CAC Diagnosis and Patient Assessment Flashcards
6 cards from real CAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CAC Diagnosis and Patient Assessment flashcards as text
Which diagnostic finding is an absolute contraindication to performing a chiropractic adjustment in a veterinary patient?
Answer: Confirmed vertebral fracture or luxation at the target segment
Vertebral fracture or luxation is an absolute contraindication because adjustive force could cause catastrophic spinal cord injury.
What is the purpose of performing a static weight-bearing assessment in a veterinary chiropractic examination?
Answer: To identify asymmetric loading patterns that may indicate spinal or extremity dysfunction
Observing how an animal distributes weight while standing reveals compensatory postures and asymmetries that direct the chiropractic examination to relevant spinal regions.
Which motion palpation finding most clearly indicates the need for a chiropractic adjustment at a specific spinal segment?
Answer: Restricted intersegmental motion with associated pain or muscle hypertonicity
A fixation characterized by restricted motion combined with local pain or muscle guarding is the classic indication for a specific chiropractic adjustment at that segment.
A veterinary chiropractor observes a dog consistently turning its head to one side and having difficulty eating from a bowl on the floor. Which region warrants primary assessment?
Answer: Upper cervical spine (C1-C2) and temporomandibular joint
Head tilt, rotational preference, and difficulty eating from floor level are classic presentations of upper cervical or TMJ dysfunction in dogs.
What role does the veterinary chiropractor's pre-treatment physical examination play in the context of US professional standards?
Answer: It establishes clinical baseline findings, identifies contraindications, and documents medical necessity
Under US veterinary chiropractic certification standards, a thorough pre-treatment examination is mandatory to establish baselines, identify contraindications, and meet documentation requirements.
Which finding during neurological assessment would prompt a veterinary chiropractor to refer the patient to a veterinary neurologist before proceeding?
Answer: Progressive ataxia, loss of conscious proprioception, or absent deep pain sensation
Progressive neurological deficits such as ataxia, absent conscious proprioception, or loss of deep pain indicate serious spinal cord compromise requiring specialist evaluation before chiropractic care.