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Snap! Crackle! Pop! Millions of humans visit chiropractors each year. But how about your dog? I chose this alternative therapy for Bonnie, my seven-year-old beagle, to relieve her pain after surgery and end her dependence upon Rimadyl, a popular anti-inflammatory pain medication (NSAID) for pets.
About four months after Bonnie's cervical disc surgery (see Part 3), we acquired another beagle named Speckles. Whereas Bonnie is sweet, quiet, and playful, Speckles is your stereotypical beagle – pushy, loud, and into everything. She played a little too roughly with Bonnie and aggravated Bonnie's still-healing neck. Once again, Bonnie was staring at the floor. To make matters worse, her hind toes also started to drag while she walked.
Faced with the painful possibility of having to put down my beloved beagle, I sought out a canine chiropractor. Dr. Donna Raditic at the VCA All Caring Animal Hospital is a veterinarian who specializes in chiropractic care, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nutrition. She evaluated Bonnie and concluded that her condition could be helped by chiropractic manipulation. And I could even do some of Bonnie's therapy at home!
Some of the work that Dr. Raditic performed on my dog included spinal manipulations, not unlike those performed on humans. Bonnie also had her toes and tail wiggled, her shoulder joints pushed up and down to loosen them, and her neck massaged and stretched. Her absolute favorite is performed while she sits down. I run my thumbs down her spine (one on each side) from neck to tail. This really loosens up her back.
Bonnie visited her chiropractor weekly for a month, then twice a week, then monthly. After a year, she no longer needed Rimadyl and has remained without painkillers with the exception of one episode. She receives chiropractic "tune-ups" twice a year and I perform the therapeutic massage maneuvers I know how to do about once a week or so.
 So how is Bonnie doing now? She is now 13 years old and doing great! Now that her feet no longer drag, she can look up at the birds that fly overhead. Overall, she seems happy and pain-free. We take regular walks of a few miles several times a week over varied terrain. Today, Bonnie is just as active as my other beagle (age six) and is just as healthy. Maybe even more so – Speckles, my other dog, has allergy problems, but I'll save that for a future blog entry.
Resource:
https://www.petplace.com/dogs/intervertebral-disc-disease-cervical-area/page1.aspx
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Re: Canine Chiropractic Care (Part 4)
