CRITTER CHIROPRACTIC

“Caring for man and man’s best friend” is the tagline at Mathews Chiropractic. Dr. Jeff Mathews treats not only people, but animals—specifically dogs and horses. (In the case of horses and other equines, Mathews travels to see them; don’t expect them to be hanging out in the office.)

In Colorado, chiropractors must undergo additional education to work on animals. In addition, Mathews took the extra step of getting certified by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association.

Because animals can’t talk about their pain, Mathews relies on function to analyze the problem. With horses, a sudden resistance to being ridden, a change in gait, and reduced performance are among signs of trouble. With canines, a change in a dog’s behavior is typically what drives an owner to seek help.

“They’ll say that the dog can’t get up, won’t get up on the bed, won’t get up on the couch, can’t get into the car, can’t do stairs, can’t eat standing up…There’s some sort of altered behavior.”