Massage For Dogs

Massage does more than exercise and strengthen your dog's muscles. It stimulates blood and lymph circulation, disperses pain, and helps restore mobility and flexibility. Massage is especially beneficial for athletic dogs and has subtle values over and above the obvious physical ones. Massaging your dog helps to build trust and makes you aware of subtle changes in your dog's physical condition.

Massage may be the oldest and most natural form of medical care. It is an important element of all forms of medicine, including Traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic, Persian, Arab, Greek, and ancient Roman. In modern Western medicine, the concept of massage was restored to favor by the Swedish gymnast Per Henrik Ling at the end of the 19th century. His Swedish massage methods then became the basis for physiotherapy.

Therapeutic massage is used more frequently on canine athletes than on typical housedogs because their form and lifestyle predisposes them to greater need. Massage oils are not used on dogs.

Touch is perceived through the skin, the dog's largest sensory organ. Gentle massage triggers the release of cytokines, chemicals that exist in such small quantities that they were not known to exist until 20 years ago. These chemicals affect the dog's hormonal system, bringing down the levels of stress hormones that weaken the immune system.

Massage also stimulates blood circulation, which increases the amount of oxygen that reaches tissue and flushes out toxins and waste. Massage probably induces cells at the site being massaged to release cytokines. The cytokines then instruct the brain to release pain-killing endorphins.

Different forms of massage can be used, depending on a dog's need. "Effleurage" is the most common, which is stroking in one direction. It is used at the beginning of a therapeutic session and serves to calm the dog. "Petrissage" involves specific skin and muscle tissues being stretched, rolled, gently pinched, kneaded, even ever-so-slightly wrung. Hand movements may be circular or back and forth. Percussive forms of therapeutic massage such as tapping may be used occasionally, but the more physically robust actions of clapping and hacking that are commonly used for people are only used for large, heavy dogs whose frames are not too delicate.

Early and frequent touch leads to reduced glucocorticoid production later in life. Translated out of medical jargon, dogs that are frequently touched when they are young experience less stress when they are older. In theory, this means that dogs that are routinely massaged should have fewer immune system problems than other dogs.

Massage is therapeutic at a variety of different levels. On its own, it can reduce pain and discomfort, and increase blood circulation. On a secondary level, regularly massaging your dog helps you uncover early signs of problems such as muscle tenderness, swelling, or shrinkage. On a third level, if you massage your own dog, it strengthens the bond between you and your pet, and is actually good for you too, dropping your heart rate and lowering your blood pressure. From the point of view of the veterinarian, dogs that accept regular massage will make better patients. They are easier to examine and treat because they are relaxed about being handled and manipulated.

Massage can be carried out at home if your dog is willing and in general good health. If your dog is recovering from an injury and needs remedial massage, it should only be administered by a registered therapist who is familiar with canine anatomy. Your vet should be able to refer you to someone in your area.

• Herbal treatments
• Micronutrients
• Nutritional therapies
• Biochemic tissue salts
• Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Bach Flowers Remedies
• Aromatherapy
• Homeopathy
• Hydrotherapy

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