As many of you know, larger older dogs like our yellow lab Sugar, tend to suffer with joint and hip pain.  I had never thought of chiropractic care to help ease that pain until I got this from a friend in Missouri who has a 13-year-old Golden Retriever named Orville.  He has always been his "baby" and has provided the best in caring for him.

He began noticing signs that Orville might be having trouble with his hips and joints recently. He wasn't too concerned at first as it might just be signs of aging but became alarmed to learn that Orville might be in pain when he looked it up online. He sought the advice of friends who happened to have a couple of older dogs. They took their dogs to a veterinarian who specialized in chiropractic care for canine, feline, and equine patients when they had a similar experience.

So he scheduled an appointment with Ava Frick, DVM with her Animal Fitness Center, near St. Louis, Missouri since his friends recommended her. They praised Dr. Frick and were convinced that her care had made a difference in the quality of their dogs' lives.

Orville had his initial appointment with Dr. Frick a month ago and just had his second appointment recently.

Dr. Frick informed him that she performs chiropractic care for dogs due to many reasons, which includes pain that the pet might be experiencing in their back, leg, or even in their tail.

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 the same since it concentrates on the dog, cat, or horse and its nervous system, musculoskeletal system and their impact on the pet's health.

Orville's first appointment involved providing his health history, similar to what you might expect the first time you visit any other doctor or veterinarian. It is important for a thorough, accurate history to be established when you visit a health care provider for the first time, which is why a visit to a veterinarian is no exception. Dr. Frick obtained information about Orville's current state of health as well as the purpose why they made an appointment.

Similar to 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. He actually 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.

Dr. Frick talked about the importance of making sure Orville got more exercise after the exam. She said that he needed to strengthen the muscles in his back legs. Even a small amount of exercise each day would prove beneficial. Something that I thought was really interesting was Dr.Frick's advice to tickle Orville's tummy while he was standing. She said that this would help his spine since a dog will automatically hunch up when his stomach is touched.

He was impressed with the care provided by Dr.Frick, and glad that they achieved such great results without stuffing pain pills into his dog.

Ava Frick, DVM oversees canine Fitness Center in Union, Missouri. Her veterinary practice aims are canine nutrition, recovery, pain control, and canine chiropractic care.  I did a search online for canine chiropractic and found veterinarians who perform these services in my neck of the woods. You may want to do the same!

Debbie Foster is the owner of Pet Beds Unlimited and an avid animal lover. You’ll find a wide selection of quality pet beds, dog crates, dog carriers, dog pens, cat beds, cat carriers, small dog beds, large dog beds, pet strollers and more at http://petbedsunlimited.com.