Veterinary spinal manipulation is a system of health care for animals based on manipulation of the spine to restore its normal motion and alignment. Doing so relieves any restrictions on the nerves or the spinal cord that could impair their function and the function of the organs they innervate.

Each vertebra is checked by feeling the bone in relation to its neighbors and moving it to test its range of motion. If a restriction of motion is felt, a carefully modulated thrust is applied to the vertebra in the direction needed to relieve that restriction. Bones are not "put into place" but are freed and allowed to assume their normal positions. A series of adjustments may be necessary until the animal's body relearns where normal is.

Misalignments, called "subluxations," can be caused by trauma, by what the animal is used for (i.e. riding horses or agility in dogs), or by stress.

Correcting these misalignments relieves pain and enhances the animal's mobility.

Spinal manipulation can be used to treat animals with sore necks or backs. It can help old stiff dogs or animals with chronic lameness that get back problems from moving incorrectly. It may be helpful in dogs with intervertebral disc disease by relieving some of the pressure on the disc. Animals with vague, hard to diagnose lameness or that are "off" may have problems in the spine or pelvis that can be adjusted. Some cases of urinary incontinence or lick granuloma on the legs can be helped with spinal manipulation too.

Veterinary spinal manipulative therapy is a complement to, rather than a replacement for conventional veterinary medicine.