aspx?id=1135&displayid=1137
BackBone - Academy for Veterinary Chiropractic and Healing Arts www.backbone-academy.com/home.html
AVCA http://www.animalchiropractic.org/
Dr. Rizner completed her veterinary chiropractic training at the Healing Oasis Wellness Center in Ontario in April 2008. She is a small animal and equine veterinarian practicing in Old Orchard Beach and Arundel, Maine. She resides in Shapleigh with her husband, Todd Chrisman, where they breed and train German Shorthaired Pointers for hunting, and Pembroke Welsh Corgis for agility and obedience. You can find out more about Amanda and Todd at www.marshfieldkennel.com
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