World News Tonight

Dr. Joren Whitley, an Oklahoma chiropractor, recently treated an unusual patient a giraffe named Gerry with a jaw issue affecting his ability to chew.”Being able to work on a giraffe is a chiropractor’s dream. I mean it’s the largest neck in the world,” said Dr. Joren Whitley.Gerry, owned by a private rancher, was having difficulty moving his jaw to the left. Dr. Whitley took on the challenge of adjusting Gerry’s neck.”Their hair is pokey and their tongues are really slimy,” Dr. Whitley described the experience. In addition to his human patients, Dr. Whitley specializes in treating animals, primarily dogs. He has also treated chickens and even an injured bat, which he says was able to climb and hang upside down again after his adjustment. He has even adjusted sedated lions, like one in South Africa.While some skeptics argue that chiropractic has no scientific basis and there’s no proof it works on humans or animals, Gerry’s owner told The Washington Post that the giraffe’s chewing improved after his adjustment.”They’re a lot more appreciative I think than some of my human patients,” Dr. Whitley said about his animal patients. “He absolutely loved it. I mean he was rubbing all over me. He was licking all over me.”However, Dr. Whitley does not recommend this level of affection when showing appreciation to your chiropractor.