Animal Chiropractic FAQ & Links

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 An initial visit takes about 15-30 min. Dr. Ashley takes time to hear more about the animal's condition and why they are seeking chiropractic care as well as letting the animal warm up and get to know her. Sequential visits will take about 15-20 minutes. 

Sometimes the animal will flinch, try to nip, pin their ears, or yelp/cry out when receiving their chiropractic adjustment. This is because some of the subluxations have been there for quite some time and are stuck. It is initially tender to get the segments moving again but generally after the adjustment is given, the animal is in relief. Their actions are just their way of communicating their feelings to us.  

We want the animals to move after their adjustment so they can engage their brain and nervous system and create new synapses or exercise the current ones. However, we do not want them to be heavily worked for about 24 hours after the adjustment. This gives them the freedom to move how they wish. For a horse, that means to turn them out! Do not put them back in a stall for at least a few hours. For a dog, this means, let them play as they wish and if they are a working or agility dog, give them the day off and return to their normal schedule the following day.  

Three things can happen after your pet is adjusted: 

• Your pet may seem tired, sore
  
  • Just like when we start working-out after a long lazy period, your furry partner may feel sore after their adjustment. Each adjustment will restore a little more motion into specific segments of the spine that are adjusted. Adhesions form as the body's perfect attempt to protect and stabilize that segment or region of the spine. They are normal and natural. And it may take a few adjustments to re-balance and re-train the muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia to move as they were initially designed to. ​
  • Sometimes there is an overload of information coming in to the brain and the body needs time to rest and recover. It is finally being told where to heal in a clear message!
• Your pet may act completely normal
  
  • He/she may take their adjustments in stride. Some are able to integrate their adjustment and the information quickly. Awesome! Let them continue to be as active as they desire.
• Your pet may be energized
  
  • Sometimes the additional information is like 'WHOA! I can feel again!' Your pet may appear to be happy, thankful, and move as they did years ago! Be cautious as they may think they have more energy than they actually do​ and may run out of steam and need to rest. Or they may love being able to move fluidly again and will have a totally different attitude. 

All of these responses are expected and normal. It all depends on what the condition is, how long your pet has had it, and how our pet integrates the adjustment. If you have any questions or concerns with your pet's reaction, do not hesitate to call your primary Veterinarian or your Chiropractor. 

Please contact us with your questions! We are happy to answer them!