My 13-year-old Golden Retrieve, Orville, has always been my “baby”. I have spared no expense in his care, including the best trainer, groomer, food and supplements, and veterinary care. Animal Chiropractic
Just recently, I began to notice signs that he might be having trouble with his hips and joints. At first, I wasn’t too concerned because it might just be signs of aging. I was alarmed to learn that Orville might be in pain upon looking it up online. So I asked friends who happened to have a couple of older dogs as I hated the thought of my beloved companion hurting. They took their dogs to a veterinarian who specializes in chiropractic care for their canine, feline, and equine patients when they had a similar experience.
These friends recommended Ava Frick, DVM, so I set up an appointment with her at Animal Fitness Center, near St.Louis, Missouri. They were convinced that her care had made a difference in the quality of their dogs’ lives and praised her.
Orville’s first appointment with Dr. Frick was a month ago and just had his second appointment this afternoon.
Including pain that the pet might be experiencing in their back, leg, or even in their tail, Dr. Frick told me that she offers chiropractic care for dogs due to many reasons.
Basically, chiropractic care concentrates on disorders of the human nervous system, musculoskeletal system and how these systems affect our overall health. Animal chiropractic care is similar, since it concentrates on the dog, cat or horse and its nervous system, musculoskeletal system and their impact on the pet’s health.
Similar to what you expect from the first time you visit any doctor or veterinarian, our first appointment involved providing Orville’s health history. A visit to a veterinarian is no exception, it is also important to establish a thorough, accurate history when you visit a health care provider for the first time. Dr. Frick obtained information about Orville’s current state of health as well as the purpose why we made an appointment.
Just like what I experience when I visit my own chiropractor, she had Orville lie down so that she could examine him and adjust his spine. Orville was okay all throughout the exam. In fact, he has always loved to be messed with and it seemed like he was relaxing during a massage. That is, until Dr.Frick paid attention to his hips. Dr. Frick was even more careful in that area when Orville snarled a bit during the exam.
Following the exam, Dr. Frick spoke with me about the importance of making sure Orville gets more exercise. She said that we needed to strengthen the muscles in his back legs. Each day of small amount of exercise would prove beneficial. Something that I thought was really interesting was Dr.Frick’s advice to tickle Orville’s tummy while he was standing. This would help his spine, she said, because a dog will automatically hunch up when his stomach is touched.
I have been impressed with the care provided by Dr.Frick, and I am also glad that we have achieved such great results without stuffing pain pills into my dog. Animal Pain Relief
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