If you’ve benefited from massage therapy in your life, chances are you’re wondering if your dog can receive this massage in similar ways. The answer is yes! The benefits of dog massage are practically endless and have very few contraindications.
So how do you know if your dog needs a massage, and more importantly, how do you do a dog massage? Rest assured that I’ve got you covered — answering all of your burning questions about dog massage and how to incorporate it into your puppy’s life.
History of dog massage
While dog massage has only recently become popular among companion pets, it actually dates back to ancient times. Julius Caesar traveled with a personal massage therapist who also worked on his battle dogs. Egyptian hieroglyphs describe massage therapy used through animal healers. Massage therapy has been used for the agility of dogs and horses for many years. Not only are these examples great, but they also hopefully confirm that considering your dog’s massage therapy doesn’t put you in the zone of frantic pet parents. Humans have used this powerful method on animals for many years.
Benefits of dog massage
Therapeutic massage is considered manual manipulation of the muscles and soft tissues of the body. This can be achieved using passive touch and different strokes which we will cover a bit more below.
Most dogs feel the benefits of a therapeutic massage after just three professional sessions. You can combine basic massage techniques at home to provide the same health benefits for your puppy.
Here are just a few of the incredible benefits of dog massage:
- Promote circulation
- Nourish muscle and reduce muscle wasting
- Relieve muscle tension and reduce discomfort
- Stimulates lymph circulation, thus enhancing immune function
- Promotes faster healing time
- Deepen the relationship between humans and animals
- Eliminate anxiety, fear and stress
- Support during grief
- Comfort during palliative and hospice care
Dog massage therapy is indicated for many cases. Whether your dog is young and healthy, old and suffering from arthritis or any of those life stages, massage therapy is an easy and safe way to improve quality. your child’s overall quality of life. What I’m saying is: Being alive is practically enough.
Here are a few more formal instructions. Dog massage is great for:
- Arthritis
- Soft tissue injury
- Worry, fear and grief
- Joint diseases (such as elbow and hip dysplasia)
- Active dogs (such as working dogs, agile dogs, or hiking dogs)
- Dogs with chronic GI conditions such as irritable bowel disease (IBD), constipation, or a sensitive stomach
- Distal to the patella and other anatomical anomalies
The main contraindications (reasons for dogs not receiving therapeutic massage) are:
- Evil
- Fever
- antibiotics
Massage therapy increases circulation. Usually, this is a really cool thing. However, you may not want to increase circulation with fever, infection, or neoplasm. Increased circulation can potentially exacerbate the severity of these.
This list of cancers, fevers, and antibiotics does not cover all situations where massage should be avoided. Kidney disease, pregnancy, certain skin diseases, and many other conditions also occur. Consult your veterinarian before starting massage therapy.
Some contraindications can be gray areas, depending on your dog’s position in the healing journey as well as your position in their approach to health. An example here is caring for an elderly dog with cancer. Perhaps you are into hospice or palliative care, and perhaps massage plays a wonderful role in facilitating connection, pain relief, and comfort for your child as they transition. through the end of life.
Massage therapy for dogs at home
When using massage techniques at home, keep the following in mind to ensure the safety of both you and your dog.
- Touching consent is really important when you start giving your dog massage therapy. The consensus bodywork allows for deeper results, while keeping you and your puppy safe. Observe your dog’s reactions and body language to gauge whether you agree to touch. Signs that your dog may be nervous or stressed include panting, growling, walking away, shaking or yawning. If you notice that your dog is stressed, stop massaging and start again later.
- Signs of pain can resemble stress and fear. You may notice these signs when moving along a certain part of the dog’s body. If your dog is in pain during therapeutic massage sessions or if you notice some areas of their body swelling, stop the massage session. Consult your veterinarian and a professional animal massage therapist.
- This is by far the biggest mistake I’ve seen when teaching pet parents how to massage their dogs. Your dog doesn’t need deep pressure work, even with a sports massage. In fact, the most effective work your dog will get will be when you use no more than 2 pounds of force. Press down on the 2 pound mark on your home scale to practice. Less is always more here!
- Avoid direct pressure on the abdomen, spine or joints. Keep 2 inches from the spine for large dogs and 1 inch from the spine for small/medium dogs. Never put pressure directly on your dog’s spine and never press down directly on bones or joints. Avoid massaging your dog’s belly, even if they have gas or colic. One of the most common side effects of these GI conditions is actually lower back pain, so working along the paraspinal muscles (the muscles adjacent to the spine) is much more beneficial and actually has can promote going out.
- Consider where you are delivering your session. Avoid turbulent times and busy zones in your home.
- Your current mood. This is a necessary consideration. Do not work with your dog if you are struggling with anxiety or cannot stay present. For maximum safety and benefit, allow yourself to be grounded during these sessions. You and your dog deserve it!
Types of massage therapy strokes for your dog
Passive touch. To understand passive induction, you must know about active induction. Active touching is when your dog seeks to touch. This is when they rub themselves against your body or lean into your lap. Passive touch is the opposite and occurs when you touch the dog’s body. There is a spectrum to passive induction. Never underestimate the power of passive touch. I consider touch to be the most important and healing sense we have ever known in this lifetime.
The benefits of passive touch include:
- Connecting
- Grounding
- Set intentions: Are you trying to reassure and address your anxious or elderly dog, or energize your hiking companion?
- Stimulates lymphatic circulation
Effleurage Stroke. Think of this stroke as “intentional caressing.” This is your rated stroke. Effleurage is a gentle stroke that glides along your dog’s body. Your hands are still in a cupped position with your fingers interlaced.
The benefits of exhaust include:
- Assess your dog’s temperature, coolness, pain, stress and reactions
- Warm up muscles and tissues
- Increase blood flow
- Promote lymphatic circulation
Petrissage stroke. Think of this move as your “release”. After you’ve finished steaming in an area, you’ll do petrification. This is a kneading movement that uses your entire hand, including the palm or heel of your hand and your fingers or thumb.
Benefits of petrissage include:
- Increase blood flow
- Promote lymphatic circulation
- Relieve stress
- Stretch the tissues
To know more about how to massage dogs, please follow my page and stay tuned for upcoming online course announcements.
Massage is powerful, end of story! After making this exercise part of their regular wellness routine, I’ve watched aging dogs, chronically ill dogs, and healthy dogs go into their days with more happiness, ease, and passion. You can give your dog a massage at home using basic massage techniques or hire a professional to do more intensive therapy sessions. Either way, your dog will thank you.
