Animal Chiropractic Care at Path of Life Chiropractic

09/30/2025

One of the most important things about being a healthcare provider is participating in continuing education. So, that's what I did this past weekend, in Mancos, Colorado.... Honing my art and skill for how to help our fur babies!

And I'm thrilled to report I made a new friend, someone who has been featured on this page and was a fellow participant in the continuing education program: Dr. Joren Whitley!

Who's that, you ask?

He's the dude from the giraffe adjusting video! https://youtu.be/hIlvcffEtjQ?feature=shared

Turns out he's a nerd like me, has a master's in Biochemistry and is super interested in research. (does that sound a little bit like someone you knew about 15 years ago? but he's got a much better head start, being a young one 🤣!)  This dude is going places, it will be fun to watch the trajectory of his career.

This past weekend, I was honored to learn from and alongside Joren and many of the greats in this growing profession of Animal Chiropractic care, and I brought back a lot of fun stuff to share with people in my community.

And here's the big one: I now feel ready and competent to check and adjust horses.  Although I did just fine in my course and certification exam, and although I have worked with several horses privately in the past year, I felt strongly about taking a few extra steps in this process before I offered it publicly - to have a better grasp on practical application of the theoretical knowledge.

and yes, I will come to you.... my landlord said something about he didn't want horses in my office? can't understand why 🤣


09/09/2025

This is Roxy. She's my 8 1/2-year-old fox red Labrador princess. She owns a laaaarge piece of my heart 💕🐾

Allow me to take a minute to describe how animal Chiropractic care has benefited her 🤓😍

In an ideal world, we would catch and correct a problem before it became an overt issue, right?

Last year at my postgraduate training, I became aware that Roxy has particular abnormal gait pattern called pacing. Pacing can often indicate tension within the system.

Now, we've all seen dogs have less energy as they get older. But Roxy, since I have been adjusting her regularly with the proper skill set, has actually been getting spunkier 😍😍😍 Even just this morning, with a very gentle sacrum and L5 adjustment, you could see the bounce in her step and a willingness to play chase with her annoying little one year-old brother 🤣 And lately, for the past several months, the amount of time she walks with a normal gait pattern has become the majority, which has been an interesting change to watch.

Some of you human patients who come into the office regularly and have known her for a while may have noticed this change. She's actually friendlier, happier, more interactive. and she has returned to her previous practice of "helping" with human adjustments. To me, it looks *an awful lot like she feels better - even though she was not in any obvious discomfort before.

What might that mean for her, short term and long-term?

We all know that exercise is essential for maintenance of health. When our senior dogs start to not feel great, they don't want to exercise as much. Or can't. What if a redirection years before, via Chiropractic adjustment, in canine middle age (5-6 years old) could have created a different trajectory?

If Roxy is feeling and functioning better right now, at 8 1/2, I can only hope that this will mean she will feel and function better for longer 😍

And that's what we want for all of our fur babies, isn't it?

Making your pet's neurostructural health and adaptability a priority now could pay the dividends later that we all want. Time, and quality.

To make an appointment, you can message me here on FB, email the office, or you can give us a ring at 603-886-8300. We make time for new pups on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings.

I look forward to helping you discover what may be possible for your precious baby. 

09/09/2025

09/07/2025

Why did I choose to pursue the 211+ hour postgraduate education and certification for animal Chiropractic care?

Well, meet Moose 🐾💕

Moose, who was originally named Mischief, but grew into her nickname, was my first Labrador and my sidekick for 11 1/2 wonderful years. She was also my introduction to animal chiropractic care.

As she was getting on in years, like many dogs do, Moose started getting tired. Didn't wanna walk as far, and preferred time on the couch. and you know what they say, it's all fine as long as they're eating drinking pooping and playing!

Well, a day came where she wasn't pooping. And then a few days. she just plain wasn't well, super lethargic, barely eating either.

I was a Chiropractic student at the time, living in Georgia. One of my fellow students said, why don't you take her to this dude over in Powder Springs who is an animal chiropractor?  sure, I thought, worth a shot. If nothing else, it could be part of my Chiropractic education, to understand what chiropractic care might be able to do for dogs!

This particular animal chiropractor did take x-rays (I do not, that's not in my scope of practice here in New Hampshire) and Moose was so lethargic, she didn't need any kind of sedation. She just laid there very still.

After the x-ray, the vet adjusted her right where she was. It didn't look like much. And she didn't seem to respond, at least immediately, like I had hoped. I was like, OK well that was worth a shot....

Then all of a sudden, Moose picked her head up and looked directly at me. She gave me a fairly intense look, as if to say, OK let's go.....

She got up off the floor and trotted her way over to the door....

We took her outside and she pooped like 12 times.

So either the adjustment scared the crap out of her, or it activated her nervous system to do its job ..... 😉

(knowing what I know now about how Chiropractic impacts function and adaptability within the nervous system, the answer is choice 2!)

After that adjustment, Moose perked up significantly. Eating, drinking, pooping, playing, and seemed much more comfortable and happy. 

If you have ever been dog parent, to an older dog, you know exactly how much that means 💕

Chiropractic care gave me my dog back  for the six months before I lost her to cancer.

And that was my own introduction to what Chiropractic care can do for our fur babies.

But what if I had started her with Chiropractic care earlier? An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure, for sure. Could I have had more time with her, better quality? Probably.

And so to be honest and to be selfish, I did this training and certification for my own dogs. You guys, my pet patients, you just get to benefit from what I did for myself and my own 🤓

Do I wish I had started Moose with Chiropractic care much earlier, like five-ish? Heck yes. Did I have Sagan and Roxy and Izzy adjusted by animal chiropractors before I did my own training? Heck yes, and I'm pretty sure that's one of the reasons that Sagan was able to finish New Hampshire's 48 4000 footers and go for a hike the day before he went over the rainbow bridge.

so that's my backstory and this is what I stand for: a possibility where our pets can have a resource to live healthier and better, naturally. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope it inspires you to think differently about how we can take care of our babies proactively 🐾💕



09/07/2025

Today I'm meeting dogs (and their humans) at Mötley Mutts Muttfest at 603 Brewery in Derry, come say hi! And please bring coffee 🤣 I prefer Starbucks, nothing added 😁

09/06/2025

Come say hello and let's have a chat about how Chiropractic care may help your pup! 

Lots of K9-centric vendors here, including T-shirts, memorials, training, accessories, and a whole lot of dog treats 🐾

08/26/2025

I was so happy today to spend National Dog Day ADJUSTING DOGS!!!!! 🤩 Started with a sweet powerhouse one year old hiker-pup-in-training whose adjustment helps him to calm to follow commands; next was a lovey of a 14 year old pup whose adjustment helped her to be more comfortable, stable, and springy on walkies (success confirmed, saw them out walking on my way home!) then a spirited Frenchie who really spunked up after her adjustment last month and only needed a tuneup today! Last was a 12 year old pup with leg weakness via IVDD, who was not perfect but was just PRANCING around the office after her adjustment, to her parents' amazement!

It has been a good National Dog Day ☺️
....that I'm ending by sitting on the couch with MY dogs!

* and don't tell anyone but I also adjusted a cat today, although he was really more of a dog....

08/24/2025

Yesterday someone asked me such a great question: "How do I know if my dog needs chiropractic care?"

The answer to that question is all about learning how to "read" your dog without words, which is a skill set every pet owner learns over time.

Dog's won't "tell" us they are in pain until it's pretty bad. So we need to learn to "listen" to the more subtle signs of dysfunction, to be able to take action to help them feel better before a trip to the vet (or veterinary orthopedist) is necessary. Now, I don't know about you, as much as I love, respect, and appreciate my own vet, I would rather not have bring my pups to see her if there's something I can do to de-escalate or prevent a structural problem!

So, what are some pretty easy to read "signs" of (neuro-structural) dysfunction, that can be mitigated or corrected with Chiropractic care?

- Gait abnormalities. Sometimes when a dog "paces" rather than uses a traditional walk, they're trying to avoid discomfort that may be happening with the normal gait pattern.

- Toe-on or toe-out on one foot. This can indicate a forelimb or hindlimb "extremity" subluxation.

- Puppy-sitting in dogs older than 2. This often means that the pup doesn't feel good to sit normally - think about how YOU would sit if your lower back hurt!

- Hunched midback. The "topline" of most dogs should be relatively flat, with only a bit of curve. A bump or hump in a dog's midback can indicate spinal subluxation, which can cause discomfort in all positions.

- Inability to settle. You know that feeling that YOU get when something is achy? Can't find any position that feels comfortable? Same thing for dogs. This goes for daytime naps, and nighttime. Sleep is a SUPER important biological function, and if your pup can't settle to sleep comfortably, decline will happen. When we adjust a pup to reduce or correct vertebral subluxation and they can sleep better, EVERYTHING in their health picture will be expected to improve - mood, energy, immune system, and more. It's one of the best kept "secrets" for human chiropractic care, and it's true for dogs too... one of my favorite observable outcomes for the dogs I adjust is exactly this, that immediately after they get adjusted, they just SLEEP!

- Lowered head or tail. Have you noticed that sometimes when you don't feel good, your own head goes forward and down, and your shoulders hunch? Same thing with dogs. The tail tuck at rest is another indication that something doesn't feel good.... we all know that a dog's tail is a potent indicator of their thoughts!!

- Difficulty transitioning through sit, lay, sit, stand. If your dog struggles with this sequence, there may be a spinal reason.

- Poor performance at games, agility, his or her usual play. If an dog lags, or doesn't want to play, it's likely that they don't feel up to the task. My personal mantra for checking in on a dog is simple - are they eating, drinking, pooping, peeing, and playing? Pay close attention to the last one, because it's an indicator of how they feel. Decreased performance or play-drive can certainly indicate a problem.

There are plenty of other indicators of vertebral subluxation, but at least this answer to yesterday's astute question will get you thinking.

When's the best time to bring your dog to a chiropractor for adjustment? BEFORE something shows up that may other necessitate expensive interventions that none of us want. So here's your homework for today: "read" your pup for the signs above, and "ask" them how they feel. That beautiful doggy-grin can hide more problems than you think, and you can elevate your animal caretakership by learning to look beyond the smile.

We see new pups on Tuesdays and Thursdays at my office in Nashua (and I'm debating an offsite clinic at the Dog Agility and Cafe.... because I do understand that sometimes getting to Nashua is a challenge!) Email me with some details about what you're looking for for your fur-baby, and if it's something I can help with, we'll get to work on setting you up an appointment.

08/23/2025

Come see me at Bark in the Park in Concord, today (Saturday Aug 23rd)until 3 PM!

08/10/2025

So, what does published research say about the efficacy of animal chiropractic care?

Well, it's a developing field, so broad-scope studies have not been conducted just yet. (Yes, that makes us visionaries, ahead of the curve! Remember, all science is driven by hypothesis and observation, before it is published) That said, a number of case studies, case series, and observational studies have been published that demonstrate some of the outcomes possible with chiropractic care for our quadrupeds.

And remember, that's what I'm all about: helping people to explore the range of possibilities for our beloved dogs. Because, what if the question "what else is possible" led you to a solution you didn't know about before, that could change your life and your dog's?

https://vertebralsubluxationresearch.com/2018/11/27/reversal-of-paraplegia-secondary-to-intervertebral-disc-disease-in-24-canines-with-vertebral-subluxation-a-retrospective-analysis-of-outcomes-following-chiropractic/

https://vertebralsubluxationresearch.com/2018/09/06/resolution-of-constipation-polydipsia-and-generalized-weakness-in-a-14-year-old-canine-following-chiropractic-adjustment-a-case-report-review-of-the-literature/

https://vertebralsubluxationresearch.com/2021/09/04/canine/

https://vertebralsubluxationresearch.com/2020/02/06/resolution-of-cauda-equina-syndrome-following-chiropractic-care-in-a-7-year-old-dachshund-with-lumbar-disc-herniation-a-case-study-review-of-the-literature/