"why does my dog need a massage?"

I bet you are wondering "Why does my dog need a massage?". Well in this blog I will be discussing just that!

Reason #1 - your dog has a recent injury or surgery. Massage can be used to speed healing by improving the circulation of blood and lymph to the site of injury. If the injury is to a limb, I can work with your dog to improve its range of motion during the healing process. A massage is also useful for those dogs on cage rest because it is a way to stimulate the muscles without risk of injury, allowing the dog to keep some muscle tone.

Reason #2 - your dog is obese. Did you know that 25-30% of dogs in the United States are considered obese? Obese dogs often have rolls or pockets of fat that hinder their full range of movement. This lack of movement puts stress on the body, particularly the neck. Massage can increase circulation to the stiff areas, warm the tissues, and allow me to perform range of motion techniques on the dog to reduce some of the stress and tension. Adding massage to your dog's weight loss program will greatly improve its well-being!

Reason #3 - your dog is a senior. All the benefits pet massage offers applies to the geriatric dog. The aging dog experiences stiffness, degeneration, atrophy, various disease, and sometimes pain. Massage can help with every one of these, and bring the senior dog more body awareness, better sense of control, and comfort.

Reason #4 - your dog is an athlete. Massage increases range of motion and flexibility, enabling the canine athlete to perform better. A massage given before a competition acts as a warm up for your dog's soft tissues, muscles, and joints. This will allow the dog to perform safer and lower the risk of injury. A massage given after competition acts as a cool down, providing for a quicker recovery to fatigued or strained muscles.