Massage Therapy
Massage therapy refers to the therapeutic manipulation of the soft tissues of the body. Most dogs, like humans, enjoy a massage when it is done with skilled hands and a good understanding of their anatomy.
The benefits are manifold:-
- Improve circulation
- Relax muscle spasms and relieve tension
- Expedite healing of general injuries and prevents formation of adhesions
- Enhance muscle tone
- Alleviate tissue stiffness and restores or increases range of motion
- Remove toxins and metabolic waste
- Reduce pain and discomfort caused by arthritis, hip dysplasia etc
- Prevent development of post operative compensatory tension
- Enhance the health and nourishment of the skin.
- Strengthen the immune system and promote general well-being
- Foster faster healing
- Assist in addressing the root of companion’s phobia with the aim of achieving behavioural conditioning.
Injury & Post-Operative Support
Regular massage therapy can benefit your dog during recovery from surgery or injury. Consult with your veterinarian prior to beginning a massge therapy program to ensure that it is appropriate for your dog.
Massage therapy can reduce pain and tension resulting from hip dysplasia, luxating patella and OCD.
Post operatively, massage therapy will prevent muscle tension from developing in other muscle of the body due to compensation, and will relax and provide comfort to your dog by freeing them from unnatural holding patterns. It also speeds the healing process.
Older Dogs
Dogs in their golden years benefit greatly from massage therapy. Arthritis and rheumatism are common in geriatric dogs. While massage therapy cannot cure these conditions, it is highly effective in reducing the resulting pain and muscle tension, and is helpful towards retarding the degenerative process.
Canine Senior Citizen Massage (CSC)
Senior dogs need massaging to wake up their sleepy muscles, and many of them require special care for arthritis and hip dysplasia. In addition to relaxing massage techniques, some special techniques which our furbies might find comforting, such as gentle stretching and exercises to strengthen the muscles which affect your dogs’s vision, are applied. Calming canine aromatherapy options* are also available.
*You can add aromatherapy to any hydrobath, microbubble bath or massage session. Our aromatherapy products include the highest grade quality organic and therapeutic grade essential oils and hydrosols. Special blends for addressing different problems are available.
Congenital Constraints
Breeds like the Welsh Corgi or Dachshund sufferfrom spinal, muslce and joint stress due to their long bodies and short legs. Such stress may lead to joint or spinal misalignment.
Other breeds like the Golden Retriever or the Great Dane experience rapid growth spurts. Unchecked activity levels can bring about hip dysplasia and other joint or muscle injuries, eventually reducing flexibility and even bring about immobility. Massage therapy conditions muscles and ligaments around vulnerable areas so as to aid growth without injuries and malformation.
Behavioral Conditioning
Timid animals or those deep-seated fears start to bond and develop trust, with introverts becoming energetic while nervous or edgy ones become calmer.
General Well-Being Massage
Massage therapy helps to identify and treat “unseen” health or physical problems before they progress to chronic stages. Your companions’ immune systems will strengthen with regular massage and become less susceptible to common viruses or ailments. Above all, massage can help develop and strengthen owner-companion bonds as nothing beats the wonders of touch.
General Well-Being Massage sessions cover general techniques, focusing on overall wellness enhancement and stress reduction. Calming canine aromatherapy option* is available.
*You can add aromatherapy to any hydrobath, microbubble bath or massage session. Our aromatherapy products include the highest grade quality organic and therapeutic grade essential oils and hydrosols. Special blends for addressing different problems are available.
Contraindications
Despite the benefits massage therapy brings, there are occasions where massage can hurt more than it heals. Massage should not be administered should the following conditions be observed:-
Infectious diseases
Companions with infectious conditions like dermatophytosis (fungal), malassezia (ringworm), herpes, pneumonia are not to receive massage therapy.
Post-operative support
While general massage accelerates the healing process, incision sites are to be avoided for at least 3 weeks.
Fever (above 39°C)
Refrain from giving massage to companions running a temperature beyond 39°C. A fever indicates that the body is in the midst of fighting an infection. Massage brings about further temperature increase due to heightened metabolism and increased blood circulation.
Concussion or shock
Massaging futher lowers a companion’s blood pressure, which is dangerous and may result in cardiac arrests.
Others
- Severe arthritis and rheumatism
- Serious nerve/musculo conditions caused by injury
- Companions suffering from functional nervous diseases
