Animal Chiropractic
Animal chiropractors are licensed Doctors of Chiropractic or Doctors of Veterinary Medicine who have undergone extensive additional training in anatomy, neurology, biomechanics, pathology, rehabilitation, and chiropractic adjusting techniques. Further competency board examinations can be completed with the College of Animal Chiropractors (COAC) and the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA).
Indications for Chiropractic Care:
Neck, back, or tail pain
Neurological issues
Injuries/falls
General stiffness
Difficulty with stairs or getting up and down
TMJ or dental issues
Sensitivity to touch
Recent surgery
Limping or abnormal gait
Change in behavior
Chronic health problems
Diagnosed conditions (hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc disease, etc.)
Horses may also benefit from chiropractic care if they have any of the following signs:
Refusal to pick up a lead or leg
Head shaking
Bucking under saddle
“Hunter’s bump”
Muscle imbalances
Unequal bending, inability to flex or collect
“Girthy” when saddled
Sensitivity when groomed
Injuries after a fall
Chiropractic is also important for wellness and maintenance care to promote:
Proper development in young animals
Optimal performance in working, show, and competition animals
Geriatric mobility and function
What to Expect
On the first visit, Dr. Bentley will take a full health history of your animal and perform a physical examination. This could involve watching the animal’s gait, performing ranges of motion, a neurological examination, and palpation to find any areas of pain, restriction or muscle tightness.
After the adjustment, some home-care exercises or stretches may be prescribed. Dr. Bentley will tell you how your animal might expect to feel after the adjustment, and may recommend a short walk for your pet or controlled turnout for your horse. This will allow their body to adjust to the changes they have experienced with the treatment.
Follow-up visits can be booked at any time. Some animals only require a single adjustment, and others respond well to an ongoing maintenance or preventative care schedule. The amount of time between adjustments is also different for every animal and depends on many factors such as if their complaint is acute or chronic, general health, age, previous treatment, etc. Dr. Bentley will come up with an individualized plan of management that will work best for your animal.
The initial assessment and first adjustment takes about 40 minutes and subsequent visits are generally much shorter.
All animal chiropractic is performed at Shining Waters Chiropractic clinic in Peterborough. In special circumstances, house calls can be arranged with a nominal travel fee.