Sep 15, 2008 10:58 pm US/Central
Animal Need Alignment? Send Them To A Chiropractor
(WCCO)
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Matt Merschdorf chose chiropractic care for his lab Shooter in hopes of preventing the hip problems the breed is vulnerable to.
CBS
The field of holistic health care is growing every year in the United States. People are trying holistic approaches to their illnesses, pain and physical limitations either as an alternative or supplement to traditional medicine. That holistic approach is now available to a whole new class of clientele in Minnesota.
A lot of Dr. Josee Gerard's patients found her after other treatments failed to offer pain relief. She's a chiropractor who believes a straight spine can solve a lot of problems.
You'll find patients in her office eager to tell you how it's eased their aches and pains, even helped with sinus problems. Other patients won't say a word but the owners of those patients will.
"He's just doing so much better," said one dog owner waiting for Gerard to see him.
About 70 of Gerard's patients are animals.
"More and more people want holistic health care for themselves and naturally they'll make that cross over with their animals as well," Gerard said.
She doesn't actually treat animals in her office but schedules off-site visits, or sees patients at a nearby veterinarian's office.
Matt Merschdorf chose chiropractic care for his lab Shooter in hopes of preventing the hip problems the breed is vulnerable to.
"When I first came to see her, I was limping. And now I walk, I can run, do things that I could never do before. So I'm hoping the end result is the same for the dog too," Merschdorf said.
For some pet owners, it's preventative maintenance, for some it's a last resort.
"Well I said, let's just try it. It can't hurt," said Janet Johnson who brought her dog to Gerard. "Our other option was surgery. And then it did start working and he's been like a new dog."
"They need help too. They have spines just like we do. They have a nervous system just like we do," Gerard said.
Animal chiropractic care has been around since 1989, but only became legal in Minnesota this past summer.
"There's three of us that are registered with the chiropractic board," Gerard said.
Gerard doesn't just treat pampered pooches. She works a lot with hunting dogs, injured animals and even farm stock.
"I've also had cats, llamas, deer, cows," she said.
Vernette Karwoski brought her llama Nala to Gerard in hopes she could help get the use of its hind legs back after a spinal infection. Traditional vet medicine didn't do the trick.
"Basically they said good luck," said Karwoski about Nala's prognosis.
Gerard uses her hands or an instrument called an integrator to adjust the bones of the spine.
"We have to get the bones back where they are supposed to be, the muscles back where they are supposed to be and then they have to relearn their job entirely," she said as she's working on Nala.
Both Gerard and Karwoski said chiropractic is helping Nala.
"You really believe this makes a difference?" Jeanette Trompeter asked Gerard.
"It makes a huge difference. The owners tell me so, and an animal can't fake it. If it's feeling better, it's feeling better. And sometimes you see it right after an adjustment," Gerard said.
The treatments aren't cheap; $105 for the first visit and $45 for each visit after that.
However, a lot of pet owners think it's worth the investment rather than putting their animals down or paying thousands for surgery and medications. Especially, if it helps their animals live longer, healthier lives.
Animal chiropractors have to be licensed to practice and pet owners do need a referral from a veterinarian. For more information on Minnesota's licensed animal chiropractors click on the link below.
Currently Approved Animal Chiropractors in Minnesota 
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