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McTimoney for your dog

Dogs have extremely flexible spines, and while this allows them to run, jump and curl up tightly in their beds, it also makes the spine suseptible to injury. Performance dogs are perhaps the most commonly affected, e.g. agility, racing or gun dogs, as higher stresses are put on their musculoskeletal systems. A dog that is overweight or unfit is also more likely to suffer from back problems as his lack of muscle tone and extra weight will put more strain on his skeletal frame. Various breeds can suffer from congenital (inherited) problems, for example hip or elbow dysplasia, and older dogs may suffer with arthritis. Although a McTimoney treatment will never cure these conditions, it will help to improve any secondary compensatory issues encountered, increasing the dogs well-being and comfort.

 

​Dogs' good nature and eagerness to please their owners can sometimes cause them to work through any pain without complaint. It is therefore important to recognise the signs of musculoskeletal discomfort, especially as these signs can sometimes be subtle.

Common signs and symptoms
of discomfort in dogs

  • Reluctance to exercise

  • Signs of pain or discomfort when being stroked / groomed

  • Grunting, yelping or moaning when getting up/down

  • Stiffness after resting

  • Stiffness and pain after exercise

  • Behavioural changes e.g. lethargy / aggressiveness

  • Difficulty jumping on / off furniture or in / out of the car

  • Difficulty going up or down the stairs

  • Breaking sit or down stays

  • Becoming slower and less active on walks

  • Biting at tails / paws

  • Uneven pad or claw wear

  • ​Muscle atrophy or uneven muscle development

  • Unlevel / uneven gait

Causes of skeletal misalignments and other musculoskeletal problems that produce these symptoms fall into two categories, acute and chronic. Acute causes have a sudden onset, usually related to some kind of trauma, and if not addressed can result in a chronic problem developing, especially if the dog alters the way it moves to compensate for the problem. Chronic causes build up over a period of weeks, months or even years. 

Acute causes:

  • A slip / trip / fall when working or playing e.g. a gun dog on difficult terrain or rough play with other dogs

  • Falling from apparatus e.g. agility dogs

  • Landing awkwardly when jumping or running up and down stairs or on and off furniture

  • Coliding wth an object or person

  • Tug of war games

  • Slipping on laminate floors

Chronic causes:

  • Conformational faults and breed speciic problems

  • Pulling on the lead

  • Repetitive work or repetitive chasing of balls or tight turns in agility

  • Compensation for an injury or condition

  • Repetitive tug of war games

  • A gun dog working a shooting season or an agility dog who trains and competes multiple times a week

How a McTimoney treatment can help

A McTimoney treatment applies precise adjustments to skeletal misalignments and helps to realign the vertebrae and other joints, relieving pain and discomfort, restoring range of motion, and releasing nerves from any pressure. This can can help to alleviate any of the above symptoms, making your dog happier, healthier and more comfortable, and can improve performance in sports or show dogs. All dogs can benefit from McTimoney, even if they are not displaying signs or symptoms of back pain. Working / sports dogs will benefit from more frequent treatments as high demands are put on their musculoskeletal system, and even pet dogs can benefit from having periodic treatments on a preventative basis, to prevent minor problems manifesting into pain and discomfort. Older dogs can show marked improvement in their mobility and relief from the pain that conditions such as arthritis can cause following a treatment. 

Benefits of a McTimoney Treatment

for your dog

  • Improved mobility and limb coordination

  • Increased muscle tone and flexibility, especially in dogs with a limited or reduced activity

  • Increased blood flow which stimulates the dog's lymphatic system to remove toxins

  • Improved function of the nervous system

  • Relief from soreness and muscle spasm

  • Improved joint range of motion

  • Improved general well-being

  • Improved movement and performance in show and sports dogs

Please do not arrange a McTimoney treatment for your dog the day before strenuous activity or competition - ideally your dog will be allowed 24-48 hrs rest post treatment to allow the body to continue the healing process.

 

Veterinary consent must be obtained prior to your dog receiving a McTimoney treatment. Consent is normally just a phone call to your vet informing them that you have a McTimoney treatment for your dog and verbal consent is given over the phone. Sometimes the vet may require a consent form or wish to speak directly to me, please contact me if this is the case.

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