Chiropractic & Accupuncture

Last Monday, fellow PPG member and veterinarian, Anna Simms, came out to give Guinness a tune-up.

This was my first experience with equine chiropractic or acupuncture.

It was a very interesting and informative session. Guinness enjoyed the attention, although a couple of times he swatted the needles as though they were biting flies.

Anna noticed that G. has a slight drop of the left hip while walking and somewhat more muscle development on the left side of his lumbar region. He also exhibited a slight restriction in the motion of his caudal ribs on the right side.

She recommended several stretches, but overall believed most issues to be developmental in nature.

After the basic exam, I asked her to check out the "stick" that I'd been feeling in Guinness' ear. I could feel it by poking my pinky finger way down into his left ear (the length of my finger)! We tried to look into his ear with her otoscope, but couldn't get a good look. We put some rubbing alcohol into both of his ears to encourage him to shake his head. It worked and brought the object a little closer to the opening of his ear.

Barring other alternatives, she stuck her little finger with long fingernail into his ear and dragged a little stuff out. We examined the crud and then noticed a hunk of something hanging from his ear! It appeared to be an inch-long piece of straw. It had been in his ear so long that it was partially decayed at one end and covered in waxy stuff. Yucky.

Anyway, during this whole thing Guinness was a champ. He even held his head down while we took turns doing weird things to his ear. While we were at it Anna commented, "I can't believe that he is allowing us to do all of this to him!" I think that he knew we were trying to help him out. ;-)