Osteopathy

Osteopathy is over a thousand years old, but only recently have veterinarians started using it to treat animals.

It is Dr. Andrew Taylor Still who, in 1874, named this complex medicine after, just by using simple back manipulations, healed many children affected with dysentery. Many doctors and scientists continued Dr. Still's researches afterwards, creating a new kind of alternative medicine still evolving to this day.

Osteopathy takes root in the principle that only a perfectly physiologically balanced human being can stay healthy and fight external aggressions. When mobility restrictions appear, the body tends to try and compensate and therefore creates disorder in its micro-circulation and biomechanics. The osteopath then tries to diagnose the obstructions and, with precise manipulations, helps the body retrieve its original state of balance.

Reasons to try osteopathy are as diverse as the reasons to consult a regular veterinarian. Osteopathy can be used preventively, even if the animal presents no symptoms, but it can also benefit the animal grandly should symptoms such as limping, behaviour troubles, growth issues or chronic diseases (kidney failure, vomiting, otitis, acral lick dermatitis) appear.

However, conditions requiring surgery (fracture, hernia) or acute symptoms (bacterial, viral or fungal infections) have to be treated with regular veterinary medicine.