McTimoney has been specifically adapted to treat animals
Like people, animals suffer from back, neck, pelvic and musculoskeletal problems and, like us, they can benefit from McTimoney chiropractic manipulation.
For more than forty years, McTimoney chiropractors have been helping horses, dogs, cats, farm animals and even some "exotics" with a non-invasive technique which involves no drugs or anaesthetic and which most animals accept quite readily.
Chiropractic manipulation aligns and balances the animal's musculoskeletal system. By manipulating any misaligned joints throughout the whole body, with special attention to the spine and pelvis, it helps both to restore and maintain health, soundness and performance. It works holistically to eliminate the cause, not just to treat the symptoms.
When should I seek help?
We rely on owners’ observations and subsequent referrals from veterinary surgeons. Indications include:
Lameness after a fall or other accident where alternative causes have been ruled out
Uncharacteristic changes in performance, behaviour or temperament
Limb-dragging or odd, irregular action
Reoccurrence of symptoms previously successfully treated by chiropractic manipulation
Absence of any resolution of the problem, using conventional methods
Always consult your veterinary surgeon BEFORE chiropractic treatment, as it is illegal for anyone to treat your animal without your veterinary surgeon's approval.
What causes these problems?
Trauma is often the most obvious cause e.g. falls, accidents, slipping, etc. Modern competitions often include tight turns, slippery going and twisty courses. More subtle causes are confrontation problems, such as long or weak backs, ill-fitting equipment, excess weight and even dental problems.
Horses
Horses did not evolve specifically to carry weights on their backs and modern competition places even more strain upon their skeletal structure. In addition to the general symptoms listed above, horses may also need treatment when showing the following signs:
- Unlevelness, especially behind
- Uneven wear of shoes
- Sore or "cold" backs; uneven pressure from saddles, numnahs etc
- Unexplained deterioration in usual performance
- Asymmetry, such as stiffness on one rein, or a disunited canter
- Unexplained resistance; such as napping, rearing, refusing, bucking etc
- Uneven muscle development or atrophy
As well as falls and accidents horses can damage their backs by; getting cast, slipping on icy or smooth roads and yards, wearing tight rollers, saddles or harness; being unable to meet the demands of jump-offs, advanced dressage etc.
Horses receive great benefit from preventative treatment - they are natural athletes and "fine tuning" helps them perform at their best.
Dogs
In addition to trauma, including road traffic accidents, dogs can have problems from modern competitions (greyhounds and agility dogs), and confrontation (dachshunds, bassetts, etc). These include:
Racing greyhounds running on tight tracks in one direction
Agility dogs encountering difficult obstacles on tight courses
Long-backed, short-legged breeds which are overweight
Symptoms that dogs may show include crying out when getting up, difficulty climbing stairs or jumping into cars, showing discomfort when stroked along their backs and reluctance to exercise.
Other animals
Cats may suffer skeletal problems from road traffic and other accidents, but often respond readily to treatment. Cattle that have slipped over, cows that have had difficulty calving and working bulls with pelvic problems can often be helped by manipulation. Sheep, goats, pigs, guinea pigs and even birds have also been treated successfully.
Case Studies :
- One 4 year-old New Forest pony ready for being broken, was found to be moving very oddly when weight was put on her back - her legs wouldn't move in the right directions. She was quite ataxic - the brain wasn't sending the right signals to the legs. On examination, the number of problems she found made the chiropractor suspect that the pony had been involved in a road traffic accident. She had mis-alignments in her neck, back and pelvis and improved a lot after the first treatment; following a second treatment two weeks later this improvement was maintained.
- A young sheepdog called 'Bess', had caught her hind leg in some wire when jumping over a fence. She was a very timid little dog, who had possibly been harshly treated during training. She had a twisted pelvis and problems in her lumbar region, which were put right in three sessions. She was very sweet and gave her chiropractor a lick at the end to say thank you very much. Dogs tend to be very expressive in their post-treatment behaviour.
- During a visit to a farm to treat a dog, the chiropractor was asked to have a look at an unfortunate duck which had been lame on one leg for a couple of months, and could only swim in circles. The chiropractor reported later, 'It was difficult to know where to start on a duck! But her owner held the 'sharp end', and I palpated her and felt how she would move. 24 hours later she was back to normal'.
Questions and Answers
Do I need a referral from a vet?
You must have the approval of your veterinary officer before anyone can treat your animal. It is illegal for anyone to treat an animal without the approval of a veterinary officer.
What types of animals do chiropractors treat?
McTimoney chiropractors work on all kinds of animals, but the most common are dogs, horses, and farm animals.
Is it safe?
Chiropractic treatment is very safe. Prior to any treatment the chiropractor will take a full history about the animal to ensure that there are no reasons why it should not receive treatment. If your chiropractor suspects a problem, which requires further investigation, then he/she will refer you to your vet before giving any treatment.
Will my animal like the treatment?
On the whole animals readily receive the treatment.
Does my animal need to be anaesthetized to have treatment?
No. The treatment involves no aneasthetic and requires no drugs to be administered. The chiropractors use only their hands to make adjustments to the animal's musculoskeletal system.