Listen to our conversation on the Pure Dog Talk podcast!

Dr. Clara Medalen joins host Laura Reeves to talk about gait analysis and chiropractic treatment of our dogs. She addresses what we can and can’t objectively measure in our animals after chiropractic treatment.

“In human chiropractic, we have a lot of objective measures we can use,” Medalen nited. “We can use X rays, we can use temperature scans, stuff like that. None of those work very well in dog chiropractic.

“What I wanted to find was an objective measure that people could take something home with them. (That) we could really watch (the pet’s) progress through care. (That) we had exact numbers for people, rather than just going on my word alone. I want people to feel empowered in their own dogs care.

“Gait analysis is a big part of animal chiropractic. It’s normally a visual thing. Some people take videos, which is great. But I wanted real, hard data. So I found a gait analysis system that worked really well. I use Tekscan because they have more pressure sensors per square centimeter than a lot of the other options out there. They also provide a nice print out for people, so it gives the average of every foot step and the pressure on each paw; it gives exactly how much time they’re spending standing on each foot; how long they’re swinging through; how far they’re swinging through; the acceleration; tons of information.”

If people are interested in having Dr. Medalen or another Chiropractor treat their dog, they may need a referral from their veterinarian. Each state is a little bit different.

“In Oregon, we have the vet referral. Which is fabulous because I’ve had some great conversations with vets. It’s a really good way to learn about each others’ professions. I am not treating any disease process. I am just simply fixing misalignments and helping to regulate the nervous system.”

For more information about animal chiropractic:

American Veterinary Chiropractic Association www.animalchiropractic.org

International Veterinary Chiropractic Association https://ivca.de

 
 

The WildCat Ridge Sanctuary is the newest addition to the Cloudberry Lane Community Projects. They are a non-profit with “last hope” accreditation for large cats born in captivity. With over 80 lifelong residents we are happy help in the only way we know best, providing free chiropractic care!

The tiger pictured is Hobbs, he was experiencing vertigo before our docs were able to adjust him. Sedation and acupuncture were provided by Dr Penny’s Vet Care, a mobile vet clinic who have been volunteering with WildCat for longer than we have. He has made a complete recovery and you can help him even more by visiting their website and sponsoring one of their cats.

 
 

K9 Kavalry is a nationwide 501(c)3 non-profit providing service dog training, service gear, team-to-team support, and camaraderie for Veterans. We at Cloudberry Lane are so excited to be a part of THE PACK by volunteering our services to keep their dogs in tip-top shape. Chiropractic helps to lessen the emotional and physical toll experienced by these dogs while providing life-saving support for their people.

Acquiring a service dog can cost up to $30,000 in some cases. K9 Kavalry has found a more sustainable path to helping their Veterans with infatigable support and guidance. They have even been officially adopted by the 1st Cavalry Division of Fort Hood. We are proud to support these hard working people and their working dogs.

 

Green Acres Farm Sanctuary is a rescue dedicated to animals great and small. They are often the refuge for unadoptable and severely damaged critters. Green Acres is often the final home for most of these abused farm animals suffering with everything from debilitating arthritis to neurological issues. The wonderful volunteers at Green Acres spend countless hours caring for the world’s forgotten farm animals and we are proud to support their cause.

Dr. Clara has been called in for elderly and the young to make their lives more comfortable and as dysfunction-free as possible. Every animal deserves the chance to put their best hoof/paw/claw/webbing forward and no one knows this better than Green Acres Farm Sanctuary.