Little One’s Visit to a Chiropractor for Dogs

Note – I am not a veterinary medical professional. This is strictly the experience that I had taking Little One to the chiropractor. I took her to the chiropractor with the approval from her vet. If you’re interested in taking your dog to the chiropractor, talk to your vet and make sure they approve the course of treatment.

On Wednesday I took Little One to the chiropractor. It’s been in the back of my mind while she has recovered from her injury. My sister has taken her dogs to the chiropractor when they’ve needed it and they’ve always rebounded from whatever was slowing them down. So, of course, when I decided to take Little One to a chiropractor, I took her to the one who took such great care of Wolf and Jake over the years.

Even though I’ve been going to a chiropractor since I was in high school and Wolf and Jake thrived while being cared for by theirs, I was still a little apprehensive about it. When I looked at the chiropractor’s website, I was pleased to see an FAQ that answered a lot of the questions that I had. It meant that I was much more at ease in the days leading up to her visit.

I should also note, that I discussed the possibility of taking her to the chiropractor with my vet before setting up the appointment, and my vet approved this as a course of treatment.

In fact, from what I’ve read, in the state of Minnesota it’s legally required that a chiropractor has approval from the vet before treating an animal. This is to ensure that the chiropractor reports back to the vet and keeps them informed of the animal’s treatment. So after I talked to the vet, I scheduled an appointment with the chiropractor and they confirmed my appointment after receiving approval from the vet to treat Little One.

If you’ve ever thought about taking your dog to the vet or wondered what happens during an appointment, read on to find out more about our visit.

1 // The first thing the chiropractor did was meet Little One. She had a bag of great quality treats–like, the treats that I give Little One–and she gave Little One a treat to make that first connection. Little One loved it, of course. After that she asked me a lot of questions–and when I say a lot I mean A LOT! I was surprised, but obviously not upset, about the amount of questions that she asked. It gave her a lot of information about my pup’s medical history and her temperament. She also asked if there was anything that would scare Little One during the appointment.

2 // After she got to know Little One, the chiropractor had me put her on the table and she did her exam and adjustments. Little One’s back was to her and she worked from her hind quarters on up. I was in front of her, to make sure that she stayed on the table. I appreciated it and I think Little One did too, because she was able to see me the entire time.

3 // There was no cracking or popping during the adjustments. At least, there was no cracking or popping from Little One. This was stated in the FAQs, so it wasn’t something that I was concerned about. When I did hear a little cracking, the chiropractor immediately said it was her, not my dog.

4 // The adjustments are very gentle. She used her thumb to make them and it didn’t appear as though Little One really knew anything was happening. She knew someone was touching her, of course, but her look was more of, “Human, why am I standing on this table?” than “What’s happening to me?!?!”

5 // The chiropractor told me what was happening every step of the way. She told me what she found (like Little One’s hips were tighter than they should be at 4) and what adjustment she was going to make. After each adjustment she entered it into the computer. When the appointment was over she went through the chart with me again, before giving Little One another treat. She got right on the floor with Little One to give it to her, which I thought was really sweet.

6 // The chiropractor followed up with me (and the vet) after the appointment was over. She emailed the chart of adjustments and her notes about the visit to the vet and me the next day.

We have an appointment to go back in a couple of weeks to make sure the adjustments held, but she already told me she’s not concerned about that.

Obviously, I can’t say that every chiropractor will be the same way, but I really appreciated that she worked to earn Little One’s trust and kept me informed every step of the way. She obviously wanted Little One (and me) to be comfortable. It was also apparent that she loves her job and she loves working with animals. I enjoyed looking through the information that she sent after the appointment and have no qualms about taking Little One back to her.

If you’re interested in taking your dog to the chiropractor, be sure to talk to your vet. If your vet approves this as a course of treatment, they’ll probably be able to give you the names of a couple of chiropractors to look into.

My vet knew that I had a chiro picked out, but she still gave me a few suggestions if I changed my mind.

And, in case you’re wondering, Little One is doing really well. She’s running and jumping again and her little wiggle when she walks is back. It’s so good to see!

HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN YOUR DOG TO THE CHIROPRACTOR OR THOUGHT ABOUT IT? WOULD YOU CONSIDER IT?

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