I'm a Believer!!

Nick has had an odd gait ever since I got him back in September. Watching him from behind at a slow trot it was clear that something wasn’t quite right about the way he moved his right rear leg. Whatever it was didn’t seem to affect the way he ran, and all but vanished at a fast trot. It wasn’t a limp, really it was more just an odd way of moving. He didn’t show any signs of pain, but I wanted to be sure that he didn’t hurt, and that I didn’t cause him injury by lure coursing him.

First stop, my vet’s office. Dr. Amy Mathews at The Buckhead Animal Clinic has been taking care of my animals for around 20 years. I can’t say enough good things about her. Most importantly, she doesn’t get irritated with all my many questions and always explains what she thinks and tells me why. In addition, she got Sugar through a couple of really scary medical scrapes.

She spent a fair amount of time watching Nick move and also manipulating his limbs and in general giving him a good once over. She did see the odd gait, but couldn’t find any indication of pain, or any restriction in range of motions in any of his limbs. We x-rayed his lower spine and saw no skeletal problems. We discussed x-raying his hips, but elected to put it off since I really didn't want to put him under anesthesia and she didn't feel strongly about it. She said she didn’t see a problem with letting him course. OK, so why does my pup have what I can only describe as a “hitch in his getalong??”

Second stop Dr. Lance Cleveland, an animal chiropractor I found through a friend. He treated her horse and she believes he helped dramatically. I called him on the number she gave me last Friday afternoon. Turns out, it wasn’t his office number, but was his personal cell phone. He was in Atlanta at an American Veterinary Chiropractic Association conference. He lives in Mississippi, but travels around the southeast to various barns and is in Atlanta treating patients about once every two or three weeks.

Even though he wasn’t here to treat patients, he agreed to meet me Sunday afternoon at one of the barns where he regularly works (conveniently very close to my house) and take a look at Nick. Wow!! I never expected him to do that. Anyway, to make a long story even longer, he also saw Nick’s “hitch”, worked his magic, showed me some stretches to do daily, and guess what, vast improvement in Nick’s gait. He also said that in his opinion, coursing him would do him more good than harm, and I shouldn’t take his fun away. We’ll see him again when he’s in town just before Thanksgiving.

I was amazed at the good he did for my boy, and wonder now if maybe I should see a chiropractor too, as I also have one or two “hitches in my getalong!!”