Sarah Ceriati - Researching how chiropractic can help young puppies

Sarah Ceriati is a McTimoney Animal Practitioner who graduated with the MSc Animal Manipulation (Chiropractic) in 2022 and works in the Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire areas. Sarah also recently presented the results of her MSc research at the inaugural Animal Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Conference in Abingdon.

As an avid dog lover and breeder, Sarah used her MSc research to investigate how McTimoney chiropractic treatment can help with young puppies' future development. Sarah explains, "Being involved with working with puppies and having whelped a few litters I saw the pressures put on their young bodies in the womb, during birth, in the nest, and then rough play and fighting with siblings up to 8 weeks old and wondered what issues they were starting their developing lives with and how treating these may prevent musculoskeletal diseases from developing in the adult dog." There is a lack of research in this area in dogs, so it was not only interesting but very important too.

Luckily Sarah had access to Basset Hounds puppies at home from the moment they were born so could control the variables, (factors that could affect the results of the study,) as much as possible. However, Sarah found that as the research developed it became clear how much of a broad topic area this was and how many factors there were to consider in the bigger picture to be able to give clear conclusions. 

Using 23 Basset Hound puppies, Sarah's research identified the locations of spinal and pelvis asymmetries in puppies at 8 weeks of age. The results of Sarah's research showed that there was no difference in the weights of the puppies at 8 weeks of age even if they were found to have greater asymmetry of the spine and pelvis compared to their litter brothers and sisters. This means that their growth and development continue within normal boundaries.

The birthing presentation also did not affect the presence of skeletal asymmetries meaning that whether they were born head first or tail first, they could still present with spinal asymmetries and in fact, spinal and pelvic asymmetries are actually very common. Of the puppies in the study 62% born headfirst had asymmetries compared to 40% born tail first. 46% of puppies born headfirst had asymmetry in the neck, 20% had both neck and back/pelvic asymmetries. Interestingly 60% of puppies weighing less than 400g at birth had the greatest asymmetry present which may mean that the larger stronger puppies are less likely to have spinal and pelvic asymmetry.

The key finding of this study was that spinal and pelvic asymmetries are common in Basset Hound puppies by 8 weeks of age and that warrants further research to investigate potential effects on these puppies as they grow up, as well as considering if similar findings are apparent in other breeds too.

Sarah has been working for a year in practice now and treats mostly dogs, and some horses, but has also treated donkeys and a sheep. Sarah says, "I enjoy seeing the relief, sometimes instantly, I can give to the animals presented to me for treatment. Seeing the difference in their behaviour a few days post treatment and how thrilled the owners are to have their happy animals back is very satisfying."

Sarah explains she has learnt a lot in the last year too, including, "Never make assumptions, keep an open mind and treat each animal and case completely independently and don't be afraid to think outside the box."

For more information on Sarah's research go to https://mctimoneyanimal.co.uk/an-investigation-into-spinal-and-pelvic-misalignments-in-8-week-old-basset-hound-puppies/

To contact Sarah for an appointment for your dog or horse, you can access her through the MAA or RAMP website or Facebook page.

sarahceriati@gmail.com / 07990 545054

What is McTimoney?

The McTimoney treatment is an effective and gentle form of chiropractic which uses quick and light adjustments on specific vertebrae or skeletal structures. It is a holistic approach which treats the body as a whole to realign and balance the musculoskeletal system without significant force. It has a particular focus on the spine and pelvis and looks at the cause and not just the symptoms of dysfunction. This helps to restore and maintain health, movement, soundness and performance. It is a non-invasive, gentle physical therapy and treatment is readily accepted by most animals.

The McTimoney Animal Association (MAA) is an independent regulatory body. All members hold a PGDip or MSc in Animal Manipulation from the McTimoney College of Chiropractic, abide by a code of ethics, and are fully insured to treat animals. For more information on the McTimoney Animal Association, or to find a practitioner near you, gotowww.mctimoneyanimal.co.uk
 

First-of-its-kind, Undergraduate Masters in Veterinary Chiropractic
 

The McTimoney College of Chiropractic has trained chiropractors for over 50 years and runs both part-time and full-time programmes in chiropractic for animals. For many years, graduates of animal science programmes have been able to continue on to the MSc in Animal Manipulation (Chiropractic) at the college, learning on this fantastic 2-year part-time course to evaluate cases and apply safe and effective chiropractic treatment.

The growing demand for more animal chiropractors in practice has led to the recent development of the new Masters in Veterinary Chiropractic for people who do not have a prior degree and as a full-time programme is suited to people who want to achieve an animal chiropractic career in just four years of training.

Contact info for those interested in learning more: