YOUR WALKING BUDDY

Massage for Your Canine

By Maddy Turner

Do you wake up feeling stiff and sore? You’re well aware of that little ache that robs you of the spring in your step. You can’t quite hop out of bed as quickly as you once could.
We all get uncomfortable pains… and so does your pet. Your canine companion is more like you than you might think. He, too, experiences sore knees, hips and backs, just as people do.

But, just like you, there are things that can be done to keep him in the shape to be a willing participant on your adventures for a long and happy life. Proper diet, high quality food, and nutritional supplements, as well as regular stimulation and exercise, are crucial elements in maintaining his quality of life. Another component that can make a tremendous difference to his comfort is canine massage.

Just as with humans, there are many forms of massage available to our canine friends that focus on a variety of issues and can address specific types of strain or injury.

Sports massage addresses the prevention of problems associated to a certain task, job, or sport. This is ideal for performance and working animals. They are constantly pushing their bodies to new limits with activities like walking and running, jumping and weaving, diving and swimming. For very active animals, pre-event and post-event massage and stretching can help working and performance dogs avoid painful and potentially career ending injuries. It will improve the dog’s range of motion and break up adhesions (muscles that stick together), helping the dog to better perform the task at hand. What a wonderful way to prepare him for a big event or a well-deserved reward for a top performance!

Trigger point massage can help to deal with previous injury, irritation or stress. This type of massage involves finding the root cause of the pain. This can be a tricky task, since where it hurts may not necessarily be the source of the pain. For example, when you have a headache across the forehead, the source of pain is actually at the base of the skull. A qualified animal massage therapist is familiar with the referral patterns of your canine’s musculoskeletal system and, therefore, can effectively relieve those pains your dog is unable to describe to you in words.

A relaxing massage benefits your pet in many ways. Our canine companions enjoy a good old relaxation massage as much as we do. And, just like it does for us, this type of massage can help reduce stress in his busy and sometimes very anxious life. Relaxation massage increases blood circulation, bringing nutrients and oxygen to the muscles while flushing out toxins. The warm, caring touch of a qualified therapist fulfills an animal’s need for touch and companionship. Providing this special touch may be particularly valuable when it is time to say goodbye to that longtime friend to insure a peaceful, stress-free passing.

Animals needing surgery can greatly benefit from massage work. Because it increases blood circulation and reduces swelling and inflammation, massage either before or after operations can greatly accelerate recovery times, as well as enhance the immune system. This also keeps him comfortable while healing and the quiet and focused attention you give your dog will be rewarding and healing for the both of you.

With regular massage and consultation with a therapist, you can gain a more thorough knowledge and understanding of your dog’s body. This knowledge is an effective tool in early detection of physical problems and injury prevention. It can assist owners to address muscular and skeletal issues earlier rather than later, resulting in healthier happy dogs.

Canine massage has many benefits for your dog, just as human massage does for you. When choosing a massage therapist, be sure to ask for qualifications and proper training such as; certificate of training, experience, and a thorough knowledge of canine anatomy and physiology. Although dog and human anatomy is similar, it is far from the same, so make sure you take your canine to a certified pet massage therapist. In addition to the training required for certification as a massage therapist, a pet massage therapist has taken additional coursework and training to be able to better understand your pet’s unique physiology and his non-verbal communication. These professionals have taken the time to learn about the animals they so dearly love in order to share with them the very special gift of touch.

Maddy Turner, L.M.T, SAMT, is the owner of Pawsative Touch. Her inspiration to help dogs comes from her six year old German shepherd “Cody.” They both compete in agility and rally events. She can be contacted at 503-799-7928 or pawsativetouch@hotmail.com.