Sooner or later it was bound to happen--and it was sooner, rather than later. When I first started conducting animal chiropractic seminars in the mid 1990's I heard from a lot of states warning me to stay out--or else! I'm not saying that Minnesota, Nevada, Arkansas, Georgia, Washington, Ohio, Louisiana, or my favorite, Oklahoma have sent me cease and desist letters. No sir. I'm saying that I enjoy the climate in other states where it doesn't rain nastiness and craziness all day--where state officials recognize the hypocrisy of allowing gambling and prostitution, but outlaw cracking a horse's tuchus. I've stopped arguing with lunatics. As a wise friend of mine once said, "You can't argue with the Mad Hatter because he's MAD! Right he was.
I find it more than a little ironic and moronic that we live in a country where it is legal to buy a hunting license and shoot a deer's head off, but you can't adjust its neck.
But enough of my feeble attempt at levity. I'm not that funny. And animal chiropractic is a serious business. People want their horses and dogs adjusted. But the same insane bureaucratic mentality that made it illegal for a chiropractor to treat a Medicare patient for free also made it illegal for me to teach horse and dog owners how to adjust their own animals. I'm thankful there are still a handful of states where I can teach and where the moon doesn't grace the sky night AND day.
Despite Warnings, Controversial Animal Chiropractor To Resume Teaching
Buffalo Grove, IL---It will take more than threats and cease and desist letters from state veterinary boards to silence animal chiropractic pioneer Dr. Daniel Kamen, D.C. After a long absence, he will soon be back on the road again showing equestrians and dog owners how to restore normal joint function and improve their animal’s performance.
Kamen, 57, who is the author of three best-selling books on animal chiropractic technique, The Well Adjusted Horse, The Well Adjusted Dog, and The Well Adjusted Cat, has received warning letters from Oklahoma, Washington, Ohio, Minnesota, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, and Nevada, to name a few, not to conduct seminars in their states. “Can you believe this?” said Kamen. “Nevada, a state that allows prostitution and gambling sent out a news release over the national wire after I did a seminar in Las Vegas during the winter of 2000. Apparently, cavorting with a hooker stays in Vegas, but cracking a horse’s tuchus does not.”
Many of these states claim Kamen is practicing veterinary medicine without a license just for teaching these techniques to other chiropractors, veterinarians, plus horse and dog owners. “I can’t think of anything more absurd, and un-American,” said Kamen, who has been involved in animal chiropractic since 1981, long before any certification courses were available. “What ever happened to freedom of speech? I suppose Amazon and Barnes & Noble are also practicing veterinary medicine without a license since they sell books and DVD’s teaching you how to perform abdominal surgery on horses and dogs.”
Even more absurd, according to Kamen, who has twice been disciplined for conducting animal chiropractic seminars, is the obvious hypocrisy built into state laws governing the treatment of animals. “It’s OK to buy a hunting license and rifle and shoot a deer’s head off. But if a chiropractor adjusts its neck it’s bye-bye chiropractic license.”
Once while Kamen was conducting a well attended hands-on horse adjusting seminar near Minneapolis in 2003, a sheriff came to shut down the seminar while in progress. “I had just started explaining the neck moves,” said Kamen,” when I saw a green Jeep approach with a county sheriff logo on the side. I knew instantly it wasn’t the pizzas I ordered.”
Kamen, who has conducted over 400 hands-on animal chiropractic technique seminars worldwide, thinks the controversy over his seminars is not about animal safety, but about money. “Chiropractic gets results without drugs, surgery, or side effects—and it’s inexpensive,” said Kamen. “There is an easy and safe technique I teach dog owners which, in many cases, can prevent the onset of canine hip dysplasia. They can do it themselves forever for under two hundred dollars. Compare that to hip dysplasia surgery that can cost over six grand. There is also an effective and simple technique for canine bladder incontinence I can teach someone in less than one minute. Maybe the vets are afraid they’ll sell less phenylpropanolamine, a drug that can lead to bone marrow suppression.
Kamen, who briefly worked on the famed racehorse Cigar, said he was coaxed out of retirement mostly by horse owners. “I used to get tons of barrel racers and Thoroughbred owners at my seminars,” said Kamen. “Many of their friends took my course and immediately saw a big improvement in their horse’s racing results—shaving fractions off the time.”
When Kamen resumes his seminars next month, he fully expects to hear from many more veterinary boards, but he’s not sure which ones. “It’s anyone’s guess,” said Kamen. “I just hope it isn’t a board who makes me wear a tie at the hearing. I hate wearing ties. They’re bad luck. The last time I wore one was at a Bar Mitzvah, October 11th, 2003, three days before Bartman bobbled the ball that cost the Cubs the pennant.”
Contact: Daniel Kamen, D.C.
708-744-6325