Can you feel your ribs?
Recently I brought my dog to the chiropractor (who works out of a vet office) and she was pleased to be able to feel the ribs on my dog. You see in the veterinary world, they look to see if they can easily see & feel a dog’s ribs in order to determine if they are healthy or overweight. Kalo had been a healthy number, but over the summer, Kalo had put on a few extra pounds, most likely because the heat limits how much outdoor exercise she gets. So her number had increased. However, the cool winter weather let her run with me, chase tennis balls all day long at the office, and burn off lots of calories. As a result, she dropped the weight and is healthier again.
So, can you feel your ribs easily, or are you overweight? What if MD’s used that to determine the health of people in our society? My guess is that a large percentage of people can’t see or feel their ribs, so they would be classified as overweight by the vets. And I bet that is true. So next time you aren’t sure about your weight, feel around, see if you can see or feel your ribs. It’s something to think about.
Now….back to what probably caught the attention of most people. Yes, dogs can get adjusted. Animal chiropractic is a real thing, with it being especially very common among horses, though many dogs & cats get adjusted as well. Why don’t I adjust my own dog? Mostly because I’m not trained in it, and I don’t want to mess around with my dog without proper credentials. Kind of like twisting yourself and “cracking” your own back or neck, you don’t want to be doing that. I’d much rather bring her to a professional who knows what they are doing.
Kalo likes getting adjusted, she doesn’t move around, it’s like she instinctively knows she has to stay still. Dr. Heidi adjusts her neck, her back, her pelvis, her feet, and even her jaw (from holding onto that tennis ball so much). I know it helps her, I mean dogs have spine’s and nervous systems as well, why would we not take care of them?
There are only a few trained & certified animal chiropractors around here, let me know if you want more information on any of them. Chiropractic works, whether it’s an animal or a human being.
