Animal Patient Testimonials
We value our patients’ experience at Dixon Animal Chiropractic. If you or your animal is currently a patient with us, please feel free to complete the following Testimonial Form. Moreover, if you like you can also send a picture of yourself or you with your animal to go along with your experience.
I wanted to thank you for helping Abu yesterday. You have such a nice, quiet way with horses. I took a picture of how interested Abu was with you. It was too nice not to share with you.
Thanks, Jackie
You came and helped with my Boxer IKE. We both know , it is borrowed time for my boy, but i want you to know he is actually putting weight on that foot. i know the cancer is just a matter of time, but he is happier and getting around. Of course it is borrowed time, but isnt it for all of us. It is amazing your connection with him ( i am sure with all animals you deal with) that you can touch,bend and twist him , and he never snaps at you. I have never before seen a dog “cry” with relief. Not only do you do great with animals, but your soft kindness with bad news was greatly appreciated.
Your gift is remarkable, i can never thank you enough.
~ TR
Hibbing
Jason is phenomenal with our animals! I cannot recommend him enough, my older horse had such a hard time keeping weight on. We spent hundreds trying to figure out what was the problem, and after 2 adjustments we could see a difference. Her back was out so badly, she was having a hard time absorbing any nutrients. Now fast forward to this winter, and I have a horse that looks amazing and would no longer call her a hard keeper. So pleased, that we had him return to look at a few of our sled dogs. He’s so quiet and easy going even the spookiest of critters calm right down. Highly recommend
~ LA
Togo
Dr. Dixon always displays true compassion and care for animals and their owners. Most recently he worked on my 16 year old dog who is palliative care status. Due complex medical issues, I’m reluctant to “drug” my dog as his heart and kidneys are failing. After Dr. Dixon treated him, he’s more active and energetic. We are so grateful for Dr. Dixon and this treatment option.
~ CR
Deer River
Highly recommend Jason! he is very good at what he does and works very hard to get to everyone asap! very appreciative of him and his work! Love having him work on my horses!
~ AA
New Folden
Dr. Dixon has done an amazing job with all our animals. Not only is he very knowledgeable and great at what he does, he handles the animals wonderfully as well. Kind and patient.
~ DR
Goodland
I can not thank you enough for taking care of my horse Dandi. We both are very happy. When the opportunity comes up I will be sure to recommend you. If any of my future horses have a problem I will be coming/going through your clinic. I hope and pray that God blesses you just as you are a blessing to others you help. Thank you.
~ AM
For being the very busy man he is, Dr. Dixon always gets you in as soon as possible and has very reasonable rates given the traveling he does. My family had a horse that had a terrible experience with a chiropractor before him, and we were a little concerned about how he would react with Dixon, but he has a way with animals that is truly astonishing. I have never personally had a bad experience with him, nor have I heard of anyone who has. Every single one of my horses responds to him well, and he has done amazing work on them that has helped me tremendously. He is a very honest man and does not try to take advantage of your animal’s issues (if they have any) or not take the proper time with them regardless of their needs. He cares for every person, and animal he comes in contact with and it would be a shame to use anyone else other than him for your chiropractic needs in the area he serves.
~ HR
Grand Rapids, MN
I just have to say that you are amazingly gifted. Your method of connecting with and treating Animals is Unprecedented . This is the second time you have taken my dog from what I thought was his death bed to awesome. I am so grateful, thank you.
~ SO
Bagley, MN
River is a 6 year old mare that was just started a couple months ago. We sent her to a trainer and she was calm and relaxed at the beginning of her training and then began exhibiting the following behaviors.
Notes from her trainer: “A lot of things to the right. Turning to the right was harder for her. When she started trotting circles to the right she would flinch and jump and cantering circles the right. We still haven’t even tried a whole lot because it seems like she gets scared. Sometimes she will swish her tail as if she’s irritated or maybe something is hurting. She cross fires at a canter in the round pen. She didn’t do it when I was on her, but she does it when you’re working her in the round pen and it’s both directions. I know sometimes it can mean something and sometimes it’s just their muscles need to build up. The other day I went to get on her from the right side, which I’ve done before, when my foot touched her side she bit me. Which is totally out of character for her. She’s a great horse and I love working with her. I’m not sure what is wrong with her.”
We brought her home and had Dr. Dixon adjust her. He found she had FOUR ribs causing extreme tenderness at the withers area. He also noted he thought it may be coming from the lower lumber area causing River to tighten the abdominal muscles and flex her upper back in order to stabilize.
Since she’d been adjusted, I took her on her first horse camping/trail ride this past weekend. She did amazing. She didn’t exhibit any discomfort from the saddle or when mounting or riding. Thank you for doing what you do. I see great changes & relief in all our horses that you work with. I’m so thankful I learned about horse chiropractic and that you are in our area!
~MG
Leonard, MN
Joey is my 5 year old mare. She was diagnosed with white line disease in January, had most of her front left hoof resected and was on stall rest for 4.5 months. Her hoof is growing out very well and I can now start putting light rides on her. I noticed she was stiff and short stepping in the front end. My farrier and I couldn’t tell which leg was worse as she seemed off on both of them. I had Dr. Dixon adjust her as he does every spring & fall. Because of her injured hoof, she was putting most of her weight on her left knee and her right shoulder. Dr. Dixon spent a lot of time stretching out her right shoulder and after her adjustment she was walking normal again! You could just see her relief after he worked on her.
Thank you!
~MG
Leonard, MN
Our dog Scout we thought with at the end he was limping he was falling. Dr Dixon did one single treatment on him and we followed his instructions for muscle strengthening and our dog had an incredible transformation running around like he was a young puppy again for a couple more years! We cannot thank you enough for what you did for our Scoutie boy!
~SP
My 26 year old fox-trotter, Smokey, was going through an attitude change, for the worse. He seemed to be evolving over time, into a cantankerous, cranky old soul. Granted, he has Metabolic Syndrome with occasional bouts of acute founder. But we’ve had this under control now, for awhile. Why was his disposition continuing to deteriorate?
Naturally I sought expert consultation. My veterinarian found Lyme’s Disease and we quickly treated. He improved, but he still wasn’t himself. The orneriness persisted. Where had my sweet lifelong buddy gone? I turned to another expert, Dr. Dixon.
I saw an improvement after the first visit, so I asked for a second. I’m thrilled to say we have had fantastic results!
Following both sessions, Smokey became visibly relaxed and almost ready to fall asleep. I hadn’t seen him that calm for over a year. He stood more erect and moved beautifully- gaiting again, easily. And his disposition was normalizing: previously, he would express his pain by pinning his ears back and acting like he wanted to bite me when I approached him. This has subsided now, greatly improved. And the best part, he is talking to me again. He had always been a big talker with me, but had stopped for about the last year. Now he greets me and tells me everything! I’m so happy to have my best friend back!
Thank you Dr. Dixon!!
~GA
Grand Rapids, MN
MRS. PEACOCK IS WALKING AGAIN!!!
I had a friend who had Dr. Dixon out for her horse; I was there to watch and was very impressed in what and how he was working on this horse. Well a few weeks later I had him out for my horse and while he was working on him he spotted my peacocks and wanted to look at them later. I told him, I had one that had gotten hurt and was going to put her down because she could not walk anymore. As he was looking at her he said, maybe he could help her. I said, go ahead and try, but I was seriously thinking there is no way possible. He worked on her for 20 minutes and I noticed she was opening her mouth and making a moaning sound. After he was done he then asked if I would wait 1 week before I put her down. Well in 3 days she was walking some. He came back out in approximately 1 week and worked on her again. That was 3 weeks ago and she is now walking around with a small limp. So Dr. Dixon you can now add a feather to your hat.
~ BJG
Bemidji, MN
HIS CARE, CONCERN, PASSION AND LOVE FOR WHAT HE DOES SHOWED WITH EVERY MOVEMENT AND WORD.
I just wanted to share a story with you concerning my German Shepherd, Sasha,( pictured on the right) who is 8 ½ years old. Last fall our saddle club, Rider’s in Cahoots, invited a chiropractic speaker, Dr. Dixon, to Grand Rapids. I attended and found it most interesting. Since I am an owner of German Shepherds, I did have a few questions for him and I liked his answers so I kept his name tucked in the back of my mind for both my horse and dog future needs.
This spring I had taken Sasha to the Vet because of her symptoms being weight loss, muscle weakness and loss in the hind legs, difficulty balancing and walking and at times her hind legs would almost seem paralyzed. The Vet performed a complete physical along with x-rays. His diagnosis was that she had “spinal bridging” and he was very suspicious of “degenerative myelopathy”. “Spinal bridging” is usually caused by trauma at some time, which made sense since she had been hit by a car when she was 8 months old. The “bridging” is bone spurs that can form along joints in the body of a dog. The reason behind the formation is an increase of damaged joint surface area. There spinal cord does not become compressed, but the spine will be immobilized in that particular location. In a dog with spinal bridging, bridges have formed along the ventral parts (bottom parts) of the vertebrae (the bones that make up the spine). In dogs where the spinal bridging is widespread, the many bridges can weld a long row of vertebrae into a rigid, inflexible backbone. This bridging can put pressure on as well as pinch the nerves.
The suspicious “Degenerative Myelopathy” is a progressive disease of the spine that is untreatable. Degenerative myelopathy is a non-reversible, progressive disease that cannot be cured. There are no treatments that have been clearly shown to stop or slow progression.
The only treatment the Vet could prescribe for Sasha was rest, and pain medication to make her more comfortable, but this would just mask what was really going on, so Dr. Kalinowski referred me to Dr. Dixon.
I called Dr. Dixon and explained what was happening and had the Vet’s office e-mail him her x-rays. Upon receiving them he called me and said “I can help her”. He believed that if her symptoms were due to the bridging he could undo a lot of damage. If she was destine to be stricken with the degenerative myelopathy he could make her more comfortable. He saw her at the end of May and did 4 adjustments on her. He recommended changing her diet and regulating exercise and doing massages. I cannot say enough about his “bedside manner” with her. He locked in to the concerns and needs of his patient as if they were the only thing that existed. His care, concern, passion and love for what he does showed with every movement and word. How refreshing to see someone in this line of work, working for the goal of the patient and not their wallet! Dr. Dixon’s concern for Sasha continued after our session, calling on a weekly basis to check on her progress.
I scheduled a second appointment with him on August 2, and he did 4 adjustments again but was amazed at her progress. Once again, making every moment count with his patient, gently and tenderly. We discussed Sasha’s current medication of “Estradiol” which is prescribed for “incontinence” that she has been on since 2007, 3 pills per week to regulate any “leaking”. He felt that his adjustments would also help this. So since August 2, I have not given her this medication and we are on week 7 and no leakage!
I am so thankful that I heard him speak last fall. He has made a huge difference in the quality of life for Sasha. He has truly given her life back. It is so painful to watch the animal you love deteriorate in front of you, and have a poor quality of life. She has gained her weight back, put on muscle mass in the hind legs and runs and plays like she used to.
I highly recommend Dr. Dixon for any animal chiropractic needs that you may have. If you are unsure if he can help, please call and consult with him, he will be honest with you.
~CK
Nashwauk, MN
PASSIONATE ABOUT ANIMAL HEALTH!
Thank you, Dr. Jason, for the outstanding care you have been giving my dogs and horses! Because you are so passionate about animal health and well-being, and your ability to patiently listen to the animals, you find the true problems and successfully treat them. My 33 year old Morgan, who spent the morning bucking and chasing the sheep around, feels as good as he did when he was young! Considering the injury he suffered several years ago, it is even more remarkable. You were the only professional to find the actual problem and make him the spitfire he is today! And, of course, you are Fancy’s favorite doctor!!! Once again, thank you for the excellent care for my best friends! And, thank you so much for your service to our country. This is a great country with great people like you!
~MS
Rice, MN
KODIAK CAN FINALLY LEAD THE SLED TEAM AGAIN!
Our dog Kodiak, had been having lower back troubles all winter. It was agonizing to see him in pain, to the point where he would sometimes yelp when we would pet him. On his daily walks he would occasionally forget in his excitement and jump out of a snow bank, only to stop immediately in pain and hold up his rear left leg yelping and hopping about. His back and rear leg muscles had become increasingly tense over time.
A sled dog vet kindly examined him at a local sled dog race and told me he most likely had sciatica. I am a strong believer in human chiropractic care, so I asked my chiropractor if he knew of any animal chiropractors in our area. He mentioned Dr. Jason Dixon from Bemidji, MN. Even though Bemidji is a 5 hour drive from where we live, after viewing his website, I decided to give him a call and ask him if he could help Kodiak.
Dr. Dixon said he comes to our area every few months to treat animals. He checked with his other clients and called me back to say he would be making a trip to our area and we scheduled an appointment. Dr. Dixon came to our home and spent considerable time getting to know Kodiak. He was able to find three subluxations in Kodiak’s spine. Two were minor and caused by the L7 vertebrae that was the main source of Kodiak’s pain.
After thoroughly explaining the process to me, he began to massage and work on Kodiak’s L7. As I was holding Kodiak I could feel how tense his muscles had become from this injury. Dr. Dixon’s manner with Kodiak was very calm and reassuring. In no time at all, Dr. Dixon told me he was getting close to making the adjustment. Then, suddenly I could feel all the tension release in Kodiak’s muscles and he completely relaxed. It was truly amazing. It brought tears to my eyes as I could sense that Kodiak finally felt relief from the pain he had been suffering for so long.
I would recommend Dr. Dixon to anyone that has a pet with a musculoskeletal disorder. His calm demeanor, gentle voice, and way with animals is truly amazing. I feel it is a miracle as Kodiak is completely back to his old self and as a wheel dog and our main muscle dog, he is a very important part of our sled dog team. He is so happy to be able to run, play, and mush again, pain free! Thank you Dr. Dixon!!
~JC
Grand Marais, MN
NO MORE GIRTHINESS. NONE AT ALL!
I have owned Lily for nine years. Since acquiring her, I have had issues with girthiness. This is a issue that started small and over time grew into something bigger. I thought it was a behavioral issue.
Lily and I were at a clinic in May 2011 and I asked the clinician to work with us on this problem as the small problem head reached the point she would turn her head to bite me as I girthed her up.
The clinician did a physical examination of my mare and very strongly suggested chiropractic treatment for her. The facility owner was able to set up an appointment with her chiropractor so Lily’s first treatment happened at the out of state clinic. The chiropractor wanted a four week follow up for my mare. He referred me to Dr. Dixon.
So our story begins.
Dr Dixon and I had numerous telephone conversions during which I gained the impression he was genuinely compassionate. Meeting him in person confirmed that my impression of him was accurate. He gave me his full attention as he listened to what Lily’s problems were.
When he started his exam, I was amazed by the connection he made with her. Due to my martial arts background, I was able to feel the “oneness” of connection between Dr. Dixon and Lily, which extended even to me through the lead rope. From that experience I knew he was really listening to what Lily was telling him. This is a feeling I am familiar with in a martial arts setting but to experience it with a health care practitioner confirmed I had found a truly gifted individual.
Lily had ribs out of place which was causing the girthiness – so it was a physical rather than behavioral issue. After regular follow up and after care as Dr. Dixon recommended the behavior has totally disappeared. No girthiness. None at all.
I appreciate the fact that he is a human chiropractor who has gone into the field of animal chiropractics because he loves animals. He truly brings that love to his bedside manner as he works with the animal.
Lily is now doing well and Dr. Dixon will see her on an annual basis along with the rest of my herd.
~JS
Grand Marais, MN
DR. DIXON IS EMPHATIC, TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE A CONNECTION WITH THE ANIMAL.
If you are looking for an outstanding, compassionate, skilled chiropractor who will listen to and work with your animal, look no further, Dr. Jason Dixon is the practitioner you want.
I found Dr. Dixon through a friend who received his name as a referral from another chiropractor. Since she was booking an appointment for her horse and I was traveling with her, I thought, “why not.” I am oh, so very glad I did.
He is emphatic, taking time to make a connection with the animal on whom he is working. A key strength he brings to his animal practice is his human chiropractic training. He looks at issues and problems from a different perspective. He asks keen and probing questions as he treats the animal.He does not simply treat symptoms, instead he takes the time and effort to dig to the root cause.
He is also willing to work with other equine professionals. Together he and my equine acupuncturist were able to diagnosis a long term issue in my number one horse, Guinness. Guinness had this issue when I purchased him.The equine professionals I had asked about it said, “conformation.” Dr. Dixon took the time to dig deeper and found the root cause – ten years later!
He has a couple of sayings that I so appreciate, “I am not here to judge.”And he isn’t. His focus is to help the animal become well. “Any change is a good change.” It is, too. I have observed one of my horses start acting up a bit and that is a great change as I know she is feeling better.
Now that I have Dr. Jason Dixon as a member of my equine health care team,my entire herd will be seeing him at least once a year for a preventative check up. I am fortunate to have found a professional of his caliber to work with me and my horses.
~VL
Grand Marais, MN
ANGEL IS HAPPY AGAIN!
The following is a testimonial for my dog Angel. Her care by Dr. Jason Dixon was phenomenal. Attached to this email is a picture of Angel in a wheelbarrow. I specifically chose to post this picture because it shows that she is so happy again. One of Angel’s favorite things to do is play in dirt, water, grass, anything that is messy and flying in the air for her to pounce at. She hadn’t been doing this kind of activity for about 8 months. After she saw Dr. Dixon just two times, she was back to herself. Now, whenever I am working in the yard, she is right next to me catching the dirt or water that’s flying. She jumped up in this wheelbarrow to get the dirt I was putting in there.
Testimonial:
My Miniature Pinscher named Angel is turning 6 years old this year. She is/was always playful and hyper from the day I got her to about 5 years old. One day I started noticing that she didn’t want to be touched. She didn’t want to play or cuddle. She would randomly yelp in pain when no one was even around her. It was constant as it would go away for awhile and come back. Eventually, Angel didn’t want to be touch at all. She would just lay in her bed and hide. My vet recommended Dixon Animal Chiropractic and he was 100% right in referring me.
Angel (after just 2 visits) is back to her happy and goofy self. She runs like crazy and likes attention again. In fact, she likes to be the center of attention. Dr. Dixon simply adjusted her back and her quality of life is so much better. I am also so much happier because I can give my dog the attention and love that animals require without feeling like I’m hurting her or making her anxious. Thank you so much Dr. Dixon. I am 100% pleased and give an A+ grade to my dog’s service and the awesome mannerism to me also.
~SR
Blackduck, MN
SHE WOULD TAKE A FEW WOBBLY STEPS AND THEN COLLAPSE!
At the beginning of September we thought that we were going to have to put our beloved 14 year old Brittany to sleep. She was down to only being able to take a few steps at a time and only while being in extreme pain. She would take a few wobbly steps and then pretty much collapse.
We brought her to our local veterinarian and we were actually ready to put her down. He gave her some pain medicine and then was able to examine Brittany and take some xrays. When both his examination and the xrays came back inconclusive, but ruled out bone cancer, we were referred to Dr. Dixon. We felt fortunate for the gift of time with her, but knew that a life on strong pain meds was not the best option for her either. My husband and I were both cautiously optimistic with the option of chiropractic services for Brittany. We both see a chiropractor regularly ourselves, but had never heard of animal chiropractic services.
When Dr. Dixon came out for the initial visit, yes he came to our house which was amazing to us, we were blown away by his utter compassion for our dear pet. He sat right down on the floor with her and allowed her to get comfortable with him before he even tried to examine her. She was still in quite a bit of discomfort but he took his time and made us feel like he had all the time in the world to devote to her. It was amazing to witness!
He explained everything to us and had us tell him all we could about Brittany’s condition. He then wanted to know our thoughts and goals for his services so we could all be on the same page. We explained that we wanted for her to be as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. We knew he couldn’t reverse time, but if his services could help her remaining time with us be comfortable, then it was worth it!
He took his time adjusting Brittany and really connected with her. You could see her trust for him growing very quickly. He was able to tell us what adjustments might be more tender than others and some it seemed did not appear to really phase her. This whole process took about 2 hours and then we were to see how she was afterwards, to see if it helped with her mobility and her discomfort.
It has been about 6 weeks since her initial exam, and she has had only 1 more visit with Dr. Dixon. She does have another appointment for next week and then hopefully that will last her awhile. I can tell you that the response has been amazing. Our Brittany is doing great. She is out and about around our house like she is 7 again. She is doing her little tail wiggle and trotting around here like she did before the incident. She was found to have a quite significant slipped disc and for that reason we don’t let her over-do it and don’t take her on long walks, but she is amazing.
We can not say enough good things about Dr. Dixon. He has given us our dog back, and we know our “borrowed” time with her is a gift. We would both highly recommend his services to anyone with animals. Thank you Dr. Dixon.
~AC
Bemidji, MN
HIT BY A CAR!
We first met Dr. Dixon in July of 2010. We have an older Australian Blue Heeler who had been hit by a car as a puppy before we got her. She had many fractures and over the years became more limpy.
After a couple of treatments Pinta is much more flexible and able to do the things she enjoys-chase chipmunks and squirrels. She has definitely made improvement since seeing Dr. Dixon.
~DJ
Grand Rapids, MN
HIT HEAD ON IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT WITH HORSE TRAILER ATTACHED!
Chico loved the treatment! He improved in his pain/discomfort level after the first visit. He still has problem areas from the impact of the accident but with care and patience he will be better!
Chico was the front horse in my trailer when it was hit head-on on Hwy 2 this summer. We are blessed he and the other three horses survived! Thanks to the Bison slant load trailer! Now his full recovery is enhanced by Dr. Dixon’s care.
~SI
Crookston, MN
SHUFFLING AND HIND LIMB WEAKNESS!
My collie Bella Rose began having problems with hind limb weakness in the summer of 2009 when she was ten years old. If we walked more than half a mile her rear paw pads would bleed because Bella had started shuffling when she walked. I bought some rubber-soled shoes for her hind feet and after a little trial and error with various nutraceuticals found a combination that seemed to minimize her arthritis pain and restored a great deal of her mobility.
By the summer of 2010 the nutraceuticals alone were not enough. We added prescription NSAIDs which seemed to help with the arthritis pain but her mobility continued to decline. When my groomer told me about Dr Dixon I was thrilled to have another option. The fact that Dr Dixon travels to the Iron Range regularly made this an even better fit for us.
Bella becomes very anxious when we drive within one block of our regular veterinary clinic. I’ve seen many pets at other veterinary clinics that share her anxiety about clinic visits. Dr Dixon comes to our home or my business to see Bella. He is gentle, thorough, caring and takes his time with her. Bella has responded very well to Dr Dixon and to the chiropractic adjustments. Her mobility has improved noticeably. It’s very clear to both Bella Rose and me that he cares very much about the animals that he treats.
In November of 2010 Bella was attacked by a neighborhood dog while I was walking her on a leash. This dog outweighed her by at least 50 pounds and jumped on her already weak hind limbs repeatedly. A few days after the attack Bella could only take a few steps before she had to lie down. She couldn’t stand up long enough to eat a meal. I believed that I was going to have to make the difficult decision to euthanize her. I decided to have Dr. Dixon see her first. He adjusted Bella twice in two weeks and it made all of the difference in the world. Bella was able to move comfortably again and resume the normal activities of an 11/12 year old dog.
I’m very grateful that Dr Dixon is willing to show me things that I can do myself to help Bella between chiropractic visits. He has given me at least seven extra months with Bella so far, which is significant in the life of a twelve year old dog, and more importantly he has improved the quality of her life during this time.
~LG
Virginia, MN
I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO PUT HIM DOWN!
Labor Day weekend, 2009, my horse (Breeze, a 20 year old Morgan gelding) was in an accident while pulling a horse cart. He seriously injured one of his front legs. The injury was so serious that I thought I would have to put him down. Day-by-day he made a slow recovery. After one year Breeze had healed but his range of motion on the front was limited. He was fine at a walk but when he tried to trot he would begin to limp because it hurt. I knew there must be more that could be done. That’s when Dr. Dixon came into his life. It was the summer of 2010. Dr. Dixon worked on Breeze once-a-month for three months. It changed Breeze’s life! His range of motion returned and he could trot along pain free again. He won best in his class in a sleigh competition in February 2011. Thanks to Dr. Dixon Breeze is back to being ridden and driven on a regular basis. Equine chiropractic really works. Thanks Dr. Dixon!
~JK
Grand Rapids, MN