Pet Owners Seeking Alternative

A bad back, sore legs or an injury could mean a visit to the chiropractor. More and more pet owners now are finding that chiropractic also may be the right prescription for their animals.

Becky Pinsker of Upper St. Clair said her a 10-year-old Maltese, B.J., was so sore in his hips and lower back that she couldn't even touch him.

"This is his second treatment; after the first one, he let us pet him again," Pinsker said recently while B.J. was being seen. "We noticed a steady improvement for about a week. We will definitely continue."

"It has not been widely advertised, however, and not always been done under the legal guidelines," Savko said.

The American Veterinary Medical Association, recognizing that more pet owners were seeking alternative treatments and state laws on the issue were inconsistent, in 2001 revised its guidelines on alternative medicine. The AVMA believes all veterinary medicine, including alternative therapies, should be held to the same standards, and that states should have a higher level of oversight when nonveterinarians are treating animals.

According to the Pennsylvania state code, chiropractic procedures performed on animals may only be done "in conjunction with the practice of veterinary medicine and with the veterinarian on the premises."

Savko, 34, who calls himself an "independent contractor," travels to veterinary practices across Pennsylvania explaining the technique he uses and offering his services.

The technique he uses is called Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation or VOM. VOM can be described as a hybrid of both veterinary medicine and chiropractic care. It has similarities to some of the chiropractic modalities and restores function by reducing nerve interference. VOM benefits from the positive aspects of both specialties (Veterinary and Chiropractic) and can be more effective than either by themselves.

It was developed by veterinary surgeon Dr. William Inman in Seattle, Wash., in 1982. Savko was one of a few select doctors trained by Dr. Inman in 2000 to perform the procedure and then re-took the training in 2005 because the technique "continues to be perfected due to the growing interest of pet owners."

Savko uses a small, hand-held electrical device to perform the treatments. He passes the device, called a Veterinary Neurologic Adjusting Tool, down the back of the neck and the entire length of the spine, and if needed down all four legs. The tool delivers gentle, precise pressure impulses to specific areas of the pet's spine, allowing Dr. Savko to both diagnose the affected area and treat it.

The device does not require a lot of force and the procedure usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes.

"When working on an animal, I am looking for an involuntary reflex that is ALWAYS present when there is nervous imbalance in an area. When I see one, that tells me there is a problem," he said, "and with this tool I can fine-tune the nervous system to hopefully restore normal function thus inducing healing."

"I can work on anything from a cat to a horse with this amazing technology," he added.

Savko said he is sometimes asked why he doesn't perform manual adjustments on animals. "With chiropractic, you need the relaxation and cooperation of the patient; you don't always get that from an animal," he explained. "They're generally very anxious in unfamiliar surroundings."

Samantha, a 14-year-old boxer mix owned by Jennifer Davis of Washington, was lame in her back legs and in a lot of pain.

"I tried anti-inflammatory and pain medicine but they upset her stomach so badly I had to stop them," said Davis. "I realize at her age that she will have some health issues, but since I tried chiropractic on her four weeks ago, she's actually started running a little."

Savko recommends once-a-week treatment for three to five weeks, then at less frequent intervals to watch and check the results. The cost varies from location to location.

"If there has been significant improvement, I recommend a maintenance routine of once every three or four months, but I won't keep patients coming back if the treatments aren't working. It doesn't help every animal," said Savko.

Dr. Jay Koch, veterinarian at Hidden Valley Animal Clinic, thinks chiropractic care of animals is a good idea."If we can help just one out of five animals, that's good enough for me," said Koch.