Sleepy Dog

Here is a few recent pictures of Winston.  He seems to be sleeping in the most funny spots lately.  Does your pet ever sleep in unusual places???

On the couch, pillows and Zoe's blanket

On the chair and on Nate's lap

On Zoe's stuffed horse

GO PACK GO!

This is Hachi and his mom Anita.  You can't tell in the picture but Hachi is wearing a Packers shirt and since the Pack just went to 8-0 for the season it reminded me to post his picture.  What a cutie!

Zoe Kisses

Zoe (my daughter) loves Winston (our wiener dog) :)  They have basically grown up together and today I found Zoe giving him lots of kisses!  Thank goodness he didn't mind getting his face squeezed off!

Webo

Webo

 This is Webo.  A while back I had a post about how I Love Dog Kisses.  Mr. Webo gives the BEST dog kisses I've ever had.  I've been working with Webo over the summer for weak and wobbly hind legs and a sore back.  Recently I learned some sad news that he has cancer.  We are not sure how long he has left with us but he has a heart of gold and is still super excited to come in have his back worked on and give me some super wet kisses ;)  You can check out I Love Dog Kisses post here.

Perfect Summer Day

It is the perfect summer day here is Wisconsin!  The humidity has FINALLY left and 70's and partly sunny is just perfect.  This butterfly is loving my Zinnia's today.

Look Who Is Getting Cozy

This is Farrah, my kitty.  She has claimed the kids car seat in the garage as her new bed.  Every time I open the door she is sleeping in it! 

my smallest client to date

Bumper

 I just had to get a picture of Bumper.  He is my smallest client so far weighing in at about 4 lbs!  I have to use my finger tips to adjust him.  Bumper is a show Chihuahua.  He came to see me for a sore lower back which was preventing him from showing his best.  Hopefully he will be back to his old self soon and rocking in the show ring!

Meet Pogo

Pogo

Pogo is one of my newest clients! Isn't he cute?  I think he looks like the dog from Men in Black ;) Pogo came in because he had a sore back and was walking around with a hunched up back and wouldn't jump up or down anymore.  He did great after his first visit so I think Pogo will be feeling much better soon.  I had a very busy day yesterday adjusting animals.  I spent the morning from 9-12 in Rhinelander, WI then traveled to Merrill, WI from 1-5.  Lots of dogs with lots of different reasons for visiting the chiropractor.  Some come in for stiff legs and odd gait, some for weak and wobbly back legs, others for disc disease and bulging discs and others for neck tightness and pain after chasing squirrels ;)

Winston came along for the day.  He is a good car buddy!

"Crazy" Mazie

Mazie smiling ;)

Had to keep saying "treat" to get her to hold still long enough for a picture

This is Mazie. Mazie is a German Shorthair/St. Bernard mix.  She looks like both of them but acts just like a Shorthair! I should know; I have one and he is crazy too!  Today when I saw her I thought the name "Crazy" Mazie suited her well because of how much energy she has!  I've been working with Mazie for over a year now for various things from a sore back to urine issues but I will always remember the 1st day Mazie came in.  She wasn't even 1 year old yet and it definitely took me the longest it has ever taken me to adjust an animal.  Even with her owner and I holding her we could barely get her to hold still.  She was literally bouncing off the walls!  Now when she comes in she is super energetic but then stands perfectly still while I do my adjusting and when I'm done then goes crazy again.  It is so funny to see her go from one extreme to the next. She a perfect angel when getting her adjustments. I think she knows it is going to feel good ;)

Thundershirts

My new found secret for anxiety in my dog!  This is a thundershirt.  The idea is that the constant pressure from the coat on the dogs chest and torso gives the dog a calming effect.  One of the veterinarian clinics that I work at have been selling them like crazy so I thought I had to give it a try for Winston who has extreme separation anxiety.  I've tried many things with him; kenneling, not kenneling, Composure (a supplement dog chew to help calm them), homeopathic drops in his water and on his food and nothing has helped.  I haven't and don't want to try medications with him.  Right now I kennel him but as soon as I close the house door he starts barking and begins licking his paws and legs.  Even if I am only gone for 5 minutes I come home and his legs are soaked!  I tried it yesterday for the first time.  I put it on him and put him in the kennel like usual.  As soon as I closed the house door amazingly I didn't hear any barking and when I got home after my 25 minute run his feet and legs weren't wet! So far good results! I think it is a great, easy and natural solution for anxiety and excitability.  Check out their website at www.thundershirt.com.

Winston

Lemon Beagle

Summer

This is Summer. My very first encounter with a Lemon Beagle! I had never heard of this coloring before but they are just beautiful! Lemon Beagles are gold/tan and white in color.  Summer was purchased from Arizona and from what I've heard they are more popular in the southern states.  I have been working with Summer for at least a year now helping to keep her loose and acting like a puppy again.  She has responded great to chiropractic care. 

I Love Dog Kisses

Yesterday morning I headed over to Oconto Falls to see a handful of dogs in the morning.  As I walked into the clinic an old, sort of mean looking, very wide chested boxer took me by surprise with a friendly growl and I thought to myself that this could be an interesting appointment.  I sat on the floor as the owner and I discussed what was going him.  He was a little nervous rooming around the room but for the most part was doing his best to ignore me.  After about 5 minutes he walked right up to me and as we were sitting there face to face I wondered for a second if my face was going to get bit off when he gave me some of the most slobbery, wet, dog kisses that I've ever had!  After he figured out I wasn't going to bother him much he continued with the kisses throughout his whole appointment.  I could still feel the dried slobber on my face at work that afternoon when I would smile ;)

Glucosamine Supplements

The majority of pets I see come to me with some kind of joint pain and or arthritis/degeneration and that's why I usually recommend some kind of glucosamine supplement for owners to add to their pets diet.  Glucosamine is an amino sugar which is the precursor to glycosaminoglycans which is the main component of joint cartilage.  Supplementation of glcosamine may help to prevent cartilage degeneration and help with cases of arthritis, disc disease and osteoarthritis.  Dogs with longer backs and shorter legs like my little Dachshund, Winston, has been taking Phycox daily since he was a baby to help prevent early disc disease which is common among dwarf gene breeds.  Senior pets, athletic pets, pets with hip and knee problems and of course back and neck issues could all benefit from a glucosamine supplement to help protect their joints. Always make sure to check with your veterinarian before starting your dog on any new supplement. 

Winston and my daughter Zoe

Carrot Stretches

This week I went out to work with "Pal", a Palomino with a stiff neck.  He was having a hard time turning to the left when his rider was asking him.  An easy way to tell if your horse may have some muscle tightness or a misalignment of the vertebra (subluxation) is with carrot stretches.  With your horse standing square and you off to its side, gently ask your horse to bend its neck back towards its stifle.  When they do so they get the carrot! Make sure to stretch both sides equally.  You can also ask your horse to stretch his head down between his front legs.  Again with you off to his side, hold a carrot between his front legs and he should bring his head all the way down close to the ground and really get a good stretch of his top line.  If your horse is unwilling to stretch a lot at first it may just be due to the fact that they are not quite sure what you are asking them to do or they may have some other concerns such as tight muscles or subluxations.

credit

Pal, did his carrot stretches great to his right side but very poorly to his left side.  I found subluxations at C5 and C7 on his left side and some very tight muscles in his lower neck and chest.  After some adjustments and a little muscle work he was doing his stretches like a champ on both sides!  If you've never done stretches before with your horse, take things nice and easy and don't make them stretch farther than they can.  Just imagine if you were to start Yoga without ever doing it before.  It may take some time for their muscles to get used to the stretches and to lengthen.

Bummer Day

Last week I saw a dachshund that came to me with sudden paralysis of his back legs (not an unusual case).  They drove 2 hours one way just to see me!  The dog was 7 years old and such a sweetie.  He had no injury but he had back issues a few years ago but not this bad.  He had no hind reflexes, no deep pain response, had no bowel or bladder control and was painful upon palpation of his spine in this lower back. I've seen this case many times, especially in dachshunds.  I adjusted him and recommended that he see the veterinarian for an exam and some possible pain meds/anti-inflammatories since it was 4 days since it had happened and they didn't take him in anywhere yet. The vet did an exam, urinalysis and prescribed some medications.  I sent them home with some easy exercises to do with him and had them ice his back throughout the day.
I called to check on this dog over the weekend and he seemed to be doing okay. He still wasn't walking but wasn't getting any worse and was eating better.  I was suppose to see him yesterday when they cancelled because the dog had passed away earlier that morning.  I was shocked.  Needless to say I called the family right away to see what had happened.  They said that the day before he was suppose to see me he started loosing control of his front legs so they took him in to their vet who did blood work, etc.  From what the family said, he had some sort of rare disease that there is no cure for and all tests come back negative.  It sounded like the paralysis traveled throughout his body and affected his breathing.  They thought the disease started with a "c" but couldn't remember the long name for it.  I have been searching for this rare disease but have been unable to find it thus far.  If you know....I would love to know so that I am better prepared for this in the future, although from what the family said there was nothing anyone could have done.  At first I thought it was a tick-borne disease but I think they are all treatable.  I also read up on Coon-paralysis but that too, is not fatal.  Would love to hear ideas if you have them! RIP Leo.

dogbreedswiki.com

Snow Day

The weather man just said we got 15.4 inches of snow with another 2-4 inches on the way.  How lovely! And I thought spring was on the way.  I was supposed to travel to Rhinelander and Merrill today for some animal appointments but I am not going anywhere.  Hopefully they can hold out for a few more weeks. This was Winston after Bohdi (our German Shorthair) made a little path for him :) Needless to say he was pooped when he got back in the house!

Acupuncture

At Best Friends Animal Care Center in Merrill, WI (one of the vet clinics I work at) Dr. Kate Alden is certified to treat animals with acupuncture.  It is quite amazing to see.  We work together on a lot of cases and those animals seem to get better faster.  I do my adjusting first to make sure everything is lined up properly, then Dr. Kate will do her acupuncture treatment and then follow up with laser therapy after that.  The dogs REALLY seem to love it!  I think its like going to the "spa" for them :)  Most of the time the dogs seem like they are falling asleep.  If you've never thought or heard about acupuncture for your pet, it's something to think about and there is a laundry list of conditions that it is helpful with.  It also works great in conjunction with other treatments such as chiropractic, laser therapy and your traditional veterinary medicine.  

fullissue.com

Sasha

I've been working with Sasha for almost a year now.  When she first came to me her owners brought her in for Degenerative Disc Disease (DJD).  She had jumped off the bed and then wouldn't move. I believe we adjusted her 4 times (her thoracic spine/middle back was the worst) and she was back to her good old self running around and jumping up and down like nothing had happened.  I hadn't seen Sasha for about 3 months or so when her owners brought her in with complaints that she was acting different.  She wasn't eating or drinking and was panting a lot.  She was in and out of the vets office a few times and had gotten fluids.  When I examined her, I found that her upper cervical spine was very tender and really out of alignment!  We did another short series of adjustments and had put her on a maintenance schedule every few months to make sure she stayed feeling well.  Last week Sasha's owners drove a total of 4 hours to bring her to me when she started limping for no reason (her owners are really great!).  Her lumbar spine (lower back) was out of alignment this time.  She hadn't done anything besides walk through some deep snow but that might have been just enough to throw her back out of alignment.  I checked in with her owners on Monday and she was doing a little better but still limping.  I will she her again this week and hopefully she has made some marked improvements.  Sasha is a older dog but responds great to her adjustments! Hopefully she will bounce back just as quickly from this last episode. 

Sasha's gait last week.

Success Story

I just received this email and I thought I would share:

Hello Doctors Kate & Kristy!

After these several months have passed I wanted to give you each an update on Cinder’s condition following the care you gave her subsequent to her spinal injury in August 2010. You may remember that the injury resulted in the loss of use of her back legs for a time.

Dr. Kate treated her injury promptly (next day) and after the first few treatments she could actually walk again. At home, however, I observed that she still had difficulty moving about the house, especially on tile, or when we and her two brothers went for walks. She would fall occasionally; she would scrape her rear toenails on the ground as she walked; her tail would be mostly limp and flop from side to side with her stride, as if she had only partial control of it or maybe of her rear end in general. Dr. Kristy’s chiropractic adjustments really helped in overcoming that problem. There was steady improvement over the weeks.

What prompts me to write you today are some things I observed about her on our walks, now that the ice is gone from our street. First, her toenails do not scrape the pavement at all any more, indicating to me that she has regained much strength and control in her back legs & ankles. I have been doing the test you taught me of turning her toes under & backwards as she stands. She corrects that position immediately now. She won’t put the slightest amount of weight on the foot until she corrects its position. Furthermore, when we walk her tail no longer wobbles around; she carries it steadily and in the typical up-curve so customary among doxies, and completely under control.

I could go on and on about how crucial and indispensable your treatments were in helping Cinder. Many, many thanks to you both! It is a wonderful success story.

Greg S.

Rhinelander, WI

Laser Therapy

Two of the three vet clinics I work at have laser therapy.  Laser therapy is helpful for pets with inflammatory conditions, arthritis, neck and back pain, trauma injuries, surgery recovery, open wounds and more.  I see faster changes in my patients that get laser therapy treatments after I adjust them than in the ones that do not have laser therapy.  The laser helps to promote healing at the cellular level and also provides pain relief.  There are no side effects and the pets seem to REALLY enjoy it.  It works great in conjunction to alternative therapies like chiropractic and acupuncture as well as traditional veterinary medicine.  To learn more about the types of laser therapy check out Laser Therapy for Dogs.

How do I know if my pet needs to see a chiropractor?

I get this question a lot!  If your pet is experiencing; neck, back, leg or tail pain, limping or lameness, problems getting up or down, wobbly or uncoordinated gait, hunched back, lack of energy/play, won't jump up or down, bowel or bladder problems, gait issues, muscle loss, saddling issues, won't pick up certain gaits, halter or bit issues, paralysis, disc disease or arthritis; chiropractic may be able to help.  I've also worked with pets to help with; reverse sneezing, bucking, irritability, leaking urine, neck spasms, old age, scoliosis, surgery recovery and to help improve show and athletic performance.  Some pets may show signs of discomfort such as flinching when getting pet or brushed, growling or biting, whimpering, shaking, or simply not doing anything when they would normally be running around.  If your pet is or has experienced any of these in the past, chiropractic treatments may be an alternative option to try before loading them up with medications or performing surgeries.  Chiropractic works great with traditional veterinary medicine as well as with other alternative treatments such as acupuncture, massage and laser therapies.

Animal Chiropractic.....Really?

I get this question just about every day. When people first find out that I work on animal patients as well as a human patients they almost always respond with, Really?!? Is that even possible? Why does my pet need adjustments? Or, how do you adjust a dog or even a horse for that matter?
My answer is simple. Animals in general, have the same parts that we do and are subject to trauma and other stresses of the world just as we are. They have spinal columns just like we do and those vertebra can subluxate (mis-align) just like ours can. When that happens they to can have pain just like we can. So, why not have Animal Chiropractors? All of our fury friends, wether it's your hunting buddy, running partner, squirrel chaser or yes, even your lap dog deserves to be in the best health possible!

Potcakes

A few months ago I had my first encounter with a "Potcake".  A "Potcake" is a recognized breed of dog from the Bahamas, and in the Turks and Caicos Islands.  "Potcake" is the Bahamian word for the thick food that remains on the bottom of a pot of peas and rice.  The Bahamian people would feed these leftovers to the outdoor, indigenous dogs that roamed the Bahamas.  Hence how they got their names!  This breed has a wonderful temperament and a unique look.  One of my clients recently went on vacation and adopted one while she was there! For more information on Potcakes you can check out www.potcakeplace.com and www.potcake.org

www.thedogfiles.com

Dwarf Genes

2009-2010 was the year of the Dachshunds.  A good 40%-50% of my clients were Dachshunds. Most of them came to me in pain and with a gait issue, either dragging their hind legs or walking like they had a few to many drinks.  This is unfortunately a story I hear and see to often due to dwarf genes found in Dachshunds, Basset Hounds, Beagles etc. These breeds of dogs are called Chondrodystropic (referring to abnormal cartilage) breeds and are  prone to Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).  The disc is located in-between the vertebra and is made of cartilage and can degenerate (thin), calcify, bulge or rupture causing pain, in-coordination, wobbly gait or paralysis.  IVDD often occurs at a much faster rate in Chondrodystropic breeds and can be seen in some dogs as young as 6 months. Most of the dogs I've worked with have been around 2-6 years of age.  Some come in after an injury like jumping out of the car or off of the bed/couch and in some it just seems to come on over the course of a few days.  These dogs are usually referred to me after they've been to their primary veterinarian, have had x-rays, are on a course of anti-inflammatories and pain medications and their owners don't know what else to do and do not want to have surgery.  To this date I've never had 1 dog that hasn't walked after it came to me down.  Some it takes as little as a week to get them up and moving and my longest took about 3 months but they can now all walk and have regained their quality of life back. 
With all of the Dachshunds I met and worked with I started to fall in love with their cute stubby legs and attention craving personalities.  In 2009 I got Winston and although I know way to well of the issues these dogs can have with their backs I figured that if heaven forbid, my little Winston's back gets bad that at least I can adjust him and work on him daily until he is up and well again.
There are a few things you can do to help prevent and or reduce the symptoms of IVDD in your pet by, #1: making sure they are not overweight and get plenty of exercise, #2: reduce jumping up and down as much as possible (build ramps or steps if necessary or lift up or down) and #3: have your pet on a glucosamine supplement to help keep their joints strong.

Winston

Tick Paralysis

One of the vets that I work with called me this week and left me a message about a patient of ours that we both saw last week. It was a older black lab that came in and had sudden in-coordination/paralysis of the hind legs with no known injury.  The paralysis seemed to come on over the course of a few days and seemed to be getting worse. The owner also mentioned that the dogs bark had changed from a really low and loud pitched voice to a very high and soft bark and she was wondering if that had anything to do with her hind end weakness.  I couldn't correlate her bark to her back/legs unless she was in some sort of pain which she really didn't seem to be. I did my usual exam and looked over the x-rays of the lumbar spine and pelvis. For an older dog the x-rays looked pretty good and her back wasn't that far out of alignment. I found some mild areas of restriction in her spine so I adjusted her and she was off to have her acupuncture and laser therapy. I would see her again in 2 weeks to see how she was doing.  Before they left that day the vet that I work with did a little research on loss of bark in dogs and came across Sudden Tick Paralysis.  The owners were sent home with a box of Frontline just in case. 
Sudden Tick Paralysis is a somewhat rare occurrence from what I've heard (the vet I work with had not seen a case of it yet and I've never heard of it) and occurs when an engorged female tick produces a neurotoxin and transmits it to the host when feeding.  Paralysis and in-coordination of the hind legs is one of the first symptoms following with the front legs and it can also effect the respiratory system (hence the loss of voice).  If the tick is not removed death can occur at a rapid pace.  Once the tick is removed often the symptoms rapidly disappear. 
This particular patient was in this past week to have another acupuncture treatment when apparently she walked right in and her voice was also back to normal!  What an interesting case...I guess we don't know for sure if that's what it was but it sure does sound like it.  I will know more this week when I get to see them again.   Just when you think it's the dead of winter and there shouldn't be any ticks outside guess again.  Make sure to use Frontline on a regular basis and check your pets for ticks if they go outside.  Another lesson learned!