Canine Chiropractic? Acupuncture for Dogs?

It really does exist. And it really does work. We spent this afternoon at the veterinarian's office where my darling Marley got one hell of a chiropractic treatment. I've never seen her flinch so much. I think she's really been hurting. The vet said that going so long between treatments combined with the rough winter we had has probably made her pretty stiff and sore. That's why she reacted the way she did to the Chiropractic treatment today.

She's had acupuncture in the past and it usually relaxes her. We generally have to hold her up to keep her standing once the needles are in. Today, she cried a couple of times when the needles were put in. It made me cry too. In the long run, it's for the best though. I hope she knows it will make her feel better overall.

I'm wondering if it may be time to have her x-rayed again. This is one of the x-rays she had done a year ago. It shows her shallow (dysplastic) hip joint and her vertebrae that are too close together.

It's so painful for me to have a broken dog. I feel badly that she's in pain and not able to communicate to me what she would like. I could drug her up on NSAIDs the rest of her life which is what a traditional vet would recommend. Or I can choose to try this homeopathic route. So far, I think it's working. I just need to make sure to get her in more often and keep stretching and massaging (something I have really slacked on the last few months). I can tell when she is really sore but sometimes I can't tell if she really feels well or she feels pain but not enough to actually display it. I wish she were able to talk to me and tell me her pains and her wishes. She's got a long life ahead and I have to make all the decisions for her. I have to just believe I am doing what is best and anything is worth it as long as it makes her feel better. I'm happy to have a wonderful homeopathic veterinarian who has a huge impact on her health and well-being!