Getting my dogs checked.
Dogs tend to act first and think later, especially when working in a sport they love. A dog will generally give you their all, whether they are suffering any pain or discomfort. Sometimes when your dog is suffering any sort of musculoskeletal pain you may notice that it cries out or perhaps doesn't work or move as well as it normally does. However, you may not notice that there is any obvious problem, so it is a good idea to have your dog checked over every so often just to ensure that your dog is functioning to 100% of its potential. I have my dogs checked over by Christine East a McTimoney Animal Practitioner.
I make sure that I get my dogs checked at least four times a year, even if I think there is nothing wrong. I know personally how uncomfortable it is when something is just out of place, having a leg a little bit shorter then the other means that my muscles can sometimes over compensate and become really tight. If they become tight and out of position it causes pain, when the muscle is extended. My dogs are athletes. I feel it is my job to make sure they are sound before training and competing.
Why McTimoney
McTimoney is a type of chiropractic that uses low force and high speed adjustments. This means that the adjustments are very gentle and usually don't cause any discomfort, making them highly suitable for dogs.
A McTimoney Practitioner will assess your dog's skeleton to check for symmetry and will also check its muscles for tension, soreness and asymmetry. All practitioners work differently, they should always work on the muscles to remove tension and then mobilise joints to free up the whole body to make them move more easily. This is why I prefer Mc Timoney as they relax and warm the muscles before the main treatment. I don’t want my dogs experiencing any pain. They then use McTimoney to realign any bones in the skeleton that are out of position. My dogs love the massage first it helps them relax. I know Ben especially loves her treatment as he greets Christine and the door and then runs to the room and stands on the rug (where Christine treats him). I know be would not freely go to a place he didn’t want to be.
The dogs can be a bit sleepy for the rest of the day, although the treatments have never affected my dogs. You should keep the dog quiet to ensure that the treatment has maximum benefit. I give my dogs a lazy day. No walk just rest. Then introduce a smaller walk the next day, nothing too intense for 48 hours after the treatment. Then it’s back to the normal exercise and training.
I know that my dogs bodies are in full working order and that they have nothing out of place.
Christine East is highly recommended by many people doing Agility, Obedience and Flyball. She is based in the Lincoln
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