John’s Veterinary career has included working in mixed country practices including his own in NSW for twenty years, Equine Practices, and a role as Stud Manager, and Veterinary Chiropractic Practice from the Gold Coast.

Currently John works part time as a Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon in Devonport, and the remainder as “ Veterinarian and Animal Chiropractor in Equine Health Australia P/L.

Equine Health Australia attends to the usual range of Equine Practice conditions like colic, hoof conditions like laminitis and under-run sole, Dentistry, and Reproductive work including AI and mare infertility, PrePurchase Examinations, Castrations under General Anaesthetic, “scoping” for Respiratory causes of Failure to Perform.
Recently John has set up a laboratory for the production of Blood Derived Products like ACP and ABPS for tendon and joint injection.
Stem Cell treatments are also performed and likely to find more therapeutic benefits.

In 2003, Dr McKenna completed a Graduate Diploma in Animal Chiropractic from RMIT to fill some of the deficiencies I perceived in conventional Veterinary Practice for providing treatments for many of the musculoskeletal conditions seen in racehorses, pacers, dressage horses, Quarter horses, jumpers and Endurance horses.

Owners of these horses commonly sought treatments from other than Veterinary Clinics, from lay operators known variously as “Equine Therapists”, “Muscle Men” and even the borrowed title “Chiropractor” etc.
It was known that about 75% of equine conditions presented to Veterinary clinics were for musculoskeletal conditions.

Veterinary Clinics are able to provide excellent diagnostics with Radiography, Ultrasonography, Lameness work ups, Nerve Blocks, and now MRI. Excellent arthroscopic procedures are performed and tendon injuries have evolved to state of the art treatment with Stem Cells and Plasma Products.

Many Veterinarians including myself wanting to fill the gap in our treatment options and employ treatments not taught in Veterinary School which include Chiropractic techniques, Myofascial and Soft Tissue Release techniques, Acupuncture, Herbal Therapy, which are being called Complementary or Alternative or Integrative Medicine.
These treatments can be used as well as traditional Veterinary Medicine, and always the most desirable outcome for the patient is paramount.

Most recently advances with blood derived products such as Stem Cells and IRAP like products have extended our range of treatment options and often used for arthritic conditions and tendon and ligament damage, like bowed tendon.

Major surgical procedures such as colic, joint surgery, and “roarer” surgery are referred to a specialist Equine Surgeon.