💰 Want to make $150,000 cracking dog bones?

Canine Chiropractors Are Viral. Are They Legit?

We have a bone to pick (…or…uh…crack) with the latest trend in pet relief treatment. Chiropractic care comes with quite the fanfare, and it’s mass appeal on social media centers more on the loud sounds of bones cracking (or “chiropractic adjustments”) rather than the evidence on whether or not the practice is considered beneficial.

One individual is crossing the canine line to bring relief to your dog… and the pet community is divided. See for yourself:

@dr.remix

via @BONES HANDS Animals #foryou #fyp #satisfying #chiropractor #chiropractic #chiro #dog #dogsoftiktok #dogs

Animal chiropractic emerged as a field in the late 1980s. To date, approximately 1,400 animal chiropractors have been certified in the United States since 1989. To be certified, a doctor must first be a Doctor of Chiropractic or a licensed veterinarian. So while social media content can have the optics of an amateur practice, there are credible professionals that possess the qualifications to twist and tangle your pet…

…but the practice is still to this day considered niche, and animal chiropractors are leaning in on this specialized service to really rake in the big bucks with the average animal chiropractor netting a minimum of six figures per year.

Dr. Joren Whitley has a TikTok account with more than 1.7 million followers where he posts videos of himself doing chiropractic adjustments on the spines of dogs and other animals. He has a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Oklahoma State University. He received his doctorate in chiropractic from Parker University and went through additional training to practice on animals.

But Whitley has cautioned that other popular accounts may not be what a dog will actually experience should you take your pooch to an animal chiropractor… and that is the cause for pause in space…

Whitley mentions that some of the positions seen in other popular videos (like the one above from German-based Murat Colak) are uncommon for chiropractic care and the bone-cracking sounds may be played up. Whitley said that he isn’t intending to “bash” other chiropractors (dramaaaaa), but he wants people to have an accurate understanding of what to expect when taking their dog for chiropractic care.

The social media phenomenon has brought out the critics

Whitley has been accused of animal abuse and received countless death threats, harassing messages, and negative reports to the Oklahoma Board of Veterinary Medicine Examiners.

"We've had videos where it shows a dog in discomfort for a second, and then we make the adjustment, the dog's better, but then, because we put a dog in his comfort, we're getting hate for it," Whitley said.

Although spinal adjustments may hurt an animal, they are beneficial in the long run and can have neurological benefits that help treat problems like seizures.

So, is this legit? Should I consider this to get my pet relief?

The choice is yours. That said, if your dog's joints aren't moving correctly and through its natural full range of motion, animal chiropractors use adjustments to basically open up the whole joint so it can get back to a full range.

When the joint is open, it allows the body to communicate better with the brain and nervous system, hopefully reducing the dog's pain while allowing the joint to move how it's supposed to. There’s an argument that this can be beneficial for:

• Hip dysplasia

• Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)

• Luxating patellas

• Arthritis

• Repetitive-use injuries (like for agility dogs who make sharp turns over and over)

• Injured cranial cruciate ligaments (CCL)—the dog version of a human ACL

It still makes me nervous. What else can I do?

You can always chat with your vet and inquire about other treatment options, which you can likely do at home. There are ways to apply pressure to your dog without carrying out a full chiropractic adjustment. This might include massaging your dog.

What do you think?

Maybe Your Pooch Needs Prozac? It’s on the Rise.

Is your dog’s mental health…dare we say… in jeopardy?!

A market research firm, Packaged Facts, concluded that 8% of dog owners and 6% of cat owners gave medications to their pets for anxiety, calming or mood purposes within the previous 12 months.

Since 60 million American households own dogs and 47 million households own cats, these figures suggest that millions of animals in the United States are taking medications for behavioral issues.

Whether pets really need these mood-altering drugs remains controversial. Nicholas Dodman, a professor emeritus at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and author of the book “Pets on the Couch,” has written that animals experience behavioral disorders similar to those of humans and that pets may need medications to alleviate their suffering.

Makes sense…but the recent spike’s cause? Covid.

Some 23 million American households adopted dogs or cats between March 2020 and May 2021. Lockdowns prevented many of these pets from being properly socialized, so it’s not a reach to imagine that encounters with other people and animals may now make them anxious.

Many dogs and cats got used to having their owners around all the time, so the transition back to “normal” may have been hard for them. Beyond that, pets can sense human stress and anxiety, which can cause them to feel nervous as well.

One thing is clear: more pets are on anti-depressants.

Another question isn’t as clear: how often are these medications used to truly care for pets, as opposed to being used for the owner’s convenience?

Critics of giving pets psychiatric medications argue that owners should rely more on behavioral approaches, such as spending more time with pets, taking them outdoors and using training programs. Research supports the notion that environmental factors probably play a role in the development of behavioral issues in pets.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, studies suggest that dogs who are walked only a few times each week or whose owners spend less time at home may be at greater risk for behavioral problems, such as excessive barking and destructiveness.

Are these medications safe?

Giving these kinds of drugs to pets isn’t risk-free. Just as with humans, psychiatric medications for pets can carry plenty of side effects, including gastrointestinal upset, weight changes and irregular heartbeats.

The overlapping use of psychiatric medications among humans and animals also raises the specter of owners sharing drugs with their pets. Veterinarians have voiced concerns about owners using pets to obtain access to restricted drugs, including anti-pain opioids and anti-anxiety benzodiazepines.

Some states now require veterinarians to file reports to authorities when prescribing controlled substances for pets. Yikes…

Since the rise of prescribed anti-depressants is in direct correlation with the rise in pet adoptions, one thing is universally clear: we can always be better as pet parents.

Get that extra walk in for Fido even when you don’t feel like it. Their mental health will thank you.

Man Fights Kangaroo to Save His Dog!

This kangaroo has some fury in his pouch, but he’s no match for a black belt with a dog.

A martial arts instructor in Australia saw his dog in a headlock by the kangaroo and jumped to action. 

In what may be a common occurrence in Australia, the American in me is shivering. It takes wild levels of bravado to approach a dangerous kangaroo…

"I'm gonna punch your f***ing head in. Let go my dog." said dog owner Mick Moloney.

Mick Moloney slapped the kangaroo.

The kangaroo smacked his phone into the river, but released the dog.

We’re relieved that both the dog and the kangaroo weren’t significantly harmed… but it begs the question: how far would you go to save your best friend?

Overheard at a dog park:

“The Squeeze”: Dog News In 60 Seconds

• 📚 America’s fluffiest butt just wrote her own children’s book. Get it for your child…or your unemployed friend.

• 😔 Say it ain’t so, Bobi! The longest living dog (according to Guinness) crossed the rainbow bridge after 31 marvelous years.

• 🎥 Stray dogs rejoice! One of Australia’s best selling books is heading to the big screen… for a not so big dog. Runts has been green lit!

• 🌦️ Sayonara, meteorologists! The era of the “Weather Dog” is upon us and we aren’t mad about it.

• 🐱 Do people care more about their dogs then their cats? The short answer is “duh”, but this editor raises an interesting point.

• 🏛️ The first female dog mayor of New York City held a meeting with Mayor Eric Adams. We’re dying to know the meeting’s agenda…

• ✈️ She…did…WHAT?! We hope you’re sitting down… because this woman got kicked off a flight for petting her dog?!

• 🛏️ Here’s why our pets like to share the bed with us… so can you please scooch over and make room?

• 🍃 We can all be more mindful of our carbon footprint…sure…. but do you want to know how to lower your dog’s carbon footprint?

Today’s Last Laugh:

It. Just. Kept. Goingggggg….

@petsfunny_cute1

🤣🤣🥲#pet #dog #funny #cute #xuhuong #dongvat #fyp