Not your typical doctor: this chiropractor treats the family pet

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – If your dog were sick, you’d take her to a veterinarian wouldn’t you?

But if your dog were stiff and sore, would you take him to a chiropractor?

“We did blood work, we did x-rays and nothing really showed anything at all,” Jessie Heron of Airdrie explained to 660 NEWS, discussing the discomfort her dog Fred was recently enduring.

“But it was clear that he was in quite a bit of pain. So, we were at a bit of a loss for what to do, and I actually had numerous friends recommend to me to go see a chiropractor, which I didn’t even know was possible for dogs.”

Jessie, who fosters dogs with Pawsitive Match along with her husband Matt, can be excused for not knowing that there are chiropractors who treat animals.

According to Dr. Josee Gerard at Kiro4Pets in Airdrie, such practitioners first came on the scene about 30 years ago, but — to the best of her knowledge — there aren’t even two dozen animal chiropractors in the province. As for Fred?

“When I examined him, I found that his hips were out of alignment and that was really causing a lot of pain for him,” said Gerard. “The other thing he wasn’t able to do, he wasn’t able to sit down properly anymore.”

“As soon as she sort of found the spots that were out of alignment, you could just see some of the pain melt away from his face, just from the first adjustment,” Jessie recalled.

So is animal chiropractic similar to the care humans receive?

“The adjustments are a lot more gentle than with people,” said Gerard.

“We normally don’t hear any cracks or pops. We just don’t use as much force with animals. And the other thing they do differently than humans is that they heal much, much faster than humans.”

Gerard says hip dysplasia is among the more common ailments she treats in dogs, but also slipped discs, shoulder dislocations, arthritis, and general injuries. And it’s not just dogs she treats. Cats are common visitors to her clinic, and she’s also dealt with rabbits, birds, deer, and llamas.

As for the most unusual creature she’s worked on? A lizard!

Fred is no lizard, but his owner Jessie reports he’s once again a healthy happy dog, enjoying play-time with his fostered friends from Pawsitive Match.