Animal Chiropractic – blog & certified!
I’ve loved animals ever since I was a little kid. I started out as a pre-vet major when I was a freshman in college, so this move is not a surprise to me; it’s a natural step. As many of you know, I have been traveling to Wellsville, Kansas for the past five months as I’ve been studying to become a certified animal chiropractor. My last trip was in February and I’m happy to announce that I passed the final exams, have officially graduated and am now a certified animal chiropractor. I’m so excited!
Some people may think this is strange, while others may think it’s really neat. Think about it – animals have spines and nervous systems as well. The brain of an animal tells its body what to do, by sending messages down the spinal cord out to every part of the body. Just like in people. And if there is nerve interference, and if there are problems in a spinal joint, then there can be problems. Pain, arthritis, disc problems, knee issues, kidney issues, and the list can go on.
During this 210-hour course (spread out over five long weeks), we worked on horses and dogs. If you’ve never seen a horse or dog get adjusted, you should, it’s really neat. Of the 30 or so people in my class, six were chiropractors and the rest veterinarians. It was great to be able to learn from these individuals and know that I have new friends spread out across the country that I could count on.
Animals can really benefit from chiropractic care, not only in helping them feel better, but also in their performance. Think of all the show horses and dogs out there – agility dogs, racehorses, show dogs – how much better can they be if their spine is in the right alignment? What about your family pet? The success stories we’ve heard range from a dog being able to jump on/off a couch again, a baby goat getting adjusted and being able to breast feed better, a horse being able to jump better, a dog being able to walk up & down stairs better. The benefits of chiropractic care for animals are amazing.
In the next few weeks we will be completing a room in our basement, which is where we will adjust the dogs. There will be special hours and times for that, so ask us about it if you have interest. We are also still in the process of changing our office name to Active Life Chiropractic. After all, we want all beings, either humans or four-legged furry friends, to be active, and to be under chiropractic care. It can make a huge difference in the life of that person or that animal.
