Pet Massage: More Than A Luxury

I hear it a lot, "Pet massage??? There's such a thing???" A questioning tone as if the absurdity of it all is just too much. It seems that people view animal massage in much the same way as human massage was once looked upon, as if it were merely a luxury. Today human massage is sought after as a valuable healing tool in the world of complimentary therapies. People have realized that it offers more than just an hour of relaxation, but it actually transforms our aching bodies into bodies that feel much more balanced and healthy. We know now that massage helps every system in our body from better circulation to better posture, even better brain function. So, if this is true for human animals (and remember that we ARE biologically animals), why wouldn't it do the same for our non-human counterparts? The truth is, it does.

From the moment I lay my hands on an animal and open the massage session, I can feel the changes begin. If it is the pets first time having a massage, they may shift around a bit, or even stand up and try to move, but it doesn't take long for them to realize that they like what is happening. Soon, they will settle into their spot and and take a deep sigh. This sigh is a sign of relaxation and tension release. I will make my way over the whole body of the animal noting any trouble spots, (i.e. scar tissue, tightness, sore spots, lumps, bumps or any other sort of adhesion). Already changes are taking place, muscles are warming, circulation is improving and anxiety levels are decreasing. Once the problematic areas are identified, the real work begins. I will focus on each of these areas until I feel that adequate progress has been made to resolve, or at least improve the area. Here's the kicker, while the muscles are releasing tension, every system of the body is responding as well. It looks a bit like this:

Muscle warms ------Muscle relaxes-----Circulation improves------Oxygenation increases----Alertness and focus increase----Annxiety and Stress decrease----Balance and Proprioception improve-----Range of Motion increases------Posture improves-------Joint pain decreases-----Gait improves. Digestion improves and excrement and toxins move more freely from the body.

The overall health of the pet improves!

Here is a real life example of how dramatically massage can change the life of an animal. I began seeing a 16 year old rescued Collie, named Winter, with multiple issues, the most serious of which was an amputated rear leg. Winter had been hit by a snow plow when he was 12 years old. The leg was severely damaged and had to be removed. Besides age, he was now faced with learning to walk on 3 legs, balance, stress on other joints, scar tissue both from surgery and trauma, as well as generalized pain. To look at Winter, he sort of gave the impression of the walking dead. His head hung low, his gait off balance, sometimes he would just stand in one place for long periods of time, looking quite confused. However, he still seemed to have a spark for life, he ate well and enjoyed the company of people and other dogs. The first time Winter came to my house for a massage, he couldn't walk up the steps without assistance and though he wanted to interact with the other dogs, he just couldn't muster up the energy. By the end of our first 1 1/2 hour session, I opened up the door, and Winter not only walked down the stairs, he bounded out of the house like a puppy. He immediately RAN over to another dog and got into a play bow position!! I couldn't belive it! I felt like a miracle worker, though I knew the true miracle was not my hands, but the massage itself. I was just so happy to see his quality of life improve so dramatically. Winter continued to see me for massage for the rest of his life, and each time we would see the same type of improvements. I'm sure that it felt very luxurious for him to sink into his giant orthopedic pet bed and get a massage, but without it, I'm certain, he would have continued to struggle from day to day with the chronic pain that he had come to know.

*Janelle Jewell is a Certified Small Animal Massage Practitioner.

**Massage is not intended to replace proper veterinary care. Please talk with your veterinarian to see if massage would be a good option for your pet.

#text #dogmassage #petmassage #dogs #animalhospice #pets #alternativepettherapies #smallanimalmassage