Vancouver vet says chiropractic and acupuncture techniques are effective in canine rehabilitation

A Vancouver vet is looking to scientifically prove that use of chiropractic and acupuncture techniques can be just as effective for dogs as they are for people.

Dr. David Lane has spent the past nine years practicing those techniques on disabled dogs and says the results have been life-altering.

“There have been multiple cases where dogs have been brought in, unable to stand on a board, but about 20 minutes later they were prancing around the exam room,” says Lane.

The effectiveness of these techniques is not widely recognized by many in the veterinarian circle, but Lane is hoping to change that by conducting research that evaluates the effectiveness of these techniques for treating mobility issues.

“Vets only want to advocate something that has been scientifically proven to work. They need rigorous scientific protocol demonstrating that this does work, ” says Lane.

He is looking for about 50-60 dogs to treat who have either mobility issues or leak urine, which he claims is related to lower back pain.

In an attempt to get rid of an owner’s bias, the treatment will be blind, meaning sometimes the dogs will receive treatment and other times they will not.

The controlled experiment will start in mid-May and end after about six appointments.

Participants will receive between $350 and $500 worth of veterinary care for the project. 

Lane says one of his biggest success stories is a Clumber Spaniel named Humphrey who suffered from a malformation of the hip known as Hip Dysplasia.

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According to Lane, Humphrey is jumping again and is now earning titles in tracking.

“There are fast, obvious results, which is why I enjoy doing this,” says Lane.

The key to Lane’s treatment is combining chiropractic technique with acupuncture, so he says there are implications for people as well as dogs.

He hopes to publish his findings and establish a new method of teaching for veterinary colleges.