Published: January 17, 2008 09:31 am         

Moore Family Chiropractic goes to the dogs and horses

Moore Family Chiropractic is taking chiropractic care to a whole new level. Dr. Clinton Moore, who has been operating his chiropractic practice for humans in Locust Grove for over five years, recently added animal chiropractics to his resume.

Although Moore’s main practice will be on humans, he will offer help to animals by veterinarian referral. Right now he is working with Locust Grove Animal Clinic and sets appointments after hours to help his four-legged patients.

“I like to do it,” said Moore, who adjusts lots of horses and dogs. “The hardest animal to adjust is a cat, of the domestic animals.”

Moore recently spent over 270 hours at Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, Texas, learning how to adjust animals. He started in March of 2007 and attended classes one weekend a month beginning on Thursdays and ending on Sunday.

“Every animal has something different you have to know to adjust it,” Moore said.

The school Moore attended helped him to gain experience in adjustment, anatomical knowledge and to learn the different diseases that mimic lameness.

He said you have to recognize when an animal should not be adjusted.

The doctor said there are signs an owner can watch for to know if their animal needs adjustment.

“If an animal is not doing what it used to do,” Moore said.

He said if a dog or cat is having trouble getting up on a couch or if a horse is not performing up to it’s usual standard. He used a roping horse as an example; the horse may not be coming out of the box quick enough. Another example is a barrel horse that might be losing time. Moore said owners might notice their dog is not holding it’s tail up like it has in the past.

Moore believes pet owners want to have their animals adjusted for the same two

reasons people seek out a

chiropractor.

“They hurt or you want to do it for their health. A lot of people will get their animals adjusted and won’t do it for themselves,” Moore said. “An animal will use the adjustment better and they don’t have to be adjusted as often.”

The reasons Moore said animals “use” the adjustment better is because the animals are active and they don’t carry some of the same mental stress people carry. He said a human with the same condition as an animal may need to be adjusted twice a week where an animal may only need every other week.

Moore advises owners the worst thing an owner can do for their pet is to “keep the animal in a stall or in a pen.” He said the animals, like people, need to be active.

The cost of having an animal adjusted ranges from $60 to $100. He said the price depends on the size of the animal and what needs to be done.

“Dogs may cost a little less and take only 10 minutes. A horse may take half an hour,” Moore said.

Anyone interested in adjustment for their animal should contact the Locust Grove Animal Clinic and get a referral from the veterinarian.

     

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