| What is massage therapy for animals? What is massage therapy for animals? Massage is a touch technique used to maintain and improve physical and mental health. It has been practiced for thousands of years on people. In more recent years, people have realised how beneficial massage can be for animals. Massage can help prevent injuries and aid the body with hea ling. Animal massage causes your pet's body to release endorphins, which are the natural chemical that relieves pain and makes your pet feel good. Massage can strengthen the bond between you and your pet. What are the many benefits of massage therapy for animals?
Massage can help your pet's physical and mental health by: Increasing their circulation and helping eliminate toxins and wastes from their bodies.Improving their joint flexibility and muscle tone, which can be very beneficial to older animals, those with active lives such as performance animals. Massage is very popular with agility dogs and sport horses.Improving the condition of their skin, coat, gums, and teeth.Improving their attitude and ability to focus, which can affect behavior, training, and performance. Massage therapy for animals can help with behavior and temperament problems by: Gaining their trust through the act of being touched.Calming down a nervous or hyper pet.Helping a shy or submissive pet feel more secure.Relaxing an aggressive or dominant pet. Massage can help pets that are recovering from injuries or have chronic conditions by: Enabling atrophying muscles to work the way they are supposed to.Reducing the recovery time from soft tissue injuries.Providing relief from muscle soreness and spasms.Relieving pain and discomfort associated with conditions such as arthritis and hip dysplasia. I use basic and advanced techniques with my 16 year old dog that has arthritis, pictured here in many of the photos.What are some precautions with massage therapy for animals?
If your animal is acting injured or ill, you should consult with a vet for a proper diagnosis to make sure massage is appropriate.If your animal has been diagnosed with a serious illness or injury, you should consult with a vet prior to having a massage to make sure it will be beneficial and not detrimental.Only apply light massage to areas such as recent sprains, fractures, torn muscles and ligaments, ruptured disks, or enlarged lymph glands, if approved by a vet.Do not massage areas that are swollen, cold, or hot without diagnosis. Do not massage hot spots, tumors, infected areas, cuts and abrasions, surgical incisions, or any area where your animal shows signs of discomfort or pain. Bones are not massaged as this can cause your animal discomfort.Never massage an animal that has low blood pressure, fever, poisoning, severe trauma, severe debilitation, in shock, heat stroke, a leg where there may be circulatory problem due to thrombosis (blood clots), or an injury or illness not diagnosed by a vet. *Massage therapy has helped many pets but with any new therapy, you should monitor your pet. If your pet is on any medication, has a specific health condition or injury, or you have any concerns, you can check with your vet prior to offering massage. If you are concerned after your pet receives massage therapy for animals, consult your vet. | | What is reiki/spiritual healing for animals?Reiki translates as universal life energy and is an amazing energy healing method that originated in Japan. It is offered as an alternative treatment and a treatment to compliment and ongoing medical treatment you or your animal may be having. While it has mainly been used for healing people, in more recent years, those who have learned reiki have realised how beneficial this healing system could be to their own pets and other animals. Don't be surprised if you hear a healer say that their best patients are animals! Be they domesticated pets, farm managed or wild, animals instinctively know when Spiritual Healing is helping them and respond trustingly to the healer. The basic principles of healing animals are the same as healing people -the only difference is in the techniques used. Animals are very sensitive to environments, be they place or persons, and healers know they must attune themselves to gain trust before expressing the energy that can have a healing value. Animals that live in the open such as horses must be healed in their own places, whereas the domestic cat, dog, budgie etc in most cases can be taken away from their homes to see the healer. Pets will often lie down and appear to sleep when healing is given –most healers know this to be true of dogs, cats and budgies -even guine a pigs! They generally respond more quickly than people -hence being the healer's favourite patient! What are the benefits of reiki for pets?Because reiki is healing energy, it will never harm you or your pet.It can be given to any type of animal.If your pet has emotional problems due to a traumatic situation such as abuse, neglect, or being hit by a car, reiki can help release and heal those emotions.For behavioral issues such as nervousness or hyperactivity, reiki can help your pet relax and reduce their stress and anxiety.If your pet is sick or injured, reiki can help your pet heal more quickly. If your pet is facing a serious illness, reiki can help bring comfort and be a great compliment to conventional treatment.If your beloved pet is dying, reiki for animals can help bring peace and comfort to you and your pet during this difficult time. It really seems to help them relax so they are not afraid and struggling to stay a part of our lives. Reiki can: support the treatment given by a vet aid recovery from surgery or illness accelerate recovery from accidental injury work effectively with other complementary therapies such as:
homeopathy, herbalism and acupuncture help manage pain maintain health and well-being help ease the transition at the end of the pet's natural life What to Expect with Your Animal
Reiki/energy work have the ability to heal on a body, mind, and spirt level. In other words, on a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual level. When we offer this service, our intention is for the highest good of the animal. We are just a channel for this ability that is inside each and every one of us. We never know what kind of results will be achieved. It is possible that multiple or life long sessions will be ideal for your animal. Your pet can benefit from Reiki just as much as people.
Pets often become very calm and relaxed when receiving a treatment. Animals seem to sense the power of the Reiki energy and will often position themselves so they receive it in the best way for their needs:
- a dog might settle at the practitioner's feet to accept the energy
- a cat may sit on the practitioner's lap
- birds and caged animals often become very still and calm as the waves of energy are transmitted towards them.
Sometimes an animal might prefer to stay a few metres from the practitioner's outstretched hands and simply soak up the energy from a distance.
*It is important to remember that Reiki is a powerful treatment that can help with specific conditions and even alleviate symptoms but it is not an alternative to treatment by a qualified vet. Also remember that if your pet is seriously ill and you are considering a Reiki treatment then your vet must be consulted first.
| | Canine/Feline Massage Canine and feline massage is a gentle non-invasive therapy designed to enhance your dog’s quality of life. It is the application of soft tissue manipulation techniques intended to reduce stress and fatigue while improving circulation. Through an understanding of overall structure, balance and movement, the entire body is considered. Many systems of the body benefit for example: 
- Relaxes muscles to relieve tension soreness, stiffness and weakness
- Improves flexibility at the joints
- Mobilises soft tissue
- Relieves pain and stimulates motor nerves
- Relieves restlessness and sleep disturbances
- Improves spatial awareness (proprioception)
- Stimulates movement of Lymphatic fluid
- Improves alignment of skeletal structures without force
- Improves quality of coat of fur by bringing fresh circulation to the surface and releasing dead skin follicles.
Canine/Feline Massage can help enhance the function of the muscles by using strokes to release bound connective tissue and lengthen muscle fibers. This will help relax the muscles also improving circulation. When the muscles are not sticky they are more flexible at the joints. Arthritis, dysplasia, and drying up of joint fluid associated with age or nutrition can all benefit from the rejuvenating effects of massage
- Reduced recovery time between workouts due to removal of metabolic waste products
- Decreased post-work out discomfort due to release of naturally occurring endorphins
- Decreased likelihood of stress-related injuries due to lengthening of muscle fibers
- Prevents atrophy in inactive muscles
- Assist with proper scar tissue formation
- Restores range of motion and promotes greater -joint flexibility
- Prevention of chronic conditions through regular monitoring and early detection
*Massage is not an alternative to regular vet checks. If your dog/cat is under going any treatment with your vet please check with the vet first vefore making an appointment to see us. | |