Animal chiropractic Fclb may 2018

Animal chiropractic A chiropractor is one who adjusts or repairs with his hands.

Animal chiropractic “All (bodily) functions are performed by and thru nerves. Nerves impinged in any one of the 300 joints of the bony frame work cause abnormal action, resulting in symptoms we name disease. M.D.’s talk about fighting disease, stamping it out. Why not learn the cause of disease and find that the origin is within the person afflicted.” The chiropractor, dd palmer. June 1906

The adjustment The adjustment is a powerful and safe tool in properly trained hands. Chicken study shows increased rate of gain and growth rates. Dairy cow study shows improved conception rates.

Is animal Chiropractic Legal Where you reside? The following comments are opinions based on our experience Dr. Amy and Dr. O have spoken at the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards annual meeting on more than one occasion They have spoken to members of 19 different state boards They have both spoken to and coached legislators and stake holders on changing the laws in at least 7 states

Veterinarians Most state vet boards give veterinarians the ability to be in charge of any thing done to animals Chiropractic boards may think they own the word “chiropractic”

chiropractors Most chiropractors feel that they have the skill set to adjust anything with a spine upon graduation with a D.C. Veterinary medicine thinks they own animals

The public Public doesn’t know the difference between a knowledgeable animal chiropractor and a quack.

Education It is our job as certified animal chiropractors to educate Veterinarians - Chiropractors - Public - State boards -

DD Palmer “the general public have no knowledge of the difference between the various methods of drugless healing (Osteopathy vs. Chiropractic). They are not able to differentiate between the different systems. This is more or less true among physicians.” Marion, Ia register oct. 20, 1905

Educate the boards Define animal chiropractic and who can do it? Why referral to a certified doctor is a smart choice for their clients?

Without definition this is no difference in the eyes of the law between any of these people A Licensed Chiropractor certified by the AVCA, advertises and only accepts patients with veterinary referral. A Licensed Veterinarian certified by the AVCA, advertises and refers animal owners to a human chiropractor. A Chiropractor with no advanced training who just accepts animals via word of mouth, doesn’t charge for the service and calls it manipulation. A Veterinarian who attended a weekend course, doesn’t advertise and doesn’t refer owners to a human chiropractor because of a lack of understanding of the chiropractic philosophy. The farrier that watched someone adjust a horse and therefore knows how to adjust, advertises and charges. They will adjust the owner as well if the owner needs it. The lay person that went to a “certification course” that has no understanding of the nervous system and no requirement for CE.

education In most states the last four are practicing without restraint from the boards, have no training in animal pathology and have no liability insurance if there were a problem. The top two have taken steps to insure that they understand how chiropractic works in animals. They understand what is and what isn’t chiropractic. Yet these are the professionals that are being challenged by the boards.

education The public is not being protected. The public is unable to find “qualified” chiropractor while unqualified are easy to find While neither profession is adequately trained to adjust animals with their basic licensure. Both are capable of adjusting animals with more training. We would recommend a minimum of 210 hours with 105 of that being hands on. The American Veterinary Chiropractic Association provides an additional security measure for the public by insuring that certified doctors have a current license and continue to get CE that pertains to animal chiropractic.

education Protection of public Veterinarians carry malpractice insurance that covers animal chiropractic if their training is what a knowledgeable person would expect Chirosecure offers certified chiropractors an animal rider that covers animal chiropractic if they are within their scope

education Veterinary referral or refusal should not be required. This was determined in the Wilkes vs. the AMA case in Illinois. It is a violation of the Sherman AntiTrust Law to let the veterinarian control properly trained chiropractors, just like it was a violation in the human medical field.

education Every AVCA certified chiropractor in the state of Texas realizes what is and is not animal chiropractic. Does every licensed veterinarian in the state of Texas understand what is chiropractic? A report sent to the veterinarian of record for the animal within seven days should suffice to protect public health and insure that the veterinarian can explain any complications and contraindications for further treatments of a different kind.

education The chiropractic board believes that they own the word chiropractic and that putting the word animal in front of it doesn’t matter. If this was the case in all professions then every veterinarian in the state would be required to obtain a medical license to practice veterinary medicine and a dentistry license to practice equine dentistry.

options There are many safer options in how a program could be set up in the state of Texas to help protect the public from non qualified animal chiropractors working on and hurting their animals. Currently only lay people are allowed to advertise “animal chiropractic” freely in the state.

Why the chiropractic board needs to care. Many states Have laws that state who can adjust and who can manipulate. Veterinary boards say they are the same thing. Can’t define the same differently in different statutes. The AVMA lumps chiropractic, acupuncture, cold laser, reiki and homeopathy all together and treats them the same.

options It could be handled similar to the state of Colorado where the chiropractic board issues an animal chiropractic rider to the license of qualified animal chiropractors. Need to have a similar restriction for veterinarians

options It could be handled similar to the way that the vet board recently set up a licensure for equine dentists in the state of Texas. Allows for licensure as an equine dentist if completed required education Listed on the vet board web page

options It could be done like the state of Nevada with the two boards forming a joint committee to oversee animal chiropractors. The “committee board” would consist of 2 animal chiropractors (one DC and one DVM) and a lay person that would report to both boards. They would handle complaints and then report to the appropriate licensure agency for discipline action if needed. There would be a small fee to offset this board paid by members of both professions who wish to perform and advertise animal chiropractic. Veterinarians would be certified in Animal Chiropractic and Chiropractors could advertise either certified in Animal Chiropractic or Certified Animal Chiropractor.

options When one of these is implemented a grandfather clause would allow anyone currently practicing to get licensed and then after a certain date all new “practitioners” would have to be AVCA certified and continue to complete CE as required. It would be difficult for lay people to be certified, however if they can prove that over 50% of their income in the last 2 years has come from Animal Chiropractic, that they are a citizen, have not committed a felony and have some form of liability insurance then they would be allowed to be grandfathered in. They would be required to complete CE like all other certified animal chiropractors in the state. The completion date for grandfathering needs to be a relative short period of time after the initial meeting of the animal chiropractic board.

options Setting up guidelines allowing trained professional to perform Animal Chiropractic in the State of Texas would help protect the public. It would allow veterinarians the confidence to refer, knowing that Animal Chiropractors had completed approved training and could be held liable. It would reduce complaints to the boards from their constituents as there would be a separate committee to deal with Animal Chiropractic complaints. It would help promote public health as more animals would be seen by trained professionals that understand the need for referral when something is outside of the scope of their practice.

Your assignment Your public is looking for Animal chiropractic. Make sure the public in your state has safe chiropractic care available to them, no matter the species. Punishing trained animal chiropractors will only increase the availability and improper chiropractic care like the following.

Let me leave you with this

Define Animal Chiropractic.