MAKING CAINE ABLE
By FREDA R. SAVANA
The Intelligencer
Dawn Heckenberger and her family had just about given up hope that their beloved Doberman pinscher would be with them much longer. Injured and aging, Caine was unable to walk and the time had come, they thought, to have him put down.
But the 9-year-old dog lived another year and a half after the Hatfield woman made a call to a chiropractor, Leah Garlan.
“I was very skeptical,” said Heckenberger, “but I listened to what she had to say.”
Garlan, who has a human chiropractic practice in Silverdale, convinced the family to have Caine come for a couple of visits to see if she could help the 120-pound dog, paralyzed in both back legs. She's also licensed with the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association.
“He started to respond after only two adjustments,” said Heckenberger. Within about eight weeks, Caine regained almost complete use of his hind legs.
For Heckenberger, whose heart, she explained, “lies with the animal world,” the recovery of her dog was more than a blessing for her family; it became an opportunity to raise awareness about chiropractic and homeopathic care for animals.
“I never knew about it, that there was alternative care for pets,” she said. “I want others to know.”
Heckenberger is sponsoring an event Saturday at the New Britain Baptist Church on Route 202 in New Britain to educate the public about animal chiropractic care.
Pet owners turn to chiropractic care, which involves adjustments, sometimes called manipulations, of the spine and joints to keep them in proper alignment, when they aren't getting the results they want through traditional veterinary medicine, said Garlan.
“With gentle adjustments by hand you can restore proper motion to the joints and that promotes healing,” Garlan said.
“The most important thing is knowing when to refer” an animal to a veterinary chiropractor, she said.
Dr. Drew Sporer, a Doylestown vet, said although he doesn't practice chiropractic care, he strongly supports it and recommends it for some of his patients.
“I absolutely believe there's a place for alternative care for pets,” he said.
Ten or 15 years ago, his opinion might have been different. “I was more skeptical then,” said Sporer, “but I've actually seen pets recover.”
Alternative medicine for animals has been around for some 20 years, but has become increasingly popular in the last several years.
Sporer said he's seen more practitioners popping up, offering acupuncture, homeopathic and chiropractic care in growing numbers over the past five years.
Dr. Alberto G. Gil, who has been practicing holistic medicine for 13 years from his Long Island, N.Y., office, believes chiropractic medicine can be a great benefit to animals.
Dogs with hip dysplasia, whose owners are often told will not walk again, can be returned to a healthy quality of life, Gil said.
Cats, horses and other animals can also be helped with chiropractic care, many veterinarians agree.
Fees for the services range from $40 a visit to $75.
VISIT: www.drleahgarlan.com for more info
