Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Clara Medalen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Clara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

My dog Nero suffered a concussion as a puppy. He was hit in the head with a tennis ball while playing fetch. You may not know, but to adjust a puppy it only takes the pressure you would use to test the ripeness of a tomato. The hit on the head was more than enough to misalign his skull bones. He was left with uneven pupils, anxiety and headaches. His eyes would not track together or respond to light in sync. A few chiropractic adjustments later and his eyes returned to normal, preventing brain damage that could have left him blind. I hate to think what his life would have been like if he had not been blessed with access to chiropractic care. This is why I run an all animal practice. My mission is to provide your pet with the same degree of care that a human would get in the same situation. We make a difference one animal at a time.

Clara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was one of the rare people who go into chiropractic school without ever having been adjusted before. I heard about chiropractic, how it is a holistic approach to healthcare, and it spoke to me. I have always been a huge animal person though, so I picked a school that had a very strong animal chiropractic club. I was the president of that club for 2 years before I graduated early and went to do the animal portion of my schooling. Animal chiropractic has always utilized visual gait analysis as a way to determine pain and functional deficiencies, what I did instead was to go out and find the technology to turn that gait analysis into measurable progress. We are still the only animal chiropractic office in the entire United States that uses Tekscan Strideway to measure gait. It is like viewing the entire history of injuries in your pet. Our gait analysis measures everything from acceleration to stride length to weight bearing. This is how we determine where an animal is injured, how long it has been injured, what compensation patterns are they using, and is there anything else in danger of becoming injured. After that we put together a full report on each pet and an individualized care plan based on our assessment. This is how we help everyone from first time dog owners to experts in providing health and longevity to their fur family.

When I got my very first dog as an adult, I found it hard to get correct information on pet health or things like how to choose a good breeder and how to start in on dog sports like agility. When starting up my animal chiropractic business, I put that at the core of what we do. My goal is to lower the barrier on entry into animal ownership and healthcare. I believe knowledge should be free to those who seek it and so everything we do in the office is meant to teach our practice members the basics of how to see pain long before limping is an issue, what lasers they can purchase and use at home, how to apply kinesiotape, what exercises they can do at home and when do they need to see an animal Physical Therapist, how to find areas that need to be massaged and when to seek a professional animal Massage Therapist. We also connect our practice members with breeders, trainers, behavioralists, and other professionals in our network. Ultimately, I want to provide peace of mind to all pet owners and promote wellness and preventative care in the community.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

The most important thing is to be flexible and remember we are serving both the animals and the people that love them. That can mean coming up with financial solutions, having flexible hours, or helping people talk through issues they are having with pets not under care with us. When handling animals, if there is a problem that we do not see resolving we must remember each animal is an individual and will not respond exactly the same as another animal. We are constantly changing how we do things to suite the needs of that individual. That might mean changing our adjustment style, doing research for our practice members, or looking into environmental factors. In any situation it comes down to communication. Each owner should know how their animal is feeling, exactly what we are doing and why, and what we see is improving or needs more attention. In my office there are no silly questions, and we will never discount any of your observations or concerns with your pet.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for us is to take our Tekscan Strideway to events and provide free gait analyses. This allows people to make an educated decision on whether they need our services. We primarily attend dog shows but you can find us at other pet friendly events around Portland, Vancouver and Salem.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cloudberrylanechiropractic.com
• Instagram: cloudberry_lane_chiropractic
• Facebook: Cloudberry Lane Animal Chiropractic