Royal Touch Massage Therapy

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When should I Seek Massage for my Pet?
Suppose you find yourself in any one of these situations, what preventative, pro-active action could you take?
You rescue a dog or cat from a shelter and find that s/he is so traumatized that you can barely touch her, never mind the bonding you both crave.
You get a new puppy from a reputable breeder and six months down the line you notice that your puppy is lame, limping as s/he walks. Or your puppy is almost full grown at 6-7 months, experiencing a major growth spurt that could potentially damage the soft tissue and thus the joints in the body.
You’ve had your loving companion for 9, 10, or 11 years when you notice that s/he is not moving as well as before. S/he is avoiding stairs. S/he slowly struggles to get up from a lying position and limps as s/he tries to simply do the business of relieving herself.
Your furry friend is a top notch competitor in the agility or show ring and you notice that s/he is reluctant to perform her normal moves. There is no obvious limping, but s/he is refusing jumps, or other obstacles. Maybe s/he is sitting crooked or just not jumping quite “right”.
Yes, all these conditions and a myriad more can be helped with Massage Therapy!
Massage for animals you ask? Well why not? If it works for humans why wouldn’t it work for our loving companions? Muscle is muscle. It’s going to react the same way to stress on the body as well as to the restorative effects that massage has on the muscular and nervous systems and much more!
Let me introduce you to Molly, a three year old Newfoundland mix who was abandoned in a puppy drop off box. She apparently was abused since she’s extremely timid and fearful. The first time Jane Derosier, an animal massage therapist, saw Molly she would hide under the table. Curiosity got the best of her as Jane massaged the other two dogs in the home. Molly gradually allowed Jane to massage her face and ears and eventually her whole body! What a difference it made in Molly’s demeanor as she now runs to the door and jumps up on the love seat, her special place for her massages. Molly is much less stressed with strangers and has learned what a wonderful positive experience touch can be. Jane has learned that touch is one of the greatest ways to communicate and to heal!
When asked how massage has affected her 8 year old pit bull Isis, Carol Joy Campbell said it has completely changed Isis’s life! Before she met Paula Austin, a human and animal massage therapist, Isis was very slowly and painfully using the stairs. Now she runs up the stairs and easily jumps over the coffee table and up on her favorite chair! She’s more playful and happier now that she’s not in so much pain. Carol Joy, a massage therapist herself, would rather have someone specially trained for animals for her loyal friend of 8 years. Carol Joy’s veterinarian had put Isis on anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications. These medications are good in the short term, but on a long term basis can have side effects such as stomach upset. Some of these medications are very hard on the liver and kidneys as well. There are other options available. Massage cannot “cure” arthritis, but it can relieve some of the symptoms and make the animal more comfortable. If the animal is more comfortable then s/he will need less medication. It is important to keep your veterinarian involved and informed in the pet’s progress as they can best guide you to medication choices and dosage amounts.
Massage Therapy is certainly a viable option for many conditions our loving companions must endure. When we require them to adapt to our human environment they undergo extreme stress. They are also subject to even more illnesses and physical ailments than humans. Improper/over breeding practices can cause unavoidable muscular/skeletal malformations which lead to a host of problems, such as hip/elbow dysplasia and severe arthritis.
When the soft tissue surrounding a joint is compromised, too weak, over-stretched or too tight and pulling, the joint is susceptible to damage. The Foundation of massage therapy is Prevention! If we keep the muscles, tendons and ligaments healthy and supple and they will protect the joints. Thus we can avoid much of the muscular/skeletal and joint issues that plaque our dearest companions.
Massage has numerous benefits for many of the body’s systems;

Who hasn’t heard of someone who felt compelled to euthanize their pet because s/he was in so much pain? How much of that is unfortunately premature, because the owner saw no other option, and couldn’t stand to see their baby in distress? So they did what they thought was the humane thing by putting them out of their misery.
How much can we humans, as their caregivers, alleviate or even avoid some of our companion’s suffering before problems develop?
We know through experience how much the educated, healthy touch of massage therapy helps us, as more and more of us avail ourselves of all sorts of complimentary health care options. It’s high time we share those benefits, thus improving the quality of our loving pet’s lives as well as our own! By knowing we’re giving them the best possible care and perhaps even increasing their life-span, we’re selfishly keeping them with us that much longer, thus sharing our lives and love with minimal pain!

Paula Austin is a licensed Massage Therapist and a graduate of both the human and small animal massage programs at Bancroft School of Massage Therapy in Worcester, MA.
Paula practices at her office in Lakeville, MA and at Steppin’ Up Dog Training Complex in Freetown, MA.
New offerings: Intimate Dinner and couples massage