John McTimoney developed the technique in the 1950s for the adjustment of bony misalignments in the body of both humans and animals. Treatment concentrates predominately on the spine and pelvis but affect the whole body via the nerve roots exiting between the vertebral bodies making up the spine.

The principle of the treatment is that the body has a natural ability to heal itself when all systems are in alignment; the body is in its ‘blue print’. When a joint moves out of alignment with adjacent structures or becomes stuck function can be impaired and the healing process is hindered. It is important to emphasis that misaligned joints are not dislocated or sub-luxated, which would require urgent veterinary attention.  The articulating joint connection between two or more bones are not quite in the correct position.  The joint is still able to articulate but may have reduced function and associated nerve pathways may be affected.  The body's ability to correct these misalignments will depend on a number of factors such as the animal’s general health, fitness, and age and work program to name just a few. If uncorrected a misalignment can manifest into lameness, gait adaptation or behavioural issues due to discomfort or pain.

The McTimoney practitioner aims to assist the body to start the healing process. Using low force high velocity thrust to precise anatomical structures with the principle that the adjustment given are faster than the soft tissue around the joint can react whereby releasing any tension and spasm involved and the joint can start to move back to its natural position. The bodies reaction time to adjustments varies between animals, some can return to a more optimal position immediately while others take more time and repeated treatments. It is beneficial to the animal that it is allowed to rest after McTimoney manipulation session to avoid returning to poor musculoskeletal compensatory positioning.

Although McTimoney manipulation is a whole body treatment it concentrates predominantly on the spine and pelvis. The function of the spine is important as it houses the spinal cord within the vertebral bodies. Nerve roots that control the entire body's function exit the spinal cord from the tiny joints between the vertebral bodies. Misalignment of adjacent vertebral bodies can result in compromised joint and disc integrity, tension of the ligaments and surrounding muscle tissue and altered movement and narrowing of the foramen from which the nerves pass though impairing nerve function.

The pelvis is also key in the locomotion of animals as it provides transmission of the power generated by the hindquarters to forward motion. Asymmetries in the pelvis can reduce the ability for optimal performance of the animal. The whole hindquarters generate spinal motion therefore compromised motion in the pelvis may result in poor spinal use and vice versa.

McTimoney animal practitioners are trained to observe asymmetries and misalignments.  Manipulation may help in many conditions but as with humans not every technique is suitable for every issue.