Animal chiropractic services are growing in popularity in the United States, but here on Guam, the Guam Union Health Inspection Board has issued a cease-and-desist order to local chiropractors to stop advertising their services on the island.
The issue was brought to the board under board member Dr. Velma Harper, a veterinarian.
“I have a question. This is on Dr. Harper’s agenda regarding chiropractors who perform adjustments and chiropractic manipulation on animals,” said board chair Mamie Balajadia.
But chiropractor Gregory Miller said that service is not part of the chiropractor’s scope of work on the island. He provided the Board’s background on this issue.
“Unless we understand this, they shouldn’t be doing it. I’ve talked to the chiropractor association, and basically what happens is that animal chiropractic is becoming more and more popular. So one of our chiropractors from Guam went off-island and got what’s called a certification to practice animal chiropractic,” Miller said.
He told the board that a local veterinarian had advised the chiropractor that the chiropractor would likely object to the services it provided.
“So my advice to chiropractors is, if you really want to do that, you basically have to introduce a legislative change so that it’s defined in the law, and then you’re going to fight with veterinarians. And that’s the main solution I think. So whether that happens depends on the political skill of the people involved,” Miller said.
Mr. Miller argued that Guam’s current law does not define animal chiropractic or whether it falls under the jurisdiction of veterinary medicine or chiropractic.
The board did not say which chiropractors offer this service or whether it is still available. However, Miller pointed out that ads may be running on chiropractors’ social media pages.
The Guam Daily Post investigated the social media pages of local chiropractors and found social media posts on the Facebook page of local chiropractor Amy Gates. According to her post, she was providing chiropractic services to animals in 2022.
In a social media post dubbed June 2022’s “Pet Day,” Gates said: “Please bring your pet this Saturday! I also have a few human slots.”
In another post from the same year, Gates reportedly posed with two dogs in separate photos after “adjustments” were made.
Miller said he has manipulated animals in the past, but not now.
“In the past, whenever I conditioned an animal, I would always get a referral from a veterinarian, and I think that should still be the case.Then, what you’re doing is a safer situation. It’s about making a proper diagnosis and working with a chiropractor. Sometimes, like me, we go to the clinic…and it’s been a long time since we’ve done it, probably 25 years.” said.
Mr. Harper’s concerns about unidentified chiropractors providing such services focused on legal and ethical considerations for chiropractors performing procedures on animals.
“My issue is that this person is advertising on her website and other media platforms that she practices chiropractic at home. I mean, they’re trying to build a patient relationship. That, first of all, that’s not their scope of practice. Even under current law, that’s not their scope of practice,” Harper said.
Mr. Harper recommended that the commission send a cease-and-desist letter to the chiropractor and order it to cease advertising services for animal chiropractic operations.
Miller agreed, noting that the “right process” needed to be followed.
“Unless she comes in and does a cease and desist, I think a formal cease and desist is probably better. And I don’t know what her intentions are, but like I said, she wants this that much.” If so, it would be up to chiropractors whether they should get involved in politics, and of course the veterinary community would probably oppose that. …Whatever happens, it stays that way. But for now, I think it’s more like a letter telling her to stop advertising that she does animal chiropractic and stop offering it. ” Miller said, noting that they may have already stopped seeing chiropractors.
The board voted to proceed and for Mr. Miller to draft a cease and desist letter.
Mr. Miller also emphasized that veterinarians and chiropractors be brought together to further discuss the issue and determine whether a change in the law is warranted.
If that’s the case, “they’ll have to play politics and change the law, and it’s not going to be that easy,” Miller said.
Harper said he believes any effort to change the law will be met with pushback, as Miller pointed out.
“Frankly, there are obviously huge differences between dog anatomy and human anatomy, and other than three weeks of treatment, without any diagnosis or knowledge of physiology or anatomy, Do I need to manipulate the animal?’ Of course that doesn’t make sense, and I don’t know of any veterinarians who would recognize that right,” Harper said.
“So now some states are making it clear that it’s illegal, and some states aren’t making it clear. But nevertheless, long story short. , I think you need to let her know that she can’t advertise that she does chiropractic manipulation, that she needs to stay within her scope of practice, and that it only works on people.” Harper added.
This discussion opened the door for veterinarians to share another concern about administering acupuncture to animals. Acupuncturist Richard Chong said: “I also disagree. It is not proper practice to perform acupuncture on animals without proper training.”
Mr. Miller accepted Mr. Chung’s argument, and added, “The question of whether veterinarians should be allowed to perform acupuncture and what kind of training they should have is a different direction.”
However, the Board concluded that it is a matter for further discussion at another Board meeting or possibly a working session.
