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By Dr. Andi Harper
I received a call to set up an appointment
for a 10 year old Bassett hound, named Raisin, as she was having
a lot of pain in her back. Her veterinarian recommended that she
have a chiropractic adjustment. Raisin’s owner had never heard
of such a thing but trusted her vet and wanted Raisin to feel
better and wished her dog would act like her old self as soon as
possible. We set the appointment and I met a very sweet and
painful Raisin two days later.
It was a low point when the dog’s owner
called a new vet, a mobile service, believing it would be to put
her beloved Bassett hound "to sleep." She couldn’t
handle seeing Raisin in so much pain and her regular vet offered
only one option. That option was an MRI to first diagnose the
location of the problem and then surgery, which would have
totaled about $10,000. Even though Raisin was loved very much,
the price tag was just too much for Raisin’s owner to
consider.
This is where I come in. The second vet was
aware of another option for the dog, chiropractic care. Yes, it
is a sound practice for animals as well as people. When I first
met Raisin, she was having a hard time getting around, weak in
the back end with crossing of her back feet which is a
neurological sign that a nerve is not transmitting the right or
all the information from the brain, down the spinal cord to the
injured area.
The first chiropractic visit is usually very
strange for a dog and although Raisin was very happy to have
company, she was not to happy to have me palpating her back to
find the spots that hurt the most. After locating the most
sensitive areas along the spine, I palpate or feel for the
spinal joints that are not moving as well as other joints in the
spine. Next, I adjust the animal moving the joints or vertebras
so the nerves can operate freely and correctly. It is very small
motion made with my hands and very quick; most owners don’t
even realize that I have just adjusted their pet. Usually the
adjustment is non-painful but it does depend on how painful or
acute the injury is when I see the pet. I am happy to report
with a few head spins and a lot of squirming I completed
Raisin’s adjustments without incident. We set up another
appointment for two weeks and for her to continue with her
vet’s directions. But I did warm Raisin’s owner that she may
be in more pain the rest of that day and that she should be kept
very quiet and most likely will sleep a lot. With quadrupeds,
those with four feet, it takes a little longer to integrate new
neurological information than humans; therefore it takes up to
three days for the pet owner to see the full results of the
adjustments.
At our next appointment, two weeks later, I
walked in to see Raisin up and about, walking around on all four
feet, just a little wobbly in the back end. No more crossing of
the back legs when she went to make a turn and her owner reports
that she is getting around very well and having a much easier
time getting up from a seated position. Raisin’s owner was
very excited by seeing that in a very small amount of time she
went from thinking it was time to say good by to Raisin to
having her dog back and about 50-60% better. Raisin would still
have preferred a belly rub to all this adjusting stuff but I was
excited to see her roll onto her back. If a dog’s back is in
pain, the last thing they will do is roll over onto their back
and wiggle around.
There is a running joke in my family that I
should have gone to vet school. I am happy to say being an
animal chiropractor is even better! I get to be the fun doctor,
the doctor that makes the pet feel better not the doctor that
gives shots and takes their temperature in the you know
where….And now I have the pleasure and the immense opportunity
to help animals.
The most common question people ask, once
they know about animal chiropractic is, "How do you know
when your dog, cat, or horse needs a chiropractic
adjustment?" My answer is where I ask the same question
back, "How do you know when you need an adjustment? Those
of you who have been to a chiropractor might answer,
"Arthritis, muscle or joint injury, a previous injury that
acts up, being a weekend warrior and overdoing it, muscle spasm,
slips/falls. Some people choose wellness care and visit their
chiropractor for a tune up once a month. It feels good and is
good for your overall health and well-being.
I saw Raisin again 2 weeks later and she is
still healing, yet is getting along great. She is still taking
her veterinarian’s advice of prescribed medications to help
with the inflammation and healing. She now likes being adjusted
and will sit like a perfect lady. She seems to understand that I
have something to do with the fact that she experiences a lot
less pain these days. She is doing so well that her follow up
appointment is one month out because of her progress. It was my
truest pleasure to meet Raisin and help her out of pain!! I love
being an animal chiropractor.
Dr. Andi Harper graduated from National
University of Health Sciences in April 2002 with her doctorate
in chiropractic and completed her post-graduate course in animal
chiropractic in January 2003. She has been practicing animal
chiropractic for the past six years and decided to focus her
practice exclusively on animals two years ago. She works out of
several different veterinarian clinics around the Denver metro
area. You may contact her below:
Dr. Andi Harper
Certified Animal Chiropractor
Laser Therapy
Harper’s Ridge Chiropractic Care
303.518.3688
www.HarpersRidge.com
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