Dr. Darcey Walraven Ladner is a board certified chiropractor and is an internationally certified animal chiropractor (IVCA). Dr. Darcey provides chiropractic care for horses, dogs, and cats for the following cities and their surrounding areas: Charlotte, Monroe, Huntersville, Statesville, Raleigh, Banner Elk, and York. If you have a horse, dog, or cat that may need chiropractic care, contact Dr. Darcey.

Why use chiropractic treatment for animals?

The health of any animal depends upon the correct alignment of their body parts. Chiropractic techniques can provide an immediate reduction in pain and an increased range of motion. Chiropractic treatment can also identify and treat other undiagnosed health problems.
Aches, pains, and unevenness of gait may be signs that your animal’s body isn't working right. Your animal’s brain, spinal cord and nerves control how its body works. Physical, chemical or emotional stresses produce a defensive posture: muscles contract, locking spinal joints that pinch or irritate nearby nerves. An improperly functioning nervous system sets the stage for disease and pain. A thorough examination helps chiropractors find these problem areas. By applying a precise force to stuck spinal joints, your chiropractor helps the body right itself by unlocking the stuck joints and freeing the nerves to do their jobs properly. Health and proper motion usually return as the treatment restores the proper joint motion and nervous system function.

Chiropractic treatment for horses

Routine wear and tear, stress, or changes in work load can add biomechanical stress to the horse's body. Biomechanical stress can cause abnormal stress to the joints and muscles, as well as inhibit the peripheral nerves' ability to smoothly and quickly communicate with the rest of the body.

Signs and symptoms that my horse may need chiropractic treatment

Horses with Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSCs) may present with many symptoms, the most common of which is pain. Horses with back pain often express this in their posture or in their refusal to work. They often attempt to compensate for the pain by changing posture and way of going, resulting in other problems such as joint changes. The following symptoms in a horse may indicate pain caused by a VSC:
•    Reduced performance
•    Abnormal posture
•    Snapping or pinning ears when being saddled
•    Insubordination when being ridden
•    Head tossing or hollowing the back
•    Swishing its tail and pinning back its ears
•    Disobedience when jumping
•    Difficulties with collected or lateral gaits
•    Changes in behavior
•    Sensitivity to touch
•    Rider is seated off center due to the horse
•    The back does not swing
•    Unleveled gait rhythm
•    Irregular gait which can't be assigned to a particular leg
•    Stiffness when the horse leaves the stable
•    Stiffness when bending and in its general posture
•    Muscular atrophy
•    Brushing or interfering
•    Difficulty engaging the hindquarters
•    Difficulty working "long and low"
•    Shortened stride in one or more legs
•    Overall decreased range of motion in gait
•    Difficulty flexing the poll
•    Lameness
•    Horse pulls against one rein
Keep in mind that your horse may or may not experience any symptoms of spinal misalignment but a regular check up will help to prevent any problems that may arise in the future!

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Chiropractic treatment for dogs

Chiropractic care is a holistic approach to many of the health and performance problems of the dog. Chiropractic does not replace traditional veterinary medicine and surgery, but provides an alternative method of care. Chiropractic adjustments have proven to be invaluable in detecting and treating gait abnormalities and other performance-robbing problems. It has also been shown to alleviate pain in the back and neck of the dog.

Signs and symptoms that my dog may need chiropractic treatment

The most common symptoms associated with spinal VSC are pain, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Dogs in pain will show compensatory changes in posture and gait. These changes can cause stress in other joints and muscles. Symptoms include:
•    Reluctance to move
•    Abnormal posture
•    Disability to climb stairs or jump onto raised areas
•    Limited performance
•    Signs of pain when performing certain movements
•    Animal lies on only one side
•    Disobedience when jumping
•    Altered sitting position (so-called "puppy sitting")
•    Changes in behavior
•    Frightened or painful facial expression
•    Sensitivity to touch
•    Unleveled gait rhythm
•    Irregular gait
•    Stiffness after sleeping
•    Stiffness when bending
•    Muscular atrophy
•    Lick granuloma
•    Sciatica neuralgia
•    Undefined lameness
•    Shortened stride
•    Decreased range of motion
•    The back does not swing

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Chiropractic treatment for cats

There are over 100 joints in the cat spine. When any one of these joints fails to move properly the motion of the animal is adversely affected and symptoms of pain or illness can manifest.

Signs and symptoms that my cat may need chiropractic treatment

The most common symptoms associated with spinal VSC are pain, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Cats in pain will show compensatory changes in posture and gait. These changes can cause stress in other joints and muscles.
•  Reluctance to move
•    Abnormal posture
•    Disability to climb stairs or jump onto raised areas
•    Limited performance
•    Signs of pain when performing certain movements
•    Animal lies on only one side
•    Disobedience when jumping
•    Changes in behavior
•    Frightened or painful facial expression
•    Sensitivity to touch
•    Unleveled gait rhythm
•    Irregular gait
•    Stiffness after sleeping
•    Stiffness when bending
•    Muscular atrophy
•    Lick granuloma
•    Sciatica neuralgia
•    Shortened stride
•    Decreased range of motion
•    The back does not swing

For more information regarding animal chiropractic please visit OmniAnimalChiropractic.com or call (704) 208-5129. For fastest correspondence, please email us at info@OmniAnimalChiropractic.com.                 

Chiropractic care is NOT intended to replace traditional veterinary care. It is intended to be used in conjunction with veterinary care to provide an additional means of treatment and diagnosis for spinal problems as well as biomechanical related musculoskeletal disorders.