No! Any dog can benefit from massage whether they are young, old, fit and active:
- Young or quite old and suffering from stiffness. Dogs can’t tell you how they feel, or if they are injured. So just like humans, injuries and stiffness can be caused from every day activities or sport eg. Jumping out of the car, off the sofa, ball chasing, and slipping on laminate floors etc.
- Nervous, anxious and irritable dogs that do not like to be touched, dogs with trust issues with humans, dogs suffering from unsociable behaviour patterns either with other dogs and/or humans, hyperactive or underactive dogs and can help calm dogs down. This works by relaxing muscles, easing tension and resolving issues in your dog’s musculoskeletal system which may be making your dog grumpy, tense and unsettled.
- Pre event massage for agility/sporting even working dogs can help by warming up the muscles prior to them competing to prevent injury. It increases the blood supply to the muscles which is important for the muscles being able to perform in top shape during an event. Massage will create a state of readiness in the muscles and tissues so that the dog’s performance can be optimized.
Post event massage – Can help prevent post exercise soreness, fatigue, restore range of movement, and encourages blood flow to tight muscles, also helps get rid of toxin build up post exercise. Receiving a post event massage immediately after exercise will significantly reduce soreness, fatigue and tightness within the next 72 hours.
Yes! I encourage the owner to stay with their dog during massage therapy. This is a new experience for your dog, especially on the first session, so being present tends to help your dog calm down and settle. Also the owner gets to see exactly what occurs during the massage and provides an opportunity for you to ask questions as the session’s progress.
Deep tissue work can be painful whether its is on a human or canine client. Any discomfort felt with be soothed by softer massage techniques which relax the tissues and muscles.
No! Without signed consent from your Vet I am unable to massage your dog. There may be a valid reason why your vet will not sign the form it could be that there are some contraindications to massage and it may be that your dog has a medical condition which massage could aggravate the condition. See the section on Contraindications to canine massage.
I am happy to speak to your Vet for further clarification on what is involved in massage before they sign the consent from.
For dogs that participate in sport or are working dogs, pre-event massage can help by warming up the muscles prior to them competing. It increases the blood supply to the muscles which is important for the muscles being able to perform in top shape during an event and massage will create a state of readiness in the muscles and tissues so that the dog’s performance can be optimized.
Post exercise massage can also help by stretching out the muscles that have been overworked.
