Options For Animals

Its not too late to join our spring class starting in March! We have 3 seats available! Call Robbie at 309-658-2920 if you have any questions and to sign up now.

Our Mission

To maximize the health and well-being of our animal companions by promoting the science, art and philosophy of Animal Chiropractic.

Our Values

We value each life and feel it should be lived to the highest potential. Our goal is to advance this potential in our animal’s lives in ways varying from relieving pain and suffering to increasing the level of performance in animal athletes.

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Essential Course Info

The Postgraduate Essentials in Animal Chiropractic Course is designed as continuing education for chiropractors and veterinarians. The curriculum meets the standard of education put forth by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA), the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA) and the Kansas Board of Regents. Its purpose is to provide exceptional education in Animal Chiropractic to ensure that its graduates can practice with the highest Standard of Care.

Click Here to Register Online for the Essentials Course Why Choose Options!

Other Information to Consider When Choosing a Schedule

  • All modules must be taken in the designated order: Sacropelvic, Thoracolumbar, Cervical, Extremity, then Integrated.
  • Once you begin, you have up to 2 years to complete the Essentials course.
  • The course curriculum consists of at least 210 hours. A minimum of 135 hours are lecture and a minimum of 75 hours are is hands on. For curriculum details please see below.
  • Our laboratory animals are on site. No traveling to a barn is necessary. All students are required to learn and participate in both horse and dog labs.
  • Breakfast, Lunch, and a light snacks are included with tuition.
  • Two large notebooks of extensive notes are also provided.
  • Home study is required with the average student spending at least 8 to 10 hours to complete homework assignments after each module. All class and home study progress is monitored by written and practical examinations.
  • Once a student has successfully completed the Essentials in Animal Chiropractic course, they are eligible to sit for the clinical competency certification examinations given by either the AVCA (American Veterinary Chiropractic Association) or IVCA (International Veterinary Chiropractic Association). The IVCA offers their exam on Sunday, the day following our final exams. More information on either the AVCA or IVCA can be found on their prospective websites and will be provided while attending the course.

Advanced CE Courses

As alumni, your continued involvement can broaden the impact of your experience in a variety of ways. There are countless opportunities available to remain connected, and with the advent of the internet, it’s never been easier to network and share new ideas and information.

Click Here to Register Online for any of our CE Courses CE Tuition & Fees

Wondering how to stay involved? Here are some ways to participate, and keep your experience alive:

  • Become involved in research. Educational research is a means of discovering new and stimulating developments in animal chiropractic, and provides the public with valuable and exciting information, as well as making a difference in this profession and throughout the world.
  • Keep us informed of your accomplishments. Send us articles on yourself and the events of your life, including pictures and videos. Let us know how animal chiropractic has helped your patients.
  • Send a prospective student our way! We’re constantly looking to develop and foster the next generation of animal chiropractors, and we value your referral.
  • Get involved with your state board. Become a voice for animal chiropractic, and contribute to the advancement of this profession by positively influencing and developing the laws of your state.
  • Attend advanced modules. Reconnect with fellow classmates while cultivating your skills and expertise.

Animal Owners

Animal Chiropractic is a field of animal health care that focuses on the preservation and health of the neuro-musculo-skeletal system. Why? Nerves control everything that happens in your animals. Anything adversely affecting the nervous system will have detrimental effects that will resonate throughout the entire body.

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Success Stories

This is Andy beginning to hold his tail up and push off with his back feet. A few weeks prior he was not able to lift his tail and wag it. He had two adjustments before this video. The next video you will see a very different dog.

Two more adjustments. The changes occurred over eight weeks. Thank you for my training at Options for Animals!!! Dr. Eileen Macfarlane
As a professional dog trainer, I need my dogs to be able to work with me every day of the week. In addition to their “9-5” jobs as demonstrators, I want them to feel good enough to be competitive at obedience trials, conformation shows, and hunt tests on the weekends. It is heartbreaking to spend many hours of training time with a loved companion and competitor, only to have their career cut short by their body breaking down. Regular chiropractic care helps my dogs to feel their best, so they can show me their “utmost willingness” in the ring.” Beth Ericson

Testimonials

Melissa Shaw

Going to Options for Animals was meant to be from start to finish. The staff is truly amazing and helpful. Any questions I had were answered almost immediately. This allowed me to be prepared and know it was time, I was ready to take on this challenge. They even offered scholarships to help with the financial stress. My experience and time spent at options in 2020, during the most challenging times for all of us, managed to bring me peace and hope. I focused on learning these new valuable skills and saw light in this darkness. The education and experience that I received at Options was literally the most exciting and nourishing time through all of my years of school. I actually wish the program was longer because i enjoyed every minute of it! Im very thankful to Heidi, Robbie and all of the family at Options for Animals. I look forward to going back to advance in this profession that changes the lives of so many.

Yours in health,

Monique

Many thanks to you and the whole team for providing such an awesome course. It was fantastic. I have learned a lot and it has changed my visions on a lot of things. I am applying what I have learned everyday and not only with chiropractic. Would love to come back in the future for some advanced courses.

Trish Moffat, New Zealand

I have had some amazing results….and I’m only learning !!! LOL !!

Thus week I have had a 2 year old cat that was bought in to be put to sleep, as it had been seen while I was away by our practice. The cat came home and has had a trauma of some sort. An acute onset of back pain, as became “ferral” when the owner went to stroke her back and marked behavioural changes, hiding, sleeping a lot, not jumping up onto the furniture and not wanting to go outside. She was partially responsive to nsaids, but not any better once the course finished. She was difficult to examine, so I admitted her for sedation and radiographs, which were normal. I was really nervous about adjusting her sedated, but I did so, very gently. She had a P L7, P L6 as well as a couple of P thoracic vertebrae (shoulder blade region) and a C4 BR. The cat has done amazingly well and is back climbing trees and annoying the neighbourhood.

I also spoke with Heidi about a 10 month old greyhound that had a paddock accident, acute onset of non-weighbearing RF lameness. No radiographic findings, and developed a “thumb print” region of muscle atrophy in the triceps region within 48 hours, which progressed to marked triceps atrophy, and radial nerve paralysis. I saw him when I got back and he had improved such that he could weight bear on the limb for 20 seconds before sinking or lifting the limb up, and he had mild carpal, elbow and shoulder contraction. I adjusted him and he had a a C3 BR, C6 BR, T2P, T3P, T5P, L cranial humeral head, Anyway I saw him again yesterday and it was unbelievable, he shot oug of his kennel, ran around without any “dipping” in the RF for a couple of minutes, and the medial head of the triceps has doubled in size in the two and a half weeks , since I last saw him !!! Also the carpal, elbow and shoulder contraction had resolved

I’m having so much fun and learn something new every day. I am so grateful to you both for running the condensed course which has allowed me to improve the quality of life of patients that, treated conventionally, wouldn’t have as good outcomes.

Thank you once again for an amazing course and learning experience, already I have treated patients in a much better and efficient manner than I would have previously, and I will be forever grateful to you both for “opening my eyes” and giving my patients more treatment options.

Kind regards

Ferdinand Niessen

I want to thank you for the wonderful time which I did share with you at Options for Animals. You and the whole team of your school create a nice atmosphere of learning and socializing. I will miss this time and never forget. Have a wonderful time.

Holly Landes

I had a wonderful experience at Options for Animals. They provided a very positive and fun learning environment that made it easier to get back into school after being out for a while. They teach a very high standard of care in chiropractic technique and maintain the well-being and safety of the animal as a priority. I am so grateful to have learned such a powerful modality that will allow me to provide optimal care to my patients. I am excited about this new chapter in my life and all of the animals that will benefit from the knowledge that I have gained.

Molly Kaplan, DVM

The instructors are amazing in the labs! Dr. Matt was my favorite, he was patient, kind, approachable, and extremely knowledgeable – as were the entire group of instructors. The make learning chiro fun and enjoyable.

I truly felt like I became part of the Options Chiropractic family after finishing this course.

Kati Chamberlin, DVM – Missouri

I came to this school on referral from an old professor from veterinary school who completed the course recently. I was getting interested in this field from seeing cases that I couldn’t help with traditional veterinary medicine. This program is the first and oldest program for animal chiropractic in the country. It has been a great program! The content and teaching is excellent. You are exposed to veterinarians, chiropractors, and instructors from all over the country.

This exposure allows you to make many new connections and gain knowledge from a wide variety of people with different experiences. These people treat you like family and you will remain like family for a long time as an alumni. I would highly recommend this course to anyone.

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