By: Kaitlyn Lackey DC cAVCA Published: April 6, 2024 In a robust marketplace, it can be confusing what to choose when it comes to ensuring your 4 legged family member's joint health. Many pet parents across the world purchase joint supplements as a means to ensure that their pet is comfortable and healthy well into their golden years. But, are joint supplements really effective? Are they even necessary? In this blog post, we'll talk about what joint supplements are, how to choose a safe brand, the most common problems we see in the marketplace, our opinion on whether your pet needs them ..read more

By: Kaitlyn Lackey DC cAVCA Published: March 8, 2024 The stifle, akin to the human knee, can be a common painful area in smaller dogs. Unlike larger dogs, luxating patella is a common problem that can cause reoccurring joint pain in our smaller 4 legged companions. In addition to traditional veterinary medicine, you might consider exploring complementary means of helping your dog be more comfortable. Complementary is an umbrella term that could include different modalities or treatments, such as: animal chiropractic, canine massage, rehabilitation, red light therapy, and more. Animal chiropra ..read more

Why is this information important? When you think about pets struggling with mobility, there is often a slow and gradual onset to their aches and pains. Many pet parents share with me that they don't know why they waited so long to get started once they see how much chiropractic care has benefitted their animal. Pets are not like people. A common survey amongst pet parents showed that over 80% of pet owners think an animal will vocalize or cry out when they are in pain. However, that is not reality. It's very common that a pet will hide their symptoms for as long as possible in an effort to ..read more

Why is this information important? When you think about pets struggling with mobility, there is often a slow and gradual onset to their aches and pains. Many pet parents share with me that they don't know why they waited so long to get started. When you see how much relief your pet can get from chiropractic care, it begs the question: why don't we do this preventatively? There is so much chiropractic can do for your animal BEFORE a problem starts Why would I get my puppy adjusted Aid in proper growth and development ⁠ Did you know that your pet's skeleton isn't fully developed until 6-8 mont ..read more

Why is this information important? Animals are unable to talk and advocate for themselves. When it comes to their healthcare, sometimes a hands on approach isn't always welcomed (because sometimes things HURT!) As an animal's owner, there are a lot of behavioral methods you can utilize before your pet's visit in order to facilitate a happy and fearless encounter with a hands on professional, such as an animal chiropractor. This help your pet enjoy their visit as well as help to keep your hands on professional SAFE. My top tips to help get your animal ready Work on any stranger danger ⁠ Many ..read more

⁠HOW TO KNOW IF IT'S TIME TO LET GO While it is never easy, end of life decisions are one of the most important jobs we can have as a pet owner. Choosing a death with dignity can be one of the most compassionate gifts that you can give your animal.⁠ In this blog post, we are going to go over how to refocus on objective measures, how to assess our limitations, and how to help our pet have their best last day. WHAT ARE OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENTS? ⁠It can be hard to make a decision during an emotional time. To help, consider trying to shift your focus to something objective. An objective measurement ..read more

⁠HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR DOG IS LIMPING Our four legged friends are well adapted to compensating and suppressing signs and symptoms of pain. It's important as their caretakers that we notice the subtle signs of dysfunction before a small limp becomes a big deal. If you suspect your dog may be limping, pay attention and look for the following signs and symptoms of dysfunction. 1. HEAD BOBBING: Watch your pet for a sudden rise in their head carriage. This is easiest to notice at the trot. Generally, a pet will head bob when they are trying to offload a painful leg as it strikes the ground. Their he ..read more

When your pet hasn't seen the vet first When it comes to receiving chiropractic care for your pet, it's important to remember that chiropractic care is in complement to your pre-existing veterinary routine. When your pet sees the vet first, your vet is able to rule out the more malignant causes of your pet's pain. When the big scary things like cancer, broken bones, or other maladies are ruled out, it can allow your animal chiropractic provider to know that they can truly make a difference for your pet's health. It's also important to consider that chiropractic care does not address or replac ..read more

Knowing your pet I love performance animals because more often than not, the owner knows their animal.⁠ ⁠ Performance owners are able to pick up on small subtle changes in their pet's performance and know when something is "not quite right."⁠ ⁠ The most common reason pet owners seek out chiropractic is due to a change in routine or performance. For animal athletes, this can look different than your companion animals.⁠ ⁠ Most often, you might notice change in stamina, refusing certain obstacles, having a hard time with navigation, dropping rails, and more. Warm up! Simple, short, intentional r ..read more

Hunched or arched back Many pet parents wish their pets could talk. Surely then it would be easier to know if they were in pain! I deal with a lot of pets with musculoskeletal pain, so we'll be addressing common ways to identify joint pain this month. At the top of my list is back pain. I see a lot of pet's that come in with an arched hunchback and this is due to painful muscle spasms. If you can see an excessive C in your pet's back, that is their way of showing you it may be time to get in for an appointment! Sitting sideways Does your pup struggle to bend both knees and sit squarely throu ..read more