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How to Select an Animal Chiropractor

 

 

Randy Kidd, DVM, PhD
Holistic Veterinarian
PetStyle.com

Chiropractic care for animals is one of the most useful of all the alternative medicines, good for a number of disorders, not the least of which are your pet's musculoskeletal problems.

There are several hundred certified animal chiropractors across this country, in Europe and in other parts of the world. The following are some important factors you should consider when selecting an animal chiropractor:

  • Certification - There are several schools that teach people the arts and skills of animal chiropractic, and graduates from many of these schools are eligible to take certifying exams from either AVCA (American Veterinary Chiropractic Association) or IAVC (International Academy of Veterinary Chiropractic). Quality schools provide a curriculum of about 200 hours, which is a bare-bones minimum level of instruction for learning something as complex as chiropractic, and the certifying agencies help assure that your practitioner is qualified and has been deemed able to provide chiropractic care for your pet.  Check to see if your practitioner is certified by either AVCA or IAVC.
  • Veterinarian or Chiropractor? - After teaching at a major chiropractic school for more than a decade, I feel comfortable stating that any AVCA or IAVC certified graduate, whether she or he is a veterinarian or a chiropractor, will be able to adequately diagnose and treat problems that typically respond well to chiropractic adjustments. Veterinarians are more trained and experienced in recognizing and treating the broader spectrum of animal ailments. Chiropractors are more trained and experienced in the mechanical aspects of adjusting joints. I'm confident, that either a chiropractor or a veterinarian who has taken the time to become certified will be able to help your pet's chiropractic needs. 
  • Methods Used - There are more than 100 different chiropractic methods, and each has its place in the spectrum of healing. Some practitioners feel more comfortable using one technique; others will prefer another. Most animal chiropractic practitioners have a few methods to pick from, and they use the one(s) that will best apply to your pet's individual condition.
  • Results - The ultimate way to judge a method, or its practitioner, is to observe the results. Did the chiropractic adjustments work and did they do what was expected? Other reasonable expectations would include the following:
  1. If the animal is being treated for noticeable joint dysfunction (a limp, for example), the animal's gait should improve.
  2. The number of treatments required will vary with the severity and chronicity of the condition (and with the amount of aftercare you will be able to provide). Animals tend to get better faster than humans, and I tell folks that we should see some improvement within just a few (perhaps, four to six) treatments. If we haven't seen improvement by then, we need to re-evaluate.
  3. There may be some pain involved with treatments, especially the initial adjustments, and an animal may be sore for a day or two after an adjustment. But as a general rule, the animal should improve and be less painful, either immediately or after several treatments.
  • Cost - Cost will vary, depending on the practitioner and the area of the country. A general range of about $50 to $100 dollars per treatment seems to be currently acceptable.

Both costs and expectations should be discussed with the practitioner before treatments begin and along the way as treatment progresses.

How does one find a qualified animal chiropractor? Today almost every metropolitan area has a ready supply of folks who are qualified to give animal chiropractic. Check your local phone directory. Other useful directories include:

In addition, there are many veterinarians who refer to animal chiropractors. Some veterinary practices have a chiropractor working in their practice, oftentimes on a part-time basis. Utilizing this kind of team of practitioners, that includes chiropractic, may be the best way to get 'wholistic' care for your pets.

Here are some general tips about animal chiropractic and how chiropractic is used:

  • Animal chiropractic is about equal parts art, science, and functional mechanics, plus the practitioner's ability to direct her/his healing intent toward the animal's innately healing energies. It's this unique blend of healing arts that makes chiropractic such a special medicine, and makes it so powerfully healing. It's also what makes it important for you pick a practitioner who suits your needs—as well as your pet's needs.
  • The healing professionals who practice chiropractic's art and science come from two disparate professional backgrounds: chiropractic and veterinary medicine. Once again, these diverse training backgrounds make for a wide spread of skills, as well as a wide spread of philosophical beliefs. This is another reason to pick the animal chiropractor that best fits you and your pet's needs.
  • There are many forms of chiropractic—from almost "no-touch" methods, to the more direct, "back-cracking" methods. Practitioners use a variety of these methods, and they tend to use the ones with which they are the most comfortable. You and your pet also should be comfortable with the type of chiropractic method your practitioner uses.
  • Always talk with your animal chiropractor beforehand to discuss fees, what therapies will be used, the expected results, and the likely length of the treatments. And then, don't be afraid to discus these as treatment progresses. As I've said, both you and your pet should be comfortable with the type of chiropractic method your practitioner uses.

Most of us who have been practicing chiropractic on animals for any length of time feel that there are a few chiropractic methods that, for one reason or another, are not especially good for animal patients-some of these may even be quite harmful. Use caution whenever you encounter the following methods:

  1. Mallet and Block of Wood - Old timers used to use this technique, especially on horses—placing a block of wood on the horse's spine and whacking it with a mallet. It's a method that lacks specificity, and can be pretty brutal for the animal. Better ways have superseded this method.
  2. Long Lever Adjustments - An example of a long lever adjustment would be a practitioner attempting to adjust the animal's hip joint by holding on to the paw (or hoof) and manipulating the leg and hip from there. This is another outmoded method that, since so much pressure can be applied on the joint by using a distant lever, can easily be harmful. 
  3. Activator - An activator is a mechanical device that chiropractors use to adjust joints. For years now activators have been used successfully for treating humans, and recently attempts have been employed to use them for animals. In humans an activator is used in a very specific manner, and in a specific sequence, and these techniques have not yet been worked out in animals—despite what some practitioners may try to tell you. In addition, this technique is often taught without much background training in the basics of chiropractic techniques and methods. All of which make for a method that has the potential for causing more harm than good.  
  4. The Untrained - This is anyone who sets himself or herself up as a "chiropractor" and has not taken the time or effort to really learn the specifics of the trade. There are many unqualified practitioners who will push and tug on your pet and tell you they are performing chiropractic. Beware!!

So, what should you expect from chiropractic treatments? Look for results to be gradual, often taking several adjustments to be noticeable, but don't be too surprised if results are almost immediate. I tell folks at the onset that we will probably never get a return of the activity level of a puppy or kitten, but that we should expect to be able to improve the quality of life for almost every pet with a musculoskeletal condition, and some other conditions may respond to chiropractic care as well.

It's my opinion that chiropractic is so helpful that every veterinary practice should have a qualified (certified) animal chiropractor available, either in the office or on a referral basis. If your vet doesn't provide these services, I feel it is borderline malpractice, and you might want to find another, more holistically oriented veterinarian.