Flow Family & Animal Chiropractic

Flow Family & Animal Chiropractic Chiropractic care for all animals and their humans
-
Dr. Savannah Mahoney, BScH, DC, CAC

🐾💘Happy Valentines Day from us to you 🐾💘
02/14/2026

🐾💘Happy Valentines Day from us to you 🐾💘

This sweet Valentine visits our clinic…Can you guess who it is? 🐾💘 Mystery Valentine Alert! 💘💬 Drop your guess in the co...
02/13/2026

This sweet Valentine visits our clinic…
Can you guess who it is? 🐾💘 Mystery Valentine Alert! 💘
💬 Drop your guess in the comments
❤️ Give them some love

I mean, an 80% is still an A right?
02/13/2026

I mean, an 80% is still an A right?

🐾💘Think you know who this adorable face belongs to?? 🐾💘💬 Comment your guess below❤️ Show them some love
02/12/2026

🐾💘Think you know who this adorable face belongs to?? 🐾💘
💬 Comment your guess below
❤️ Show them some love

👀Love is in the air — and so is a little mystery 💘💬 Comment your guess below❤️ Show them some love
02/12/2026

👀Love is in the air — and so is a little mystery 💘
💬 Comment your guess below
❤️ Show them some love

This Valentine is anonymous… for now 😏💘Think you know who this adorable face belongs to?💬 Drop your guess❤️ If you’re al...
02/11/2026

This Valentine is anonymous… for now 😏💘
Think you know who this adorable face belongs to?
💬 Drop your guess
❤️ If you’re already smitten

👀This cutie is one of our patients… but can you guess who it is? 🐾💬 Drop your guess in the comments❤️ Give them some lov...
02/11/2026

👀This cutie is one of our patients… but can you guess who it is? 🐾
💬 Drop your guess in the comments
❤️ Give them some love

This sweet Valentine visits our clinic…Can you guess who it is? 🐾💘 Mystery Valentine Alert! 💘💬 Drop your guess in the co...
02/10/2026

This sweet Valentine visits our clinic…
Can you guess who it is? 🐾💘 Mystery Valentine Alert! 💘
💬 Drop your guess in the comments
❤️ Give them some love

A client reached out this week with a really thoughtful question about a puppy their parents are thinking about bringing...
02/09/2026

A client reached out this week with a really thoughtful question about a puppy their parents are thinking about bringing home.

The pup has mild hip dysplasia on X‑ray. She’s active and comfortable, but they wanted to know:

“What does this actually mean long‑term, and should we be worried if we adopt her?”

I wrote up some thoughts for them and realised they might help others too, so I’m sharing a version here.

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1. What “mild” actually means

Mild changes on X‑ray in a small dog do NOT automatically mean a life of pain or disability.

In many young dogs, things stabilise or even improve as they finish growing (roughly 6–24 months depending on the breed). X‑rays tell us about structure; they don’t tell us everything about how a dog moves, feels, or functions.

That’s where hands on exams are really useful.

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2. Helpful things to watch for

If your dog has known hip changes (or you’re considering adopting one), it can be helpful to keep an eye on:

• Hesitation with stairs or jumping on/off furniture
• Bunny‑hopping behind, stiffness after naps, slowing down on walks
• Mood changes or not wanting their hips / low back touched

These don’t automatically mean something is “wrong,” but they’re good reasons to check in with your vet and a chiropractor or other movement‑focused practitioner.

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3. How I’d support a dog like this

If this were my own dog, I’d focus on:

• Keeping them lean. Extra weight is one of the biggest, most controllable stressors on joints.
• Sensible movement. Regular walks and play are great; I’d be cautious about lots of repetitive ball throwing or stair sprints, especially while they’re still maturing.
• Supportive surfaces. Rugs instead of all slick floors where possible, and ramps or careful help on/off furniture if they’re enthusiastic jumpers.
• Regular chiropractic appointments. Chiropractic looks at how clearly the nervous system is able to communicate through the spine and hips, where the body is compensating instead of adapting, and how we can restore better balance so the whole system can organise, heal, and grow as naturally as possible.

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4. Long‑term outlook

With good management and a team approach (vet + chiropractic care + thoughtful home choices), many dogs with mild hip dysplasia live very full, active lives.

The key is awareness, not panic: understand what’s going on, support their body as they grow, and get them checked if you notice changes.

If this is something your family is facing, I hope this gives you a clearer picture of what’s possible and how much we can do to support these dogs.

- Dr Savannah Mahoney

PS. This is a topic near and dear to my heart. The handsome guy in the photo is Coa, my own dog with hip dysplasia. He (and many other patients at Flow) are a testament to the full, happy lives these animals can live, even with the disadvantages they started life with.

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1619 Beckwith 9th Line, Carleton Place
Carleton Place, ON
K7C0C4

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