Canine massage is not the same as petting. Canine massage is a form of bodywork grounded in acupressure that helps balance the body’s energy flow. Here, deliberate pressure is applied evenly from the head to the toes. Canine massage is considered a form of focused touch that works to balance, soothe, and energize. Canine massage offers benefits for general conditioning and pain relief in both healthy active dogs and in dogs debilitated by illness, including autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders as well as injuries.
Hidden Pain
Dogs can experience injuries and pain from normal activities such as playing ball, hiking, and jumping off furniture. By instinct, dogs are adept at hiding their pain, When the discomfort is severe they may show subtle signs such as limping, depression, ignoring a command or exhibiting slower response times.
Regular massage sessions are important for canine care because they can help owners identify and treat physical ailments. More importantly regular massage can be an important preventive measure because it helps dogs maintain flexibility and improves circulation.
Benefits of Massage
- Relaxes tired muscles and relieves pain
- Eases the strain caused by inactivity and prevents or delays muscular atrophy related to forced inactivity.
- Aids in rehabilitation post injuries and surgeries
- Increases circulation
- Maintains & restores flexibility of joints and muscles
- Improves behavioral issues and socialization
- Enhances body awareness
- Provides an opportunity for caretaker to examine pet
- Enhances bonding & relationship with humans
- Provides comfort
- Strengthens the immune system
- Enhances detoxification
Massage Technique
Canines should be lying on one side on a massage table or floor. They should be massaged from head to toe using firm, decisive movements. A clock-wise circular massage technique is usually recommended. Home massages are excellent and can complement massages performed by technicians certified in canine massage. Care should be taken with areas that are tender or sore.
Puppy Massage
Puppies can experience injuries related to jumping and falls. Massage helps with physical conditioning of puppies, and it provides an opportunity for socialization. Puppies
Adult Massage
The adult canine can have physical complaints related to both too much activity and inactivity. Massage aids in injury recovery and prevention, improves range of motion and flexibility, encourages proper movement, stimulates the lymphatic circulation, improves the skin and coat, reduces the risk of injury. decreases muscle tension and strain, counteracts the effects of repetitive jumping, turning, and agility exercises and it increases longevity.
Elderly Dogs
For elderly dogs, a weekly massage can promote longevity and reduce pain related to aging. Massage helps with conditioning and with maintaining muscle tone and flexibility.
Canine Spas
Besides grooming services, most canine spas offer massage therapy, hydrotherapy and acupressure treatments. Some spas also offer reiki and Tui-na.
Reiki and Tui-na
At Healing Hands Canine Massage in San Diego, California, therapists use both reiki and tui-na in their canine bodywork sessions.
Reiki is a form of touch therapy that is particularly effective for the recovery of canines following surgery or illness.
TUI-NA is one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A manual therapy tui-na utilizes numerous massage, acupressure, physiotherapy and osseous manipulations which are applied to acupuncture points and meridians to prevent and treat diseases. Tui-na is especially helpful for correcting energy imbalances and improving musculoskeletal and neurological conditions, including arthritis, hindquarter weakness and hip dysplasia.
in Portland Oregon also uses Reik,i and it focuses on therapies geared toward elderly, special-needs and disabled dogs and cats.
From Head to Tail Canine Massage
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