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