Paws Rewind

Did you know that 80% of dogs over the age of 8 have arthritis?

Pain in dogs can show up as:
🐾 Changes in behaviour - such as a new irritability or anxiety.
🐾 Delaying going up the stairs or not wanting to go up or down them.
🐾 Stretching more than usual.
🐾 Taking longer to get up in the morning or struggling to get up.

We try and make excuses or explain those things away.
We say “it’s just old age” “it’s their personality”, or a phase, “but they don’t cry or yelp when I do this”, “but they are still eating”, “they are still happy to go on walks”.

We miss the subtle signs that slowly creep in, slowing down on walks, eating but with less enthusiasm, that small hesitation to jump on the couch. And by the time we notice, it’s been getting worse for a very long time.

If you do notice that your dog has changed, has a weird outburst, does something that makes you think hmmm that was odd, even if it’s small, pain should be one of the first things that you should consider and begin discussing with your vet.

There are many ways to help, massage and laser therapy are so beneficial to help ease pain.

Me 🤝 my small business

How to massage your dog at home:

One of the most simple yet effective techniques to introduce to your dogs massage routine at home is Effleurage.

The next time you are sitting on the couch or the bed with your dog slowly start introducing them to massage.

Gently stroke them from the top of their head down to their tail. Using both hands glide them over the dogs skin with light pressure.

Check in with your dog, are they enjoying it? Are they beginning to fall asleep? Slowly and gently apply more pressure.

Can you feel the dogs muscles? Are they hard or are they soft? Do they flinch or twitch? Does the dog suddenly look at you or adjust their body?
You know your dog best. How do you think they are feeling?

At home massages are a great way to keep your dogs body relaxed and healthy in between their regular appointments with a professional. Canine massage professionals can use different massage techniques to help your dog even more. They are skilled to apply different amounts of pressure and know canine anatomy very well. But your dog will still benefit from some gentle massage at home.

I often get asked how do I know my dog needs a massage?
Or what should I be looking out for?

There are a few small signs that your dog is in pain.
You are the expert on your own dog, so if you think something is off - it’s highly likely something is!

I see hundreds of dogs and most signs are all very similar.

Muscle twitching is one of the most common ones and one of the easiest ones to spot.

Most dogs will avoid you touching them when they are in pain, they will move away or they will protect their sore area by adjusting their body position.

Another good one to spot is their coat patterns or texture. Does your dog have a spot in their fur that looks different to the rest?

If you need help identifying if your dog is in pain save this video for the next time you are sitting with your dog to test these things.

Have you been considering massage for your dog but just don’t think it’s worth it….?

Check out how massage helped this dog in one session.

At first the slightest touch on the dog’s muscles here have a massive impact on the dog.

I have found a big knot in the dog’s shoulder. I am only pushing very gently into this knot and the surrounding muscles, and you can immediately see how it affects the dog.
These muscle twitches and flinches are from being sore and over worked.

Sore and overworked muscles are more likely to result in further injuries or pain, as the body works to compensate for this tightness. Fascia over these muscles then cause even more tightness and there is a cascade effect.

As you can see in the second half of this video after I have worked on these muscles they are much more fluid and softer.
There is no more twitching or flinching and I am pushing a bit harder than I was at the start.
The skin slides much smoother over the tissue which means the fascia is a lot looser.
The big knot is gone and he will now be able to walk with much less pain.

So do you still think canine massage is not effective?
Let your dog show you how much better they feel after a session.

Making my job sound illegal….
But in all seriousness I love this job! I love looking after and caring for other people’s dogs and I am so grateful that people trust me with their fur babies (and the keys to their house). Wouldn’t change it for anything.